Demonstrate Your Value to an Employer:

Make an Interview Portfolio

By Kate Duttro, D. Ed.

Career Counselor

University of Washington , Seattle

 

So, you've landed an interview! Now what?

For a great way to distinguish yourself from the other interviewees, take along a brief interview portfolio that clearly demonstrates that you have the skills and abilities necessary to the job you're interviewing for.

But, before you start selecting examples from your greatest achievements in college, take a minute to look at this from the employer's point of view. The employer has selected interviewees based on their resumes, and there are probably several students interviewing for each position. The bottom-line questions being asked relate to the value the right individual can bring to the employer.

· Which of these students has the best combination of skills for this job?

· Can they be effective from the start?

· Will they be able to work successfully with our other valued employees?

Now, ask yourself what are the important tasks you would do in this job that you are applying for. What does the employer need to have done? How can you demonstrate that you can do these tasks? Recognize that the skills and abilities that distinguish you from the other candidates may go beyond the content knowledge of your college major.

Define What is Important

Is it just the content knowledge of biology that means someone will be a great stream biologist? Or, is it also the ability to understand a problem and having the skills to start solving it? For example, can this individual discover why a certain stream no longer has fish in it and also write an understandable report on how to solve the problem?

Is it just content knowledge of public relations that's important to being a PR specialist for a tech company? Or, is it also the ability to speak to a group of journalists and the skill to explain clearly the benefits of a complicated new product the company has just begun to market?

Is it just content knowledge of 17th century Spanish literature that's important to being a community development specialist for a state agency? Or, is it also the ability to understand the problems of a rural Texas community, the skills to communicate with the participants, and the ability to bring them, in a way that is both culturally sensitive and effective, into a discussion that can lead to a consensus?

To select effective examples of your own skills and abilities, first identify the main outlines of the job (using the job description or talking with other employees of the organization, or checking other more general sources, such as the U.S. government Occupational Outlook Handbook). Then, examine your own background very closely, to look for relevant experiences (that may go beyond the content knowledge) that you may not have mentioned in your resume or cover letter, but that you may want to bring out in the interview.

For example, if the position is for a stream biologist who would do a combination of fieldwork in remote locations and work with the laboratory team, you may not have mentioned your high school hobby of hiking and camping. And, what about that college class in laboratory methods? Did you actually list the lab techniques that will make you more valuable to that employer? If not, a brief interview portfolio can help you bring them out in the interview, and add to your value as a candidate.

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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