Career Portfolios

Most of Canada’s youth are likely to experience:A succession of up to 25 different jobs A variety of occupations in up to 5 different

sectors of the economyA variety of concurrent work roles (multi-

tasking)Planned and unplanned gaps of no work

They will need to manage many transitions between work and learning.

In the “transitions” issue there are 2 widely accepted generalizations:1. Employers are

generally not aware of the knowledge and skills that students bring from high school

(the range of student’s learning abilities, programs and courses offered, extracurricular activities experienced)

2. Students are generally not adept at communicating their knowledge and skills

(they possess many skills, but cannot identify them, they do not know what employers want and they do not understand the relevancy of their skills)

The Importance of Report CardsFew employers ever ask for a student report

card or a record of marks during the application/interview process, even though this important document reflects ability level, attendance, punctuality and effort through teacher comments.

If parents, the public, instructors and employers aren’t aware of students’ skills, how do students communicate their skills, achievements, talents and experiences more effectively?

The “Missing Link”A career portfolio is a carefully organized

collection of evidence, which illustrates one’s skills, abilities and talents.

Compiling a portfolio helps students to identify, select and organize evidence of skills that will assist them in their transition from school.

For Students...the career portfolio is an immediately

available summary of abilities and accomplishments.

in a world of competitive selection for education, training and employment, the portfolio is a valuable marketing tool.

can document relevant skills from school, community, home and work in an attractive, organized manner for the competitive application for further training or work.

Portfolios are useful to students byHelping them to look inward and reflect upon

their values, interests and strengthsHelping them make career path decisionsIdentifying and demonstrating skills for

employmentHaving information readily available for job

applicationsAttaining university, college or technical school

entranceApplying for scholarshipsGetting volunteer positionsShowing others what they are all about

For Employers...the portfolio will provide evidence of

essential work skills that will aid in the selection of potential employees

they can make the best possible human resource decisions based on documented evidence of Academic, Personal Management and Teamwork skills during the application process

For Educators...the portfolio will showcase to the rest of the

community many of the skills that schools have helped engender in their students

Post-secondary and Training Institutions which do consider factors such as prior learning, attitude and interest when selecting the most suitable applicants may use a portfolio to determine registration to limited-entry programs

Communicating Your SkillsStudents have a wide range of skills developed

through school, community, home and work.School

Communication Skills – reading, writing, speaking, presentations, drama, music, art

Academic Knowledge – math science social, English, other languages, computers

Leadership & Organizational Skills – Student’s Union, peer support, SADD, grad committee

Career & Technology Studies (CTS) – 22 possible strands of technical work skills training

Sports & Recreation Programs – school teams, officiating, tournament organizing, intramurals

Communicating Your Skills (cont’d)Community

Community sports, 4H clubs, Guides/Scouts, church, Cadets, swimming, dance, music lessons

HomeSibling child care, assisting with “home-based”

business, weekly chores, manners, positive behaviors

Work/Volunteer WorkStudents may seek volunteer work and/or

employment at some time. Skills may include: self-discipline, time management, cooperation, adaptability, teamwork, customer service and a variety of trained technical skills

5 Possible Skills CategoriesPersonal Profile

Documentation that represents and describes who you are, what you value and your plans for the future

Fundamental (Learning) SkillsReflect your ability to communicate, think and learn.

Certificates, evaluations, duration of experiences, and performance appraisals show your competencies, interests and potential abilities. Documentation of your technical skills will demonstrate your ability to use and learn technology through problem solving, creativity and experiential learning

5 Possible Skills Categories (cont’d)Personal Management Skills

Personal skills, attitudes and behaviors that demonstrate responsibility, adaptability, continuous growth and learning. Adaptability includes respect and acceptance of others and their ideas; being creative and open to change

Teamwork SkillsRepresent ability to cooperate, contribute and work

effectively with others in a group. Collaboration skills and the ability to commit to group objectives are vital skills for successful working relationships

Project WorkDemonstrates the best examples of your ability to

communicate, think, learn and work with others to achieve a common goal or product

An Effective Portfolio Will Be:Visually Attractive – use a combination of graphics, color, text and

images to keep it interestingUp to Date – must change constantly to reflect new skills, training

and experiencesUnique – make your portfolio provide an authentic reflection of

your skills, style and personalityRehearsed – practice, practice, practice – the presentation of your

portfolio should be comfortableSpecific – illustrates specific and concise examples – describe

each of the skills and abilities that you have gained through each item in your portfolio

Well-Organized – create meaningful categories for easy organization and demonstration, make sure you are providing a tidy presentation of your working attributes

Well-Used ! – bring your portfolio to employment interviews, post-secondary applications, volunteer opportunities and when seeking funding for small business

Career Planning“managing one’s pathway through life” Dr.

Kris Magnusson, University of LethbridgeCareer development is about growing

through life and work; about learning, experiencing, living, working and changing; about creating and discovering pathways through one’s life and work.

Understanding yourself and your world leads to more intentional and informed career decisions. Effective career planning is a product of the portfolio thinking and gathering process.