room. When she learned that her school did not have the money to buy
more computers, she persuaded a local bank to donate used computers
to her school. She can talk about how she truly enjoyed meeting with se-
nior decision makers at this organization to sell them on the idea of the
importance of computers in the classroom. This document also demon-
strates that she has a professional presenceoutside the classroom.
Thank-you letter from family she helped in an emergency. This is an-
other example of Karen showing initiative outside the classroom. She
can talk about how, when she learned that this family in her neighbor-
hood was in a tight financial bind because of a fire, she organized a
fund-raiser to help them out. Showing this document might seem a bit
off the topic of selling educational software. But if she explains it prop-
erly, she can make the point that she feels she’s been cooped up in a
classroom for too long now and that she finds she really likes to get out
and make things happen in the world.
K: Knowledge
Master’s degree in education.This certificate demonstrates that not
only does she have the “advanced courses in education,”called for in the
ad for the job, she also has a master’s degree in education. She can also
use this degree as a prop to discuss the fact that she is dedicated to
learning.
Elementary School Teaching Certificate. This document helps her
make the point that, as a fully certified elementary school teacher, she
has an in-depth knowledge of elementary school curricula.
Certificate for course on educational software. This certificate demon-
strates that she has an up-to-date understanding of the role of educa-
tional software in the curriculum. Since this was an extensive course
that yielded far more credits than she was required to get to maintain
her teacher certification, she can also use this certificate as an example
of the fact that she is dedicated to continuous learning.
S: Skills
Proposal for curricular change.This letter can be used as an example
of her writing skills. She knows from her informational interview that
proposal writing is an important part of the account executive’s job, and
that she is likely to be asked for a writing sample. She should have an
extra copy of this letter available, which she can offer as a writing sam-
ple. This letter also gives evidence of her selling skills, particularly if it
is shown along with the next item.
Letter from principal.This letter verifies that the above proposal for a
curricular change was accepted and worked. Admittedly, no money ex-
changed hands, but if she presents this item properly, she can make the
point that she has the ability to sell a curricular idea to a key decision
maker in a school system.
Certificate for course on presentation skills. Since Karen knows from
her informational interview that the job interviewer is likely to be seek-
ing evidence of a candidate’s presentation skills, this document could
prove to be good to have in her portfolio.Karen Cresson: Changing Careers 209