Make sure to get a thorough explanation of the interviewee’s
thoughts on the personal characteristics that incumbents of the job
will need to have. If it sounds like the job would be a “natural”for
you, great. But if it doesn’t fit your natural style, that’s a flashing yel-
low light, signaling,“Caution!”
Ask your interviewee about the specific things you would need to do
to eventually get the kind of job you have been discussing. Will you
need further formal education? Are there particular kinds of work as-
signments or other projects you should be seeking? Are there certain
kinds of job experience you will need before you can go after this job?
Ask yourself if these are things you are willing to do in order to get
this job. And if they are, find out about the specific P.E.A.K.S. that
you should endeavor to develop at each stop along the way.Since the P.E.A.K.S. associated with the jobs and careers you are
considering for the future are likely to change over time, you would be
wise to keep finding out as much as you can about latest developments
in these areas. Articles in industry publications and conversations with
informed insiders are particularly good sources for this kind of infor-
mation.
Learning about the P.E.A.K.S. you will need to protect and ad-
vance your career will give you a good idea as to the kinds of documents
you would like to have in your Master Portfolio. Developing the next
two habits will enable you to getthese documents.Habit 2: Always Getting Documents for the P.E.A.K.S.
You Have Developed
If you do nothing else with regard to developing your Master Portfolio,
at least do this: Whenever you’ve done something that demonstrates
one of the P.E.A.K.S. you might need, get something tangible you can
put in your portfolio that verifies this.
The document may just come your way, like a letter of apprecia-
tion. Or it could be a natural by-product of something you’ve done, like
an end-of-the-season group photo of a children’s team you coached.
If something useful falls in your lap, that’s easy, just save it in your
Master Portfolio collection. But sometimes you have to be more proac-
tive and go after items that will document what you have done.
As we mentioned in Chapter 2, if there are no items readily avail-
able to give tangible evidence of something important you have done,
you should create such a document. To remind yourself how to do this,
you might want to take another look at Chapter 2, under the section en-
titled “Strategies for Creating New Documents for Your Collection.”Habit 3: Pursuing Activities That Will Develop
Your Missing P.E.A.K.S.
Your missing P.E.A.K.S. are the ones you haven’t developed yet. It’s no
good looking for a document to verify one of these P.E.A.K.S., since you
haven’t done anything yet to merit such a document.120 Part I: Building, Using, and Maintaining Your Career Portfolio
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