EVERYONE Needs a Portfolio

I recently met with a Marketing Executive from Neutrogena who told me that in her six years of interviewing Associate and Manager-level Marketing candidates, she has yet to have someone bring in a portfolio.  And she wondered why.

I’ll tell you why… 90% of candidates do the bare minimum to prepare for an interview.  Imagine if a few candidates had brought in a portfolio.  That Neutrogena Exec would probably still remember those folks today.

A great interview is all about visualization, and a well-crafted portfolio with examples of projects and/or products you’ve worked on will truly enhance the interviewer’s ability to “see” your work.  “Before and After” shots are a great way to express what something looked like or how it worked before you got your hands on it and how much better it is now.

Please know that no matter what your role, you can come up with creative ways to actually show someone your work.  You can use spreadsheets of formulas, a comparative list of sample vendors and costs, PowerPoint slides, creative inspirations, technical drawings, marketing pieces, actual completed product, mentions in articles…the possibilities are endless.

The P-A-R stories you created should have something to do with your portfolio pieces, and as you tell the story, use the portfolio as a tool to help with the explanation and visualization.  It makes SUCH a difference for the interviewer to actually see what you’re talking about while you’re talking about it.  I’ll tell you from experience that I’m actually able to listen and understand more of what a candidate says when I’ve got the visual in front of me.

You wouldn’t present information at a Board Meeting without visuals, and an interview should be taken just as seriously.  Plus it’s FUN!  And in this market, if you really want the job, you’ve got to go full force.  The interviewer will know that you truly mean business, and then it’s hard to say No.

If you want input or suggestions on your portfolio, shoot me an email.  We’re happy to help 🙂