How to Win the Job by Communicating with Confidence

Winding Up Your Strategy

The Presentation Packet

Now that you’ve collected your references and letters of rec-
ommendation, how will you organize them? Both of these items
will be part of your presentation packet—something you’ll bring
to each and every interview.
A presentation packet is an 8^1 / 2 - by 11-inch folder with a
pocket on the inside of each cover. It need not be expensive—just
neat, clean, unstapled, and uncreased. The color doesn’t matter.
Make copies beforehand of everything inside because you’ll be
giving the packet and its contents away to the interviewer for him
to keep and review. Your packet should contain the following:

1. Left side. Three letters of recommendation (not stapled).
   Place the most impressive one on top.


2. Right side. Your list of references (under the résumé—
   not stapled) and a fresh copy of your résumé (on top—
   staples are OK).

Present this packet to the interviewer after you’ve introduced
yourself. Open it up so that the writing is facing in such a way
that the interviewer can see it. Say, “I’ve brought an extra copy
of my résumé and some other materials I thought might be of
interest to you,” and set it down with both hands in front of the
interviewer. He may choose to read it later, or he may leaf
through it right away and comment on it. Give the interviewer
time to read it by not talking until he looks up at you and asks
you a question or makes a comment.

Punctuality

There is one last aspect of interview preparation that we need to
discuss before moving on to the second part of this book, in
which we’ll walk through the interview process step by step. It’s
about punctuality. Unless you know the exact route and the
amount of traffic likely to occur at the time of day your interview
has been scheduled for, it’s a very good idea to make a dry run of
your trip to the interview site a couple of days before your sched-
uled interview.