grooming is a good start. Here are some more things to think about dur-
ing the helloing stage.Be courteous and attentive to everyone you meet. Make sure to be
very polite, not just to the senior people you meet, but also to the sec-
retaries, administrative assistants, and other people in the organiza-
tion. If junior people feel slighted, they won’t forget it, possibly to your
detriment.
Do not push your career portfolio.Have your portfolio, but don’t
show it during the helloing stage, unless asked to. Do not hold up your
portfolio and announce,“I have something I want to show you.”Use this
ammunition selectively throughout the interview.
If asked what you are carrying, you can say it’s a portfolio, but
don’t hand it to the interviewer. Instead, describe very quickly what’s
in it. You might hold it up briefly, and say something along the order of:
“This is my career portfolio. It has materials in it that document some
of my accomplishments.”Smile, put it back on your lap or at your side,
and then proceed with the interview.
If the interviewer insists on having a look at your portfolio right
then, instead of just handing it to him, get up and walk your portfolio
around to his side and show it to him. This enables you to retain con-
trol of how your career portfolio is presented. It is helpful to practice
this response beforehand with a friend.
Let the interviewer lead the transition to the next stage. The inter-
viewer will give the cue as to when the greeting stage is over. Your job
is not to lead to the next stage. Sit quietly and politely await the inter-
viewer’s next move. A professional or job-related question is typically
the signal that the helloing stage is over.Stage 2: Engaging
As noted above, the usual signal that you are no longer in the hel-
loing stage is when the interviewer progresses from small talk to more
pointed questions aimed at getting to know you better professionally. In
addition to trying to find out more about you, typically the interviewer
will also want to talk about the organization and the position that you
are seeking.
We call this the engaging stageof the interview, because your goal,
as a candidate, is to engagethe interviewer’s interest in you, both in-
tellectually and emotionally.
On an intellectual level, you want the interviewer to start think-
ing that you are a promising candidate based on your qualifications
and the way you present them. On an emotional level, you want the in-
terviewer to start feeling that you are a strong candidate because the
interviewer is starting to feel some rapport with you. During the en-
gaging stage you want the interviewer to start thinking and feeling,
“This might be the candidate we’ve been looking for. There’s something
about this candidate I like.”
If it’s a group interview, be responsive to everyone.If you are being
interviewed by more than one person, it’s natural to focus your atten-
tion on the senior members of the team. But it is important that in86 Part I: Building, Using, and Maintaining Your Career Portfolio