Interview Folio
Bring along a folio when you interview. Include in it:
- A note pad, two or three erasable pens, and a pocket dictionary.
- Several extra resumes and reference sheets.
- The originals, and copies, of letters of recommendation.
- Recent educational transcripts and course catalogs, if you are a recent college graduate
- Portfolio ("Show and Tell" for big kids).
References
This is a very important topic; one to which too many job seekers pay too little attention. References can make or break your candidacy.
The Reference Process
1. Who to Select
- People who know you and can speak convincingly about your experiences, attributes, and accomplishments.
- Your most recent and former employers, supervisors, and management personnel.
- Your peers and subordinates.
2. How to Ask Permission
- In person or by phone.
- Hold a general discussion on appropriate reference answers.
- Discuss the approach you will take with dispensing references: that you will give out the reference's contact information upon request only.
- Assure your references that you will contact them regarding forthcoming reference checks.
3. Develop a Termination Statement
- If you were terminated from your last position, try to reach an agreement with your former supervisor on what he or she will tell prospective future employers about your employment and termination.
- Draft the statement and forward a copy to your former supervisor for his or her signature, if possible.
- Provide any other references at the company with copies of this statement so that they too will be prepared to respond to inquiries.
4. Ask Your References to Critique Your Resume
- Discuss and critique your resume with appropriate references.
- Provide all references with a finished copy.
5. Contact and Update Your References Periodically
- Let them know how your search is progressing.
- Discuss improvements you have made to your resume.
- Ask for new leads.
- Tell them what person and/or employer might contact them.
- Describe the position under consideration.
- Elaborate on the job requirements.
- Remind them how your experiences and background fit the position. Ask them to call back with their feedback after being contacted.
6. Contact Yet Again at the Conclusion of Your Job Search
- Describe the position you have accepted.
- Thank them for their support.
If you intend to have a list of references to hand out upon request, it should be listed on a separate matching sheet of stationery. Type your name, address, and telephone number at the top of the paper. Then type in caps, centered at the top of the page, "REFERENCES." Skip down a few lines and type the contact information for each reference. List four or five references. Include, if given permission, the telephone numbers where they may be reached during normal working hours. Never list a reference without first seeking permission. As your search progresses, be certain your contact information is kept up-to-date and your references advised of your progress.
Remember the Rule of Seven? Now's the time to use it. Although you will never use them all, you can ask anyone you know if they would be kind enough to act as a reference. Asking people if they would be willing to serve as a reference is yet another way of building and maintaining your network.
One final warning about selecting your references. Be as certain as you possibly can that they will have good things to say about you... something more substantial than, "She's a wonderful person."
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation can be an even better way of backing up your candidacy. Instead of relying on what someone might say, they show both you and an interviewer what the person has already said. Obtain at least two or three letters. When asked at the interview if you have any references, show the letters instead.
It's a lot quicker, impressive, and sometimes safer. Take along copies of each letter in case you are asked to leave the letters with the interviewer. Recognize that some employers may still prefer to telephone your references and talk to them directly.
Portfolio Materials:"Show and Tell" for Big Kids
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
A typical interview consists of words, words, and more words. That's fine for your competition, but certainly not for you. You don't want to have a "typical" interview. You want to SOAR above the competition. Here's a way for you to have Technicolor interviews while your competition's still appearing in black and white-use visuals.
Gather together as many of the following materials as you can:
- Samples of outstanding, nonproprietary, work you have done.
- Superior performance appraisal ratings.
- Sales literature from your last employer, the employer doing the interviewing, and this employer's competitors, if applicable.
- Annual reports.
- Directory information about the employer: size, sales, products/services, locations, etc.
- Newspaper/magazine articles about the employer, the industry, the interviewer, and the competition, if applicable.
- Statistics about the community and its makeup (if considering relocation).
Now, make several copies of the materials you have gathered together. Highlight those sections of this information you would like to discuss or ask questions about. Place all of these materials in a file folder with the employer's name on it. Place a copy of your resume on the top of this pile.
At the interview, immediately following introductions, reach into your briefcase and withdraw this file. Remove your resume and offer it to the employer . . . even if he or she has already received one. Why? You want to be interviewed off of your resume. It can act as a road map for the journey ahead-and you drew the map.
Withdrawing the file folder, and then your resume from it, gives you a chance to surreptitiously place the folder on your lap-please, not on the employer's desk! Here are a few reasons for playing "Show and Tell" for big kids:
- When the interviewer sees the file, he or she will become curious as to what else you might have tucked away in your "goody grab bag."
- It indicates that you have done your homework and want to avoid wasting the interviewer's valuable time and yours.
- It indicates the type of due diligence the interviewer might expect you to bring to the position for which you are interviewing.
"Show and Tell" for big kids is a wonderful way to add color to the interview process. Not only this, but you will feel more prepared and comfortable for whatever may lie ahead. Using "Show and Tell" can influence the direction the interview will take. When you can do this, you are well on your way to interviewing success.
If you want to win the job of your dreams you absolutely cannot afford to be just another face in the crowd. "Show and Tell" and rise above the masses.
