How to create a job interview portfolio

1. What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a personalized
collection of materials.

2. Importance of a Portfolio
In today's competitive job market, effectively
showcasing relevant knowledge and skills to
an employer is critical in seeking and
sustaining employment. Along with a tailored
resume, a portfolio can help provide further
evidence of professional qualifications and
abilities. The purpose of this guide is to assist
you in organizing your own professional
portfolio and using it as a tool in your career
development.

3. Why create a job portfolio?
• To provide the employer with information that
does the selling for you in job interviews
• To show samples of your work to the
employer
• To showcase your accomplishments, training
and experiences
• To add visual impact to your answers

4. Portfolio Contents
• Resume
• Cover letter
• Transcripts
• Certificates and other records
• Certificates of awards, honors and other
recognitions
• Past employment evaluation
• Job descriptions

5. • Reference page
• Letters of recommendation/references
• List of special skills
• Description of projects
• Evidence of professional affiliations
Three copies of each of the above documents
must be kept in the portfolio.

6. What to bring to the interview
• A portfolio or a brief case with necessary
materials mentioned above
• Pen
• Notebook for taking notes
• List of about 10 questions to ask
• Complete employment application form (if
any)

7. First Impression Tips
Arrive on Time, but Not Too Early
Enter the Interview Room Confidently
Dress for the Job You Want
Carry a Portfolio with all necessary documents
Be Nice to the Receptionist/everyone
Turn off your mobile phone
Have Everything Neat, Organized, and Accessible

8. Practice Good Posture -- Before and During the
Interview.
Greet the Interviewer(s) Warmly and
Confidently.
Be Prepared to Talk About the Company and
Yourself
Know the Answer to "Why Are You Here?"
Know the basics about the courses that you
have pursued.

9. • Try to avoid using words such as "like", or
"um". Those are filler words, and they
basically tell the interviewer straight up that
you're nervous.

10. Arrive on Time, but Not Too Early
• Ideally, you should arrive about 10-15 minutes before
your interview.
• Being late for an interview sends the signal that you
are unreliable and inattentive to details. Showing up
too early makes you seem over-eager.
• Demonstrate promptness without seeming like you
have nothing better to do than wait around for a
prospective employer. To get the timing right, visit the
interview location and determine the appropriate
travel time before your meeting day.

11. Enter the Interview Room Confidently
Your entrance is a key to making a positive
impression. Keep your head up, acknowledge
those in the room or reception area, smile,
and greet.

12. Dress for the Job You Want
• Dress in professional attire.
• Make sure your clothes are not too tight, too
revealing, or too baggy.
• Also avoid wearing too much jewelry, perfume, or
aftershave lotion.
• Determining the exact clothing to wear can be
tricky as dress codes vary. In many office
settings, a suit is the recommended attire. For
others, the dress depends on the targeted
position, so research to decide what to wear,
leaning toward classic rather than trendy colors
and patterns.

13. Carry a Portfolio with all necessary
documents
• You'll want to bring hard copies of your
resume, references, and other materials to the
interview. Carry these in a portfolio for a
polished look.

14. Be Nice to the Receptionist/everyone
• Show respect/kindness to everyone you meet.
You want to make a good first impression in all
encounters, not only for kindness' sake but also
because those on the front lines may share their
perceptions about you with hiring decision-
makers.
• Be gracious to each and every person including
parking lot attendants, security officers,
receptionists, executive assistants, human
resources team members, potential co-workers,
and hiring managers.

15. Turn off your mobile phone
• Turn off your mobile phone before entering
the interview room. Treat the interviewers
with respect and give them your undivided
attention

16. Have Everything Neat, Organized, and
Accessible
• You can be certain that, within the first few
minutes of your meeting, your interviewer will
ask for a copy of your updated resume
• To make the best first impression, everything
you need should be neatly organized and
readily accessible: You should be able to pull
out your resume, references, and even a pen
on command. The less you have to rifle
through your bag, the better.

17. Practice Good Posture -- Before and
During the Interview.
Your posture says a lot about your confidence
and interest in the position -- at least in the
eyes of the employer. Both while waiting and
in the interview sit straight in your chair
leaning in slightly toward the interviewer. No
slouching! Eye contact should be dominant, as
it portrays that you are aware of your
audience.

18. Greet the Interviewer(s) Warmly and
Confidently
The keys to making a great first impression at
the very beginning of the job interview are to
stand up (straight), make strong eye contact,
smile confidently and greet warmly. Don’t
forget to take permission before entering the
room.

19. Be Prepared to Talk About the
Company and Yourself
Be ready for conversation with knowledge about the
company, responses to common interview question,
and questions of your own.
Read the organization's website and relevant news so you
can talk intelligently about the company.
Practice your responses to typical questions and prepare
stories about your recent accomplishments,
particularly ones that illustrate how you make you a
great fit for the organization. Finally, put together a list
of questions to pose when the interviewer asks if you
have questions.

20. Know the Answer to "Why Are You
Here?"
To start your interview well, prepare your
response to the question, "Why are you here?"
Note that the response should be more
substantial and insightful than "to interview for a
job." Tell the interviewer why you are excited
about the prospect of joining this particular
organization. Briefly explain how your expertise
could contribute to the company's success.

21. Know the basics about the courses
that you have pursued
This will help you counter all the possible
questions that will be hurled at you during the
interview. Usually for the graduates who have
come out of their university, the questions will
be based on the learning in university and also
related to the course. So it is better to revise
those things before the interview.

22. Stay confident, polite and pleasant all
the way out of that building.
Cameras and microphones are everywhere
these days, as are other employees. Punching
the air and yelling "I aced that", or frowning
and saying "What a dinosaur that interviewer
was!" will be noticed by someone somewhere,
so refrain from these actions until well out of
sight of the building. Decorum and
professionalism come first; nobody should try
to "be yourself" in an interview situation.