When you’re asked to submit a writing sample for consideration for an employer, what do they mean? How about a phone interview for the same reason? Can you guess what would happen if you didn’t provide the requested material? You might get a polite email saying not to worry about it, but in all likelihood you’d hear from the employer again, this time with a polite request, followed by a ‘no thank you’, followed by a slightly more intimidating email telling you to stop wasting their time.
The truth is writing samples and phone interviews aren’t as easy to get rid of as you’d think. Even if you’re not interested in the job, the fact that you didn’t provide the requested material could come up in casual conversation and lead to an awkward moment. Worse yet, you might end up accidentally providing the material when you meant to provide an answer to a different question. In this case the person you were speaking to might see your writing sample and assume the truth about what you said, rather than what you meant to say. In other words, you haven’t wasted anyone’s time – you’ve actually hurt your chances of being considered for the job!
This happens all the time. People send in samples for applications without really thinking things through. They’re so focused on getting the job that they don’t stop to consider the implications. They also don’t do enough research on what the company expects. In some cases, the writing sample they submitted was absolutely perfect, but they still didn’t get the job because they didn’t send in their transcript. Whoops!
The issue is that sometimes applicants don’t realize the implications of what they’re agreeing to. Take a minute and ask yourself this question: “Do I want this job, or am I doing this to get this job?” If you answered ‘yes’ to the first question, you should probably reconsider your agreement to provide the writing sample and/or phone interview; at least, until you speak to someone from the company and find out what material they require. Otherwise, you’re agreeing to provide potentially incriminating evidence that could hurt your chances of being considered for the job. You might also be putting your current employer in a bad spot. Imagine if your current employer found out that you were engaged in dishonest acts for the purpose of getting a position at a different company? How would your employer feel about that?
Consider all the implications before you agree to provide the writing sample and the transcript for the job you’re applying for. If you’re not sure whether or not you want the job, you should probably decline the offer – at least, until you find out what they want from you.
The Difference In What Is Requested
To make a long story short, companies are under no obligation to tell you what they want from you when they ask for a writing sample or phone interview. They could be perfectly happy with your existing skills and be looking only for a way to speed up their hiring process. In fact, they might not even mention what they want until you respond and ask. This is why it’s a bad idea to just throw together a sample that you think will please the person you’re writing to. Create a unique story that’s fully developed and shows you understood the job requirements. Remember: you’re trying to separate yourself from the rest of the applicants. The more you can do to stand out, the better. Of course, you also want to make sure that what you submit is legally acceptable. Don’t put yourself in a position where you could end up in legal trouble because you didn’t properly consider what you were agreeing to. You could be asked to do things that you don’t feel comfortable with, simply because you didn’t stop to think about them. Writing a long and detailed story could be a way to ensure that you consider everything in advance.
Legal Implications
The fact that writing samples and phone interviews aren’t regulated, doesn’t mean that they don’t have legal implications. You might be putting yourself in a position where you could be subject to legal jeopardy. The question is: are you willing to take that chance? It’s one thing to be asked to do something that you feel is wrong or immoral. It’s quite another to be asked to do something that you feel could put you in legal danger. If you’re not sure, it might not be the right choice for you. In some cases the answer could be ‘no’, simply because you’re not willing to take that chance. It depends on the situation.
In the US, for example, it is illegal to discriminate against an applicant for any reason (including their race, color, religion, national origin, or sex). It is also illegal to ask any question that could lead to illegal discrimination. If you are worried that you might be revealing something that could lead to illegal discrimination, it might not be a wise choice to decline the job offer. You could be putting yourself in a situation that you aren’t prepared for. The best thing for you is to speak to someone from the company and find out what they want.
Additional Tips
If you’re writing a story as part of your application, take some time to edit it. Proofread what you wrote and ask someone else to edit it. Editing is an important part of writing. It could make all the difference in whether or not someone decides to offer you the job. Remember: you’re not writing for fun, you’re writing to apply for a job. Take time to get everything right. If you get a chance to edit, take it. It could make all the difference in the world!
There are plenty of reasons why an employer might request a writing sample or phone interview. It could be that they want to see how you perform under pressure, whether or not you’re a good fit for the organization, or it could be that they just want to get a sense of your general writing skills. Whatever the reason, take a little bit of time to think about what is being asked of you and be sure that you’re ready to provide the requested material. Don’t just write something that you know fits the bill, but try to go above and beyond what is expected. The more you can do to make yourself stand out, the better. Make sure that what you submit is what they’re looking for. If you’re not sure, ask!