Your Success is Our Business.
701 East 5th Street (corner of 5th & Jarvis) Greenville, NC 27858 252-328-6050 www.ecu.edu/career
Developing a Portfolio for Your Job Search
Your Success Is Our Business
What is a Portfolio?
Marketing tool that provides evidence of your accomplishments, skills and abilities
A Portfolio serves as an organized collection of material that presents your personal and professional skills in a concrete way. Format Options: Hard Copy Disk CD-ROM Web
Documents the scope and quality of your experience and training
An Effective Portfolio Can:
Demonstrate your work, provide samples, back up claim to be a producer
Demonstrate learning, collect assessment and reflection information
Provide a competitive edge
Purpose of a Portfolio
Identifies skill or experience gaps Review achievements and enhance career self-efficacy Provides a framework for career development Helps you focus on your accomplishments Can enhance self-knowledge and reflection Tracks and documents career progress and readiness
For Job Search Purposes Pre-interview:
Networking Application materials
Interview:
Present and highlight qualifications and experience
Post-interview:
Send on a CD as a follow-up
Developing Your Portfolio Start a “Me” file and collect copies of your work, including:
Resumes Job Descriptions Appraisals Transcripts Course Descriptions Projects Honors Certificates Reference Letters
Evaluate Items in Accordance With Your Career and Educational Goals ď Ž
Demonstrate that you have the required qualifications.
ď Ž
Identify gaps in education and skills; establish an action plan of response.
Make Sure Your Assembled Portfolio Achieves the Following:
Enhances your credibility Projects your capabilities Enables feedback Identifies you as an Individual
Develop Your Presentation and Practice How You Plan to Deliver It ď Ž
Check for interest during presentation and seek opportunities to use your portfolio
Hard Copy Components
Table of contents
Career summary and goals
Resumes
Official transcripts
Awards and honors
Samples of work selected to demonstrate required qualifications
Letters of recommendation & references
Conferences and workshops
Additional Possible Portfolio Items
Writing samples
Letters from clients, customers, faculty
Certificate/Licenses
Publications
Audio or Video clips
News clippings
Photographs
Assembly of Your Hard Copy Portfolio
Pick a binder style based on the largest item to be included If you use a black 3 ring binder, pick one with a insert-able cover and spine Make a cover and spine label Get divider tabs for organization Use clear plastic sleeves for documents Don’t permanently mount originals Use acid free/lignin free papers Provide color copies of your originals
Electronic Format Components
Profile Resume Capabilities/Skills Transcripts Project Samples References
Electronic Portfolios
Use Optimal Resume to create your own Online Portfolio! Upload professional documents into an attractive portfolio that can be viewed as part of the professional website you create with the Website Builder File Cabinet vs. Slide Show
Advantages to Electronic Portfolios Clusters related areas and ideas. Searchable/scan-able. Facilitates Multi-media presentations. Easy access from any computer. Can provide more information in multiple languages. Demonstrates computer literacy.
Easily accessible by multiple viewers. Easily stored.
Advantages to Hard Copy Better for interviews. Does not require computer skills to produce. More personalized.
More conducive for face-to-face presentation. Not everyone can access computers. Changes are usually easier
Call Us! The Career Center 252-328-6050 or 1-800-391-0506 www.ecu.edu/career Corner of 5th & Jarvis
Our team of career coaches are here to help you achieve success in all aspects of your career!
Feel free to call us for more information or to set up an appointment with a Career Coach!