I’ve lost count of how many conversations I’ve had with bright, enthusiastic graduates who say, “I’ll take any role, as long as it’s at Company XYZ.” Over the years of giving career advice and building career plans, I’ve seen this mindset crop up again, and again, especially among those determined to land a job at a Fortune 500 company. They imagine that once they’re inside, they’ll naturally progress, develop the skills, and eventually find a fulfilling role. But here’s what I tell them every time: employers want people who are already doing the job because it’s what they do.
That might sound odd, but it’s one of the biggest career lessons I’ve emphasized throughout my years as a coach. Truth be told, I’ve even made this mistake myself in the past, particularly when I was first looking for a job across different industries in China. It’s easy to think, “If I just get in, I’ll figure out what to do afterward.” But that’s not how top-tier companies—and especially Fortune 500 companies—tend to think.
The Wrong Mindset and How to Get It Right
These companies invest so much effort in finding the right fit because the cost of hiring and onboarding is massive. Onboarding someone unsure of their direction, or worse, only interested in the brand, often leads to turnover, role mismatches, or mediocre performance. And employee turnover costs U.S businesses $1 trillion every year, according to Gallup. Everyone knows that synergy and passion are prized, so simply showing up and saying, “I really want to work here,” without a clear sense of what you can contribute, rarely seals the deal.
I once coached a soon-to-be graduate determined to join a well-known finance sector firm (think Big Four). She had majored in business but wasn’t sure which area she was most interested in—”anything but accounting,” she’d say, wincing at the word. But when she scanned the company’s career page, half the open roles were accounting-related. After some reflection, she realized the marketing and business analytics roles looked more appealing.
From there, her mission became crystal clear: build a skill set and portfolio that screamed “marketing analytics enthusiast,” not just “general business grad.” She got deep into a bunch of tools like PowerBI, GA4, Google Ads, and Google’s SQL tools like BigQuery. She’d come into our sessions and show me reports on everything from her workouts to her uncle’s store that she was helping out. The end result was a tailored resume, an internship with a local startup where she analyzed user data, and a series of blog posts on interesting marketing tools and tips. She ended up at Delloite, it wasn’t because of the interview prep we did either, it was the overwhelming competence and enthusiasm she showed in the interview when they asked her about software. She had her laptop ready and wowed them.
The Proof Is in the Portfolio
So, how do you show that you’re more than a set of decent grades and a glowing reference letter? You build proof. One of the biggest wake-up calls for many is realizing that degrees and coursework alone are rarely enough to stand out (everyone applying has those). Fortune 500 firms and hot startups alike often want to see tangible output: what have you built, designed, written, programmed, and analyzed?
1. Coders: Get on GitHub
I can’t tell you how many aspiring coders I’ve coached who had a shiny diploma in computer science but not a single GitHub project to show. “But I did all these labs and assignments in college!” they’ll say. The problem is, so did everyone else in your class. If you’re serious about software development, you need to show actual code that demonstrates your ability:
- Open Source Contributions: Contribute to a FOSS project—even something small like fixing documentation or an existing bug. It proves you can work in a team environment, navigate version control, and solve real-world problems.
- Personal Projects: Build something that scratches your own itch, whether it’s a budgeting app, an automated script, or a simple game. Then, push it to GitHub so potential employers can see how you code.
By the time you apply for that dream coding role, you want your GitHub link proudly displayed on your resume—and loaded with well-organized repositories that prove your commitment to programming.
2. Writers: Show, Don’t Tell
I’ve met countless aspiring writers who’ve never written anything outside of class assignments. No blog, no journal, no articles posted anywhere. If you want to be a professional writer, simply saying, “I can learn quickly,” doesn’t cut it. You need to demonstrate your writing chops:
- Start a Personal Blog or Write Guest Posts: It could be on WordPress, Medium, or your own custom site. Regularly publish articles that interest you—fiction, business analysis, commentary, or personal reflections.
- Self-Publish a Book: It might sound daunting, but you won’t get anywhere doing the easy stuff, you can compile a short story collection, guide, or technical manual and publish it. You’ll learn a ton and have a concrete product to show.
The point is that when you walk into an interview, you want to be able to reference actual writing you’ve done. Mentioning 40 blog posts on supply chain management or a short travel memoir you published independently goes far beyond “I love writing and I’ve always wanted to work here.”
3. Designers: Build Your Own Portfolio Site
Designers come in many flavors—graphic, UX/UI, fashion, you name it. Yet I’m often amazed at how many design grads I’ve seen with zero online portfolio. If you’re serious about design:
- Curate Your Work: Showcase your best pieces, not just everything you made in design class. Show progression and your design thinking process.
