Creating a Professional Career Portfolio

Creating a Professional Portfolio A tool for career exploration and marketing your skills + experience

Agenda  Get to know you  Some “Take Aways”  The Career Journey: A 10-year self-reflection  The Career Journey: A 20-year self-reflection  Introduction to Professional Portfolios  Why create a portfolio?  What to include in your portfolio  Dos and Don’ts  How Effective are Professional Portfolios?

Some “Take Aways” • Your career path is not a point A to point B journey, rather an exploration that will take you to multiple destinations.

• Take the time to observe and understand the context of where you are at.

• Take the time to research and take advantage of the opportunities available to you.

• Spend the time to reflect on what you have learned from your activities, coursework, internships, jobs, etc. AND document it!

The Career Journey A 10-year self-reflection

The Career Journey A 10-year self-reflection

Interests Come From Your Life Experience

Credentials Come From Institutions

“Extras” Come from Service

Why Create a Portfolio?

• Personal development and self-reflection • Career exploration • Job search skills and tools • Promote yourself while networking and seeking a job or internship

What to include in your portfolio?

• • • • • • • • • •

Resume* Reference list* Leers of references* Accomplishments Brochures Conferences, workshops, seminars aended Public speaking/ presentations or performances Performance reports, appraisals (e.g. internship and job evaluations) Description of academic study Description of internships

• • • • • • •

Featured articles Honors, awards, scholarships, In-class projects Licenses or certificates for specific trainings Professional affiliations Transcripts Writing samples

Dos and Don’ts Do: •

Have extra copies of your portfolio materials.

•

Change the contents of your portfolio (except for resume and reference list) to show samples of work that are relevant to the position you are applying for.

•

Ask for wrien recommendations from each employer or supervisor.

Don’t: •

Misrepresent your qualifications. (See article from Boston Globe “Harvard missed signs it was being hoodwinked” by Tracy Jan on December 28, 2010.)

•

Include documents or artifacts that are clearly not your own or you do not have permission to put in your portfolio.

How eective are professional portfolios?

September 20, 2009 Mieko, I got a new job!!!

I'll be working as a Research Assistant in a position jointly funded by the Parks Department and the Forest Service.

I can't help but think that your advice on portfolio building really made the difference. After a meeting with them, where I showed them my previous work, resume, letters of recommendation (thanks again!), and my transcript, they told me that my professionalism and organization seemed excellent. Based on that assessment they created this position for me.

Again, I think the portfolio really made the whole thing happen. And without you, that wouldn't have been the case. My deepest gratitude is for you.

Dexter Locke, Class of 2009

Questions?

Contact Info Mieko A. Ozeki (802) 656-0906 mozeki@uvm.edu