The Career Portfolio Workbook

in the computer industry. Here are the desired P.E.A.K.S. she learned

about in this informational interview:

Personal Characteristics

Quick and dedicated learner

Professional presence

Enthusiastic

Well organized

Good planner

Creative

Persuasive

Experience

Teaching experience at elementary level

Accomplishments

Initiative taken outsideof classroom

Knowledge

Elementary school curricula

Role of educational software in curriculum

Master’s degree in education

Skills

Selling skills

Presentation skills

Writing skills

Using the above information, Karen was able to create a P.E.A.K.S.

resume that got her a job interview with Edu-Soft.

PORTFOLIO STRATEGY

Karen’s goal is to be able to present her qualifications in a way that

establishes her ability to make a quick and successful transition to this

new career. She wants the interviewer to know that not only would she

be productive shortly after taking this job, she would also be an excep-

tional performer in the future.

To do this she will want to be able to demonstrate that she has

strengths in the advertised formal requirements, and that she would

bring other very valuable P.E.A.K.S. to this job, as well.

Through the informational interview she did with her former

classmate, Karen was able to learn not only what the desired P.E.A.K.S.

are but also whythese P.E.A.K.S. are considered important. The fol-

lowing P.E.A.K.S. she learned were considered particularly important

for a “career switcher,”like Karen, to be able to demonstrate:

Quick and dedicated learner.This is an important trait for everyone

to have in the computer industry, but particularly important for a

Karen Cresson: Changing Careers 207