sponses to questions and the content of your Can-Do Portfolio, should
you be invited back for further interviews.
Receiving a job offer, if you believe this job is right for you, or, if this
is premature, to at least move on to the next round of interviews.
Being able to get the specific things that might come with this job
that are most important to you (the salary, title, authority, and so on
that you are seeking) should you be offered this job.You might also decide to go on a job interview even though you are
not initially interested in the particular job for which you will be inter-
viewed. Your goals here might include:Bringing yourself to the attention of this employer in a favorable way
so that you will be considered a viable candidate should a more de-
sirable job open up in the future.
Developing your skills as an interviewee.
Getting some practice showing your portfolio.
Testing yourself in the marketplace so that you can benchmark your
P.E.A.K.S. and determine your current market value.
Seeing if there are jobs available that might be more appealing to you
than the one you currently have.
Getting a job offer on the outside so that you can attempt to leverage
a better deal or opportunity with your present employer.As we will see in the following sections of this chapter, your Can-
Do Portfolio will help you achieve many of the key objectives of a job in-
terview. Most importantly, it can help you get the job!THE PORTFOLIO ADVANTAGE
Here are some of the advantages that having a well-targeted Can-Do
Portfolio can give you during a job interview, if it is used properly:The simple fact that you bring a portfolio to the interview distin-
guishes you from candidates who did not bring a portfolio; this shows
initiative on your part.
Having a nice-looking portfolio suggests that you are the kind of per-
son who is well prepared and well organized.
Having a portfolio that contains documents that verify P.E.A.K.S.
that are relevant to the job under consideration suggests that you
have a very serious interest in this job, and that you have a clear idea
as to what is required to be successful in this job.
The items in your portfolio enable you to give tangible evidence that
you, indeed, have important qualifications for this job.
Your portfolio enables you to give tangible evidence that you have the
key personal characteristics being sought in a candidate.82 Part I: Building, Using, and Maintaining Your Career Portfolio