What needs to be reflected in a portfolio by way of journal text photos and other items
One way to make an amazing first impression in today’s tight job market is to create a career portfolio—also known as a work portfolio, professional portfolio, employment portfolio, or job portfolio. This underutilized tool can help you land a job by giving potential employers concrete proof of who you are, what you have accomplished, and what you could potentially bring to their company. Show
Much more detailed than a resume, a career portfolio is a collection of artifacts that showcase your education, abilities, and skills. During a job interview, a hardcopy of your career portfolio can provide a powerful visual impact and back up your skills and accomplishments with real-life examples. You can also use a career portfolio to demonstrate your achievements during a performance review or when you are seeking a raise or promotion. To create an attention-grabbing career portfolio, make sure you include the following items. 1. Career summaryTo help potential employers get a quick grasp of who you are as a professional, you need to include a career summary—a short description of what you do and what makes you special. This section should be one of the first things you list in your career portfolio. An ideal career summary does the following:
Here’s an example of an effective career summary: “Accomplished marketing director with a proven ability to create and drive strategies that further financial and overall company goals. Have overseen decisive initiatives that reduced advertising costs by $400,000 while driving a revenue increase of 37%. Industry authority in brand storytelling, content marketing, and customer engagement. Collaborative leader, able to construct and inspire winning management teams that consistently meet KPI goals. Hones skills and stays current with industry changes via continuing professional education (recently earned an MBA in marketing).” 2. Philosophy statementA philosophy statement, sometimes called a mission statement, describes the things about your profession that matter most to you. By including this statement in your career portfolio, you give recruiters and potential employers insight into your value system and what motivates you. When creating your philosophy statement, it helps to ask yourself the following questions:
Your philosophy statement should contain three parts, although they don’t necessarily need to be spread out into three separate paragraphs:
For example: “I trained to be a nutritionist because I enjoy helping others. In fact, the best (and most important) part of my job is when a client’s health improves as he or she starts to make healthier food choices. With the number of illnesses caused by poor nutrition on the rise, I’m grateful that I can make a difference in people’s lives.” 3. Short biographyA brief biography will let you showcase your personality to potential employers. This will help you make a human connection and be more memorable to potential employers. As a bonus, the process of writing a biography (if you haven’t already done so) will also prepare you to answer the infamous “tell us about yourself” question during interviews. A good biography does these things:
Here’s a good example of a short bio: “I’m a cross between a computer geek, a teacher and an entrepreneur. (I’ve been all of them at one time or another.) After years of working in both the corporate and non-profit worlds, I found myself “down-sized” a few years ago. I launched a couple of home-based businesses including one where I went to small businesses and taught people about technology and how to create an online presence. My motto then was “Big Business Solutions for Small Business Budgets”. Since then, I’ve self-published a book, dabbled in website design and marketed Virtual Tour photography.”—Sherryl Perry Note: The contact information and links to Sherryl’s work are not in the bio itself but are included elsewhere on the page. If you don’t yet have your own personal website to post your biography on, you can hire us to create one for you. 4. ResumeIt’s important to include your resume here, even though you’ve already submitted your resume with your application. Here are some tips to ensure your resume presents you in the best possible light:
You can find resume examples for a variety of professions, as well as smart tips on how to make your resume stand out, in this Ladders article. 5. Marketable skills and abilitiesThis is where you get to prove your unique value to potential employers by listing all the things you do well. To help you decide which items to include, you should review all of your skills and choose the things that you’re most proud of and that best reflect your personal brand. Some common marketable skills include:
Be sure to describe exactly how you use your skills: Teamwork
Taking initiative
6. Professional accomplishmentsThe professional accomplishments section is one of the most important parts of a career portfolio. This is where you prove your value as a potential employee. When creating your list of accomplishments, separate them into categories and be sure to use lots of details. For example, don’t just say “I won awards for my sales numbers.” Instead, say “I garnered the Salesperson of the Year award five years running for achieving a 65% average closing rate on new leads.” 7. Samples of your workThe purpose of this section is to show potential employers the actual papers, reports, articles, brochures, studies, presentations, projects, and so on, that prove you’re the best person for the job. When choosing which items to include, be sure to select samples that demonstrate a broad range of skills. Depending on what you do and what industry you’re in, this section should contain links to lots of different writing samples, reports, or images. For example, if you’re in sales, you could include graphs or charts showing your sales figures. If you’re an educator, you could use copies of your lesson plans, class projects, and special assignments. Here’s an example of a writer showcasing his articles in his online portfolio. If you don’t have much work experience yet, you can use what you’ve done for schools, clubs, or other organizations. Make sure to include any feedback you received on your work samples. If you earned a high grade or garnered a promotion after a successful assignment, for example, you can include the review of your work in a short paragraph after the link to the item. 8. Awards and honorsHiring managers know that past achievements usually predict an applicant’s future performance. This is why it’s so important to highlight your certificates of awards, scholarships, and other honors, in your career portfolio. Here are some tips for how to list your accomplishments:
9. Transcripts, degrees, licenses, and certