Ad: 'Need a Great Writer' and a Grip

An LA journalist, we'll call him Big Byline Guy as to not put him in hot water with his current employer, he sent us the response he got from an ad poster on Craigslist. Big Byline Guy came across this ad on Friday. NEED A GREAT WRITER (LOS ANGELES) Date: 2010-11-12, 10:27PM PST Reply to: gigs-7d66p-2057649430@craigslist.org NEED A GREAT WRITER MUST HAVE EXPERIENCE IN POLITICAL WRITINGS MUST HAVE SOME BACKGROUND IN ECONOMICS MUST HAVE JOURNALISTIC EXPERIENCE LONG TERM PROJECT EXCELLENT PAY SEND RESUME INCLUDING PHONE # * Location: LOS ANGELES * it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests * Compensation: GOOD PAY Big Byline Guy sent clips of his work. The poster emailed this: Hi Please send us your resume, giving your education and experience. Please include your phone. Like to talk with you. Then Big Byline Guy wrote back a follow up question (hmph journalists): It would be professional if you introduced yourself and your project, explaining if this is an editorial or a commercial writing venture, then we can talk. Then he got this in response. And no we've not change the punctuation for comedic effect: Your email gave us the idea that you are either a fake or arrogant. Show us that you are neither. Our ad specifically asked for resume. The reason for the resume is to introduce candidates to employers. Your need for a job motivated you to respond to our ad. If your modus operandi is senseless arrogance, you are discounting your own chances of getting well paying and satisfying jobs. If you are smart and qualified, send us your resume; show us that you are a writer of great caliber. I liked your writing style and thus I asked for your resume. Your response was foolish Philistinism Be a smart man, don’t be a loser. Had you sent us your resume and phone number, we would have responded with more details. NO HARD FEELINGS - JUST CONVERSING. NO DISRESPECT, JUST TELLING THE TRUTH WE ASSURE YOU HAVE AS MUCH CHANCE AS OTHERS, PERHAPS EVEN MORE. WE LIKE TO BE ABOVE BIAS. ANGER SIRES NO SOLUTIONS GOOD LUCK Yep. "Anger sires no solutions?" Isn't that the new slogan for Massengill? This is enough to make job seekers everywhere crawl into a fetal position and shudder. Buy your unemployed pals a drink tonight folks. It's tough out there.

Fishbowl

Ad: 'Need a Great Writer' and a Grip

Tina Dupuy

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Tina Dupuy