How do I choose work samples that show the skills a specific role needs?

Start with the role, not your archive. Pull out three to five requirements that seem most central to the work, using the posting’s wording where useful. Look for requirements expressed as actions or outcomes—such as analyzing information, explaining a decision, or coordinating a project—rather than matching only on job titles.

Then list the samples you could share and what each one actually demonstrates. Choose a small set with strong, different matches. A sample should earn its place by giving the reader evidence they would not get as clearly from another one. Treat example details as placeholders, not claims about your own experience.

Ask whether someone viewing the sample could see the skill in action without relying on your claim alone. A project may have involved analysis, for example, but if the artifact only shows a polished final slide, it may not make your analysis visible. You could add a short, truthful note describing the question, your contribution, and the decision or result the artifact shows.

Use a simple rating: strong, partial, or weak. Strong means the sample itself clearly supports the requirement. Partial means it needs context or shows only one part of the skill. Weak means the connection is mostly an assertion. Prefer strong matches; use a partial one when you can explain the gap honestly.

Here is a fictional example. Replace every sample name and description with accurate details from your own work; do not present these placeholders as your experience.

• Analysis — [Sample A: short research brief] — Strong. The reader should be able to see how information was compared and a conclusion reached.
• Clear communication — [Sample B: one-page project summary] — Strong. The reader should be able to see how a complex update is made easy to scan.
• Project coordination — [Sample C: project plan or status note] — Partial. It may show milestones and ownership; add a note explaining your role.

Next, check overlap. If Sample B and Sample C both mainly show writing, keep the one that better supports a priority requirement and find another item for the other skill if available. The matrix is a selection aid, not proof that every requirement is covered.

Do not imply that a sample proves a skill when it does not. You can mark the requirement as a gap, choose a partial example and explain its limits, or create a clearly labeled practice sample if that suits the role. A practice piece should be identified as hypothetical or self-directed, not presented as client or employer work.

For sensitive material, do not share it unless you are authorized to do so. Consider whether a sanitized or recreated version is allowed and still truthful; removing identifying details does not by itself establish that sharing is appropriate. If you are unsure, leave it out and use a permitted example. In a brief caption, state the context, your specific contribution, and what the sample demonstrates—without claiming work you did not do.