In his well-known piece All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum makes some good points, like “share everything, play fair, don’t hit people.” Most of us learned these and other important life lessons by age five. These basics have been working for us ever since, but it may be worth looking back to elementary school for more tips.
There’s another skill you first practiced in your early school days that could be the key to landing your next job. Do you remember “Show and Tell?” Every Monday, or maybe it was Friday, your teacher told you to bring something from home to present to your classmates.
You had no trouble finding a favorite stuffed animal, pet turtle or family photo to show off to your peers. As you clutched your treasure tightly, you talked about its finest features and pointed out its benefits. Show and Tell gave you a chance to reveal a little more about yourself and impress fellow students with your assets and achievements.
You could make a similar splash by bringing something to “Show and Tell” to your next job interview.
What would anyone want to show to an interview team or possible new employer? What could you bring to an interview to talk about? What do you possibly have in your possession that could impress a hiring squad?
How about some samples of your work?
Artists have always carried portfolios to display their talent—and so could you. All you need is a three-ring binder (preferably a black one) and a dozen or so see-through display sheets. You can find them at any office supply store.
No matter what kind of work you do, you’ve left a trail of evidence. All signs, symbols or proof of what you’ve done need to be gathered immediately and assembled neatly into a portfolio. Use your black binder for Show and Tell with interviewers to give them a better picture of your past performance.
Some items that belong in your career portfolio include:
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Diplomas, certificates, licenses, awards and other evidence of accomplishment.
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Photos, charts, graphs and illustrations that depict top-notch work you’ve done.
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Sample reports you’ve written or projects you’ve completed.
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Letters of recommendation from supervisors (or from anyone who admires your work).
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Notes of congratulations on milestones you’ve reached or records you’ve set.
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Newspaper clippings that feature you and your work. (Employee newsletters count.).
Now, if you haven’t bothered to save any of these things for Show and Tell at your next job interview, don’t panic. There are other things you can bring. You may have heard of the job-seeking chef who always took a delicious dish to treat the people who would be deciding his fate. Or a baker who brought a beautiful cake to every job interview.
No matter what type of work you’ve done——or what kind of job you want——you can Show and Tell about something related to your role. You just need to be a little creative.
For instance, a factory worker who assembled circuit boards for a company that was closing its doors displayed a sample board with all the tiny pieces he had put in the right places in his former position. After his first Show and Tell, he was hired immediately by a manufacturer who produced similar products.
Stretch your imagination as some of these job seekers did:
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A wannabe sports promoter sent sample game day giveaways to NBA team owners.
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After every interview, a Web page designer left a list of links to pages he had designed.
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A public relations professional wrote her own news release on getting a job she wanted.
Put on your thinking cap and come up with a few good ideas to demonstrate the quality of work you do. Wait for a good place in each interview to say, “I brought something I want to show you.” Then, show and tell—just like you did in first grade.
If you have trouble introducing Show and Tell time during an interview itself, you can always add it when you’re asked if you have any questions. Start with, “First, I’d like to show you some samples of my work.” Follow your demonstration with a few intelligent inquiries. You could begin with a question like, “What are some typical projects I’d be assigned at this company?”
An interview team may ask if they can keep what you brought for Show and Tell. Hopefully, you can answer “yes” because your sample can be easily reproduced if you need it again. If not, make arrangements to pick it up in a few days. This will give you extra exposure as the clever candidate who left a sample of his work.
Make sure your sample is labeled with your name and contact information so another job seeker doesn’t get the credit for your compelling effort to land the job you want. Don’t take any chances, because this elementary school strategy is known to work wonders.
Susan K. Maciak owns and operates CAMEO Career & Corporate Consulting LLC, which provides online and on-site career coaching, staff training and corporate consulting to state associations, businesses and nonprofit agencies, K-12 schools and colleges. Susan earned a Michigan “Innovators to Watch” award for developing unique career curriculum and school-to-work programs. She has published four career-related books, First Job Jitters, What Are People Skills, Anyway?, Job Shopping: Don’t Settle for a Job That Sucks! and The Monster Show. She is currently working on her fifth book, Add to Your Edge, to be released in early 2014.
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