- Explain Your Process: Employers like to see how you approach a challenge, not just the final product. Write up short case studies for each piece.
- Volunteer or Freelance: Offer your design skills to a local nonprofit or a small business. Seeing real-world work experience on your portfolio site can matter far more than another hypothetical class project.
Fortune 500 or not, most employers will want a quick link to your site to see if you’re the right fit. Don’t wait for the big opportunity to fall into your lap; start building your portfolio now.
4. Accountants: Get Hands-On Experience
Accountants often fall into the trap of thinking that their university classes or passing the CPA exam is enough. Yet hiring managers usually look for tangible evidence of real-world accounting:
- Offer to Help a Local Business: Even if it’s a small family restaurant or local retailer, hands-on accounting experience is invaluable. It shows you know how to work with actual clients and handle real financial data.
- ERP Familiarity: Many big companies use enterprise resource planning software like SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics. You’ll stand out immediately if you can get certified or at least get exposure via an internship.
- Audit Simulations: Try volunteer or pro bono work with a nonprofit’s financials. Help them do a mini-audit or financial health check, and document everything you learn.
When you apply for that dream role, you can say, “I’ve reconciled accounts for a local business, I’m familiar with ERP modules, and here’s a case study of the improvements I made.”
The Value of Doing the Work Ahead of Time
One of the major reasons companies appreciate this portfolio-first approach is that it answers two key questions:
- Can This Person Do the Job? You’re showing proof of concept. It’s no longer a matter of “I think I could if you train me.” Instead, you’re effectively saying, “Here’s the evidence that I’ve already tackled similar challenges.”
- Is This Person Really Interested? Building a portfolio or working on side projects signals genuine passion. It’s easy to say, “I love accounting!” but not so easy to spend weekends volunteering for a small business’s financial management unless you’re truly into it.
Shaping Your Brand Narrative
When I coach individuals, I often emphasize the power of telling a coherent “story” about yourself. Your portfolio or GitHub profile, combined with real-world examples of your work, weaves a narrative that you are the person who truly wants—and is capable of—doing that job. Any Fortune 500 company scanning your resume wants to see that consistency, too.
For instance, if you say you love supply chain management, it helps to have a blog post detailing how you optimized the supply chain for a small e-commerce business. Or if you’re applying for a data analysis role, being able to show that you’ve spent time analyzing real datasets—perhaps from Kaggle—will speak louder than listing “statistics coursework” on your CV. So go out and work on your craft.
When Passion Meets Proof, Doors Open
At some point, every potential employer wants to be reassured of three core things:
- You have the skills (or foundational skills) needed to succeed.
- You’ve taken the initiative to explore this field beyond what was strictly required.
- You understand the role well enough to know what you’re signing up for.
Demonstrating passion can be as simple as building a portfolio site, starting a relevant blog, or engaging with a local business. That’s the difference between “I want to do marketing for you because it sounds interesting” and “I’ve already developed social media campaigns for a local nonprofit, and here’s the portfolio showing the results.”
I once coached a prospective finance analyst who landed his dream role at a global banking giant. The key step he took? He created a “practice portfolio” of stock analyses on his personal website, writing in-depth pieces on different companies and explaining his methodology and market views. By the time he sat down for the interview, he didn’t just say, “I like finance.” He said, “I’ve already analyzed these ten stocks. Here’s my approach, here’s what I learned, and here’s how it applies to what you do.” The interviewers were impressed by his initiative and depth of understanding.
Overcoming Common Objections
“But I don’t have time!” or “I don’t have the resources!” are common refrains from new grads and mid-career switchers alike. Yet, creating a project or portfolio doesn’t require significant financial investment—just time and commitment. It can be as simple as setting aside a few hours each week to work on a personal endeavor or volunteer your talents.
There’s also the fear of producing something subpar. Yet keep in mind that employers aren’t expecting your first blog post to be a Pulitzer-worthy piece or your first code commit to be revolutionary. They do, however, want to see growth, consistency, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
Tailoring Your Approach
It’s essential to apply these principles to fit your industry and and organize your approach. Not everyone is a coder, designer, writer, or accountant. But every professional role has some practical skill you can demonstrate. If you’re gunning for a project management position, show evidence of managing a local event or charity drive. If you’re looking into HR, document how you helped with recruitment or training sessions at a volunteer organization.
The overarching lesson is the same: do the thing before you apply for the thing. It will mean sacrificing some free time or tackling small gigs for minimal pay (or even none if it’s for a charitable cause). But the payoff—standing out in a crowded applicant pool—makes it well worth the effort.
