Building a Career Portfolio

How to Present Yourself to Potential Employers

Presented by April Legler, Lecturer of Career Education, KSOB

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What is a Portfolio?

What is your understanding of a portfolio and its purpose?

Who has traditionally created portfolios?

Does anyone have a portfolio?

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Definition

A portfolio is a documentation and demonstration of your accomplishments representing growth in your skills and understanding of those skills over time.

The portfolio not only documents your results but also how you got there and what you learned in the process.

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Employers are asking…

“How much will you cost me to train?” “Can you keep your personal life in order

so that it does not interfere with work?”

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Employers are seeking…

Proof of current relevant soft skills Real work samples

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Two Broad Categories of Skills

Transferable across careers, jobs,

and industries organizational interpersonal work-style

Work Content do a specific type of

job immediate

contribution gained through

course work and job experience

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Employers Want the “Total Package”

Excellent communication skills Technical proficiency Leadership Teamwork Interpersonal skills and personal traits

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Portfolio Advantages

Clearly shows your individuality, personality, & skills

Speaks to your skills without your having to say directly “I’m good”

The resume gets you the interview, the portfolio gets you the job

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Steps for Assessing Your Major Accomplishments

1. What I Did?2. What I Learned?3. What’s Next?

(We will be using a group activity to reinforce these steps in a minute.)

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#1: What I Did?

The first step is documentation of events, activities, and skills that have been accomplished.

It is a collection of your most important accomplishments, both personal and professional.

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# 1 Artifact

Choose a tangible item to exhibit the accomplishment or skill you have just selected to showcase

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Activity: What did YOU do?

Think of a skill you wish to highlight and an “artifact” from an activity you have done that could showcase it.

OR Think of something truly significant you

have done and what skill that demonstrates. What artifact can you use to showcase that?

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#2: What I Learned?

The next step is going back and looking at each entry and writing “statements” identifying and explaining the purpose of each piece of evidence so that the entries are meaningful when reviewed by others.

These statements should also contain reflective comments about your learning.

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What I Learned-Sample

To develop an annual budget of $6000 To keep accurate line-item entry books

of income and expenditures To create and maintain excel

spreadsheets of monthly finances To create annual financial statements

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Activity: What did YOU learn?

Write a statement of what you gained from the activity that you selected just now.

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#3: What’s Next?

Review each entry View as springboard to future learning Revisit and examine work accomplished Professional and personal growth Assimilate information into

“skills and achievements”

for resume and interview process

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What’s next-Sample

Add activity and accomplishments to resume

Improve organization of records to facilitate creation of annual report

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Activity: What is next for YOU?

Write what you will do to use or improve what you have begun in this class activity.

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Sample Artifacts for a Portfolio

Career & professional development goals

Resumes/Cover letters Your work philosophy Self-assessment records Transcripts Work history Skill areas Works in progress

(activities and projects) Work & learning samples Work term reports Certificates, diplomas,

degrees, & awards

Professional memberships & service

Records of community service/volunteer work (brochures, letters of recognition, etc.)

Newspaper clippings featuring you

Letters of appreciation Photographs/Media Networking contacts Letters of

recommendation/ references

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Career Portfolio Sections

Management philosophy Professional goals Resume Work samples by skill areas Works in progress Community service (transferable skills) Professional memberships Degrees, certifications & awards References

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Sections: Philosophy and Goals

Mgmt Philosophy-brief description of your beliefs about yourself and the industry (Career Objective Statement)

Career Goals-professional goals for the next 2-5 years

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Section: Resume

Your resume provides a brief summary of your education and experiences.

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Section: Skill Areas Skill areas-tabbed sections containing

information on your skills and experiences relating to specific areas Marketing People Management Technology

Target skills desired by companies you are interviewing Job advertisements Job descriptions

Focus on measurable skills Technical skills Soft skills

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Skill areas that employers want from recent graduates.

Analytical Communication (Oral & Written)

Computer Skills Creativity Decision Making Flexibility Interpersonal Leadership

Listening Multicultural

Understanding Organizational Problem Solving Research Teamwork Time Management

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Work Samples Work sample-physical examples of your work

One for every skill Projects, reports Real work samples preferable to school projects

How do I get them? What are you good at doing? Rummage through your stuff at home and at work

for samples Plan to secure work samples

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Propriety on Work Samples

Do I need to get permission to take copies of my work? If you signed a confidentiality agreement If you are a contractor or employee

Use the templates of your work Do NOT share proprietary or personal

information Do share letters, customer comments,

class or workshop projects

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Section: Additional Proof

Works in Progress-brief list of works, activities, projects or efforts that are on-going.

