the knowledge of desired P.E.A.K.S. that is derived from actual job
interviews could also prove useful if you will be interviewing for a com-
parable position in a similar organization.
Be sure to identify the personal characteristics that interviewers
believe add value.Discussions that people have about jobs are often so
focused on things like required skills, knowledge, and experience that
it is easy to overlook an analysis of the personal characteristics of can-
didates that are believed to add value. But, as our research has shown,
people who make employment decisions tend to rank the personal char-
acteristics of job candidates as more important than their experience,
accomplishments, knowledge, and skills. So remember to ask about the
most desirable personal characteristics that a candidate could have.
The beauty of having a targeted portfolio is that by selecting the right
documents, you can make some of these all-important intangibles more
real and tangible for the interviewer.
Make a list of desired P.E.A.K.S. It is very useful if, based on the
research you have conducted, you make a list of the particular
P.E.A.K.S. that the people to whom you will be showing your Can-Do
Portfolio are likely to consider highly desirable. If possible, indicate
which of the P.E.A.K.S. on your list are of the highest priority.To assist you with this process we have included a Job P.E.A.K.S.
Worksheet in the appendix, which you may find helpful. Whether or not
you use this worksheet is up to you. What’s important is that before
selecting the items to include in your targeted portfolio, you have as
good an idea as possible of the particular P.E.A.K.S. that the person or
people to whom you will show your Can-Do Portfolio are likely to find
most impressive.Step 3: Selecting Items That Best Demonstrate How You
Have the Desired P.E.A.K.S.
If you have followed the steps above and have a good summary list of
what’s in your Master Portfolio collection, the selection of documents to
include in your Can-Do Portfolio should be relatively easy. The follow-
ing are some considerations to help you make your choices.
Think link.The items in a properly targeted portfolio should pro-
vide links between what the person who will be conducting the interview
is looking for and what you have to offer. And so, the first question to ask
yourself is,“Does this document give evidence that I have one or more of
the P.E.A.K.S. that the interviewer is likely to consider desirable?”
Identifying potentially useful documents to include in your target-
ed Can-Do Portfolio can be done very quickly if all of the documents in
your Master Portfolio collection have been rated on Career PE.A.K.S.
Master Summary Sheets.
Include good conversation pieces as well as documents that need no
explanation.You should give strong consideration to any item that you
can simply hand to an interviewer and, without further explanation,
this person immediately understands that the document gives evidence
that you have one of the P.E.A.K.S. that is being sought in candidates.36 Part I: Building, Using, and Maintaining Your Career Portfolio