job for you.”Briefly state your case, and then ask,“May I show you
some entries in my portfolio that support what I am saying?”
Explore opportunities not associated with the job that intrigue you.
Possibly the interviewer has said something along the way that is not
directly related to the job you are being interviewed for yet you feel you
could make a substantial contribution in this area. It can’t hurt to dis-
cuss this possibility during this stage of the interview.
You might say something like:“I know this isn’t part of the job I
am being interviewed for, but I was intrigued when you mentioned [the
particular opportunity]. I think I could make a substantial contribution
in this area. Is this something that perhaps we should discuss?”
Be enthusiastic!With your choice of words, tone of voice, and body
language, beam the message that you see many opportunities here. In-
terviewers are looking for highly motivated candidates. Enthusiasm is
a personal characteristic that all interviewers are likely to appreciate.Stage 5: Involving
The involving stagefollows naturally after the opportunity finding
stage. Here your goal is to get the interviewer truly excited about see-
ing you in the position for which you are being interviewed. If opportu-
nity finding is an intellectual exercise, involving is a matter of the
heart.
During the involving stage, you want the interviewer to be talking,
not about the job, but about youin the job. And doing so in a caring way.
This can be achieved by asking the right questions. Since you are try-
ing to get the interviewer to do most of the talking, you probably will
not be showing your portfolio during this phase of the interview.
Here are some examples of the kinds of questions you might ask
during this stage:Ask the interviewer to describe how you could be particularly use-
ful to the organization.It is always best when the interviewer articu-
lates why you might be a good fit for the job under consideration. You
can encourage the interviewer to do this by asking a question like,
“From what you know about my qualifications, what projects are you
planning that, in your opinion, would be a good fit for me?”
You can then support positive suggestions the interviewer makes
by showing an item or two from your portfolio that confirms that you
have what it takes to do this project. But you should be wary of over-
selling, and you should be careful not to disrupt the flow while the in-
terviewer is making your case for you.
Get the interviewer to describe you in the third person.Interview-
ers always have less trouble talking about candidates in the third per-
son. If you ask,“what do you think of me?”you may get a very non-
committal answer or you might make the interviewer feel awkward. An
alternative approach is to ask a question about yourself, referring to
yourself by your first and last name. For example, you could say:Chapter 6: Using Your Portfolio to Get That Job 91