Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Showing Off Your Stuff
John Sullivan is a working project manager who writes and speaks on project and career issues.
During my last job search I received a request to provide work samples for a follow-up interview. I had never been asked to provide samples before so I scrambled to locate and select a collection of project deliverables and then sent them. During the interview a few days later, I answered questions about the project based on the documents I provided--explaining risks, issues, problems and solutions to my interviewers as if they were already my supervisors.
Providing work samples is a long-standing practice in creative industries like advertising and journalism. “Interviewers want to be sure that the applicant actually has the credentials mentioned in their resume and cover letter. They are worried about candidates inflating their qualifications,” says Alison Doyle, Job Searching Guide for About.com. Doyle believes the practice of requesting samples is on the rise. “I have even noticed more postings where internship applicants need to submit samples.”
One reason it is rising is the need to more thoroughly validate accomplishments. Statistics on resume fraud vary widely, ranging from 30 to 60 percent depending on who is being surveyed and how they define “inaccuracies”. Whatever it is, it’s high enough to worry interviewers.
Another reason is the need for…
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