Letters of Recommendation-support or reference that verify your abilities in a certain skill area

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Section: Transferable Skills

Sources Community service Volunteer organizations Avocations (intense hobbies) Intramural activities

Artifacts Letters of recognition Photos of projects completed Programs and brochures

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Transferable Skills Support…

Soft skills Teamwork Presentation skills Communication skills Attitude Leadership Others

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Section: Professional Growth

Memberships-member cards, citations, letters

Certifications Diplomas, Degrees, or Awards-copies of

actual recognition received

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Section: Reference Materials

Academic Plan of Study-list of courses and what you learned in them

Faculty and Employer Biographies-descriptions of the people whose signatures appear throughout—who are they, what do they do

References-list of people who can verify your character, academic record or employment history

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Group Activity

1. Break into small groups and select an individual to “record” for the group.

2. Pick 3 skills from the list provided.

3. Share experiences with your group, in which you each have developed those 3 skill areas.

4. Identify and lists ways to document that experience in your portfolio.

5. Report out to the group.

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Skill areas most wanted by employers from recent graduates.

Analytical Communication (Oral & Written)

Computer Skills Creativity Decision Making Flexibility Interpersonal Leadership

Listening Multicultural

Understanding Organizational Problem Solving Research Teamwork Time Management

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Showcase Tips: Paper Portfolio

Include an introduction and table of contents

Organize work samples into skill areas

Keep to a consistent format

Don't include original documents

Don't punch holes in your documents

Number sheet protectors, not contents

Use quality paper & captions to enhance

Create all text on computer

Use a high-quality printer Don't use too many fonts Be creative Tailor your portfolio to

include only relevant information to the opportunity you are seeking

Observe a maximum length of 10-15 artifacts

Consider having a copy of your portfolio or important parts of it to leave behind with an employer

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When Is It Appropriate to Present Your Portfolio

In an Interview To illustrate skills you are asked to describe As concrete proof of your accomplishments

as they relate to the opportunity at hand(Generally do not send with your application package

unless requested.)

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And Also…

In a Job Performance Evaluation To remind the employer of your

contributions and accomplishments Focus on the time since your last review Include career highlights, works in

progress, group/individual achievements Give to supervisor 2-3 weeks before review

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Hard Copy vs Electronic

HARD COPY Introduces oneself Answers questions

during interview Summarizes

qualifications

ELECTRONIC To compete for an

interview As additional

research for candidates

As follow-up

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Online Portfolios

Idea 1: Online resumes Idea 2: Linked resumes Idea 3: Online portfolio collections

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Online Resumes

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Linked resume

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Close-up view of linked info

Period: XX/YY – XX/YYNational Agency for Telecommunications

(Anatel) Brasília, BrazilTelecommunications EngineerXXX (detailed job assignments)XXXReason for leaving: resigned for personal reasons.Supervisor Contact: Mr. John Boss,jboss@anatel.gov.br(+55 61) 323 7865

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Linked Online Resume

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Resume Link to Created Websites

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Resume Link to Brochures

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Classic Online Portfolio

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Online Portfolio Index

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Portfolio link - 1

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Portfolio link - 2

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Portfolio link - 3

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Portfolio link - 4

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Portfolio link - 5

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Online Portfolio Postings

http://www.portfolios.com

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Portfolios.com Portfolio Sample

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Portfolio link -1

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Portfolio link - 2

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Online Portfolio Postings

http://members.tripod.lycos.com/

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Tripod.com Portfolio Sample

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Online Examples of Career Portfolios

Basic Online Resume: http://www.guidesign.com/tammy/index.htmThis format is virtually identical to a paper-based resume format. Note lack of internal links.

Web Designer's Portfolio: http://www.carteret.com/mikefahyA linked resume with good example of integrating work samples within a web site.

Graphic Designer's Portfolio: http://www.6869.com/resume/index.htmlA classic online portfolio with clean, simple design and great graphics.

Portfolio For Self-Employment: http://careerlifeconsulting.comCheck out Joan Richard's on-line portfolio that promotes her company, CareerLife Consulting Services.

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Purposes of the Portfolio

Self-assessment: who you are and what you want to do

Repository for necessary documents: keeps everything for the career together

Interviewing tool: sell yourself Performance appraisal tool: show

supervisor your work strengths

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In Summary

Everyone can use a portfolio to manage both their professional or career assets and showcase their potential.

The very act of organizing your portfolio brings clarity to your career direction.

This process requires reflection & analysis. When you sequence your samples in your

portfolio, you begin thinking more broadly about your collection of talents. You think more deeply about who you are.

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Collect NOW – Sort later

Set up your system Calendar Designated collection point

Schedule your self-review times Sort later Think Ahead—you are worth it!

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Evaluation QuestionsUse:Strongly agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagreeDon’t know

1. I found the presentation of material easy to understand.2. This Discussion session increased my knowledge on the subject presented.3. I will be able to use some of the information from this Discussion session in the future.4. The presenter was well prepared for this Discussion session.5. This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.