Christine, Had a similar experience years ago with a boutique agency. Was asked to do a process flow diagram, then derive work instruction, from a very badly written diary note about a job procedure. I know I did it well. The agency loved it but I didnt even get asked for an interview. PS - Joe's comment about weeding out applicants is certainly insightful and probably true. But I do suspect there is a global trend to push down rates of pay. Look what's happened to developer rates since much IT work outsourced to India. Matilda Reich ----- Original Message ----- From: BIRTLEY-KENT,Christine <Christine.BIRTLEY-KENT@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 10:45 AM Subject: atw: Re: Strange job advertisments/skills combinations > Good point - it does provide the opportunity to show off.=20 > > I was once asked to write a 'test' to demonstrate my writing skills for > a potential contract. Guess what - how to make a cup of coffee. I sent > them a beautifully laid out questionnaire asking what type of coffee > (instant, plunger etc), what coffee making facilities, where, whether > the milk or sugar were available or had to be acquired etc etc. I > didn't get the role.=20 > > cbk > > -----Original Message----- > From: joe_zolin@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:joe_zolin@xxxxxxxxxxx]=20 > Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 10:24 AM > To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: atw: Re: Strange job advertisments/skills combinations > > > > Yeah, I hear what you say, CBK, and I'm not saying bja's concerns aren't > relevant.. > > IMNSHO though, I like the ad. If taken from the perspective that they > might actually know what a tech writer does, and know what a good tech > writer should produce, it would act as a magic filter system... > > Say fer instance a newbie applies and states they can produce 20 pages a > day... immediate fail... unrealistic self-expectations. > > Say perhaps a reasonably experienced tech writer applies and stating > they can produce 5 pages per day, but does not mention that this can > vary depending of difficulty of app, availability of SMEs and variations > in toolsets provided by company... Fail again, seemingly unaware of the > variations from task to task. > > Then someone like bja, or cbk comes along, states a range of possible > page-per-day results, lists the possible factors affecting production > rate, queries the need for such a tight skill set... Immediate second > interview because these people obviously have what it takes to > realistically assess and plan for a task...immediately exhibiting the > level of tech writer knowledge and skill required for a serious tech > writing job... > > > Sure as hell would cut through the several hundred wanna be applicants. > > > > > > Joe Zolin > Technical Communicator/Tech Comms MYOB > E-mail: JOE.ZOLIN@xxxxxxxxxxx > Phone (work): (03) 9222 9992 Ext. 7429 > > > =20 > > "BIRTLEY-KENT,Christine" > > <Christine.BIRTLEY-KENT@de To: > <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20= > =20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20 > wr.gov.au> cc: > > Sent by: Subject: atw: > Strange job advertisments/skills combinations=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20= > =20=20=20=20 > austechwriter-bounce@freel > > ists.org > > =20 > > =20 > > 25/02/2004 10:11 AM > > Please respond to > > austechwriter > > =20 > > =20 > > > > > > >Keep smiling, not everyone is out ta get ya!=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > > Nonetheless, it is still impossible to quote a pages per day rate > without assessing the environment for which you are developing those > pages. My rate can vary from 1 to 16 depending upon degree of > difficulty and quality expectations. > > Perhaps someone who is applying for work in Melbourne will apply and let > us know what happens. It doesn't hurt to stay informed. > > There is an ad in Canberra at the moment asking for an e-learning > developer. The third requirement is: > > 3. Provision of an eLearning tool that has an inbuilt tool to track > learning administration and can interface with Aurion and meet IT > infrastructure requirements=3D20 > > How can anyone provide this tool without first knowing the > infrastructure and other variables? And how many training developers > are software vendors? Realistically they need to be asking for someone > with 'the skills to find' an appropriate eLearning tool.... > > I would be interested to know if these people get inundated by the wrong > type of applicants too. > > ck > > -----Original Message----- > From: joe_zolin@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:joe_zolin@xxxxxxxxxxx]=3D20 > Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 9:45 AM > To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: atw: Re: New Pay Scales for TWs? > > > > I thought they were asking how many pages a day you could produce, not > the expected charge rate per page. > > Direct quote from ad: > "please quote an approximate pages-per-day rate" > > Still vague, though, but I've got a feeling that bja migyht be jumping > the gun a bit here. > > Also, consider the reasons for not stating company name... If the > company actually said who they were, there would be flock (or should I > say > murder..) of agencies descending upon them trying to get the listing and > subsequant placement fee for their own. > > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20= > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20 > =3D > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20= > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20 > =3D > =3D20 > =3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20= > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20 > =3D > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20= > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20 > =3D > =3D20 > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20= > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20 > =3D > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20= > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20 > =3D > =3D20 > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20= > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20 > =3D > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20= > =3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20=3D20 > =3D20 > =3D > =3D20 > > > Joe Zolin > Technical Communicator/Tech Comms MYOB > E-mail: JOE.ZOLIN@xxxxxxxxxxx > Phone (work): (03) 9222 9992 Ext. 7429 > > ************************************************** > To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to > austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to > austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject > field. > > To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > with "unsubscribe" in the Subject field. > > To search the austechwriter archives, go to > www.freelists.org/archives/austechwriter > > To contact the list administrator, send a message to > austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ************************************************** > > Notice: > The information contained in this e-mail message and any attached files > may be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal > professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use, > disclosure or copying of this e-mail is unauthorised. If you have > received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by > reply e-mail and delete all copies of this transmission together with > any attachments. > > > ************************************************** > To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to > austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to > austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject > field. > > To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > with "unsubscribe" in the Subject field. > > To search the austechwriter archives, go to > www.freelists.org/archives/austechwriter > > To contact the list administrator, send a message to > austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ************************************************** > > > > > ************************************************** > To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to > austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to > austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject > field. > > To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > with "unsubscribe" in the Subject field. > > To search the austechwriter archives, go to > www.freelists.org/archives/austechwriter > > To contact the list administrator, send a message to > austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ************************************************** > > Notice: > The information contained in this e-mail message and any attached files may > be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal > professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use, > disclosure or copying of this e-mail is unauthorised. If you have received > this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail > and delete all copies of this transmission together with any attachments. > > > ************************************************** > To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject field. > > To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject field. > > To search the austechwriter archives, go to www.freelists.org/archives/austechwriter > > To contact the list administrator, send a message to austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ************************************************** ************************************************** To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject field. To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject field. To search the austechwriter archives, go to www.freelists.org/archives/austechwriter To contact the list administrator, send a message to austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx **************************************************