When Interviewing and If Needed, Have a Portfolio

Interviewing is an opportunity to prove to a hiring manager you are the best fit for a job and one of the best ways to show you can help this person make more money is to prove what you are capable of. In some industries, having a portfolio of work samples to show a hiring manager can help make you more marketable and appealing in a job interview and prove to the hiring manager what you are capable of doing. If needed, bring a portfolio or samples of your work to the interview to prove to the hiring manager how you can add value to his or her company and prove you are the right fit for the job.

Having a portfolio of material does take time but can set you apart from other candidates in the end. Taking time to look through documents you've written, proposals you've drawn up, pieces you've written, etc. can help you find the proof you will need to show a hiring manager your desire to earn the position. These materials also show a hiring manager your ability to use your skill sets to earn more revenue and money for the company.

Over time, it is difficult to save everything you've created for various jobs so have success stories from inside and outside the business world ready in hand as well. These stories may not be hard copy documents of writing samples, proposals or other materials you have put together at different jobs but can prove to a hiring manager what you are capable of. If you are apart of a non-profit, business, or social group, have a couple of success stories ready to go before that interview. These success stories will prove to the hiring manager you can use different skill sets for a wide range of applications and will set you apart from other candidates. The goal of the interview is to help prove you are a right fit for the company and with success stories, you can sell the hiring manager on how you can make him or her more revenue.

Having a portfolio can help set you apart from other candidates and prove to the hiring manager your talents and capabilities. Make sure you have one ready to go in order to prove you can help the hiring manager make more revenue for the company nd want you to be on his or her team.

Do Your Homework!

Interviewing for an internship or job can be an exhausting matter but something that will eliminate yourself from contention is lack of preparation and research on the organization you are interviewing with. Nothing turns off a hiring manager more then someone who has never taken time to visit the company's web-site or doesn't know anything about the company.

During my experience as an undergraduate at Otterbein College, there were times I interviewed for various internships. During these interviews and after I got the opportunity to intern at a couple of places, many of the hiring managers I came across typically had more then just a couple of stories of people interviewing for a position or internship and not knowing anything about the company. For example, there was one interview I had at a radio station in which the hiring manager mentioned I was the only candidate all day who actually could name the morning show hosts! These people who interviewed before me could have found out this information simply by going to the station's web-site and it only would have taken them about five minutes to do so! This was not the first or last time I had heard a hiring manager mention stories of candidates not knowing anything about the company to which they were interviewing to be apart of.

Taking time to research the company does take lots of time but will pay off in the end. It will show your interest in the position, the company and drive to learn more about the position or internship you are applying for. Below are some tips on researching a company before you go into that interview:

1) Visit The Company's Web-Site- Taking some time to go through the web-site will help you find information on the history of the company, what they sell, and sometimes even provides information on the people who work there. Take time to visit the web-site, go through it and understand what the company is all about.

2) Use LinkedIn To Find Information On The Company- Not all companies are on LinkedIn but most of them are starting to become more familiar and comfortable with the tool. Sometimes you can look up people who work at the company, get additional information on their products or services or even find information on the hiring manager.

3) If You Can't Find What You Need Online, Don't Be Afraid To Call The Company- As long as you don't take up too much time, the receptionist could help you find the information you need for your interview. Simply be open and honest and mention right away that you are interviewing with the company and would like some additional information before the interview.

4) Type Up The Information Or Write It Down On Notecards- If you can't recall everything you found on the web-site, don't be afraid to write it down or type it up. That way, when the question comes up, you have a reference right in front of you and it shows the hiring manager you took time to go to the web-site to learn more about the company. This is time consuming but it's better to have a reference point in front of you then to have nothing at all.