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Sell Me this Pencil
"Sell me this Pencil"; personnel and sales managers used to ask applicants this question during interviews on a regular basis. Believe it or not, it is a relatively effective way of finding out how well an individual thinks on his / her feet. Can she speak well and make eye contact when she is surprised? Can he smile and behave professionally when he is at a loss for words? Clearly, job applicants will do a better job of “selling that pencil” if they are prepared for the question and have some knowledge of various types of pencils.
The one benefit of this interview strategy for the applicant is that the pencil serves as a focal point of discussion; it is a visual aid that actually allows some description to be “acted upon” by moving the pencil. It is a real example with which the candidate can dazzle the interviewer.
The point is that preparation and real examples of an applicant’s skills serve to illustrate the qualifications and fit of that applicant. Human resource managers and personnel directors should expect applicants to come in prepared with information abut the company, its mission statement, and the available position. Candidates should prepare a “portfolio” or project review / summary in order to present a real example of proficiencies, skills, technical and computer knowledge. The potential employee can reference the portfolio while he or she answers the interviewer’s questions. This can be done during a webcam interview as well because the portfolio can be emailed, faxed, or snail-mailed to the human resources director or interviewer prior to t he act ual or electronic meeting.
It is very important that an applicant’s portfolio or visual presentation be professional and of the highest quality. The design of the portfolio must reflect an organization and demonstrate the culture of the profession. For example, an applicant hoping to fill a graphics position must present a graphics-heavy portfolio, etc. Further, the applicant should have his or her own copy of the portfolio to reference during the interview.
The use of the document or portfolio allows both the interviewer and the interviewee to maintain a solid focus on the skills necessary to successfully perform the job. Small talk is still essential to ‘break the ice,’ but the majority of interview time will be spent in specialized discussion related specifically to effectively filling the available position. The candidate will demonstrate preparation for the interview and qualifications for the job. Applicants will utilize the ‘pencil” to sell the ‘pencil” and, thus, themselves.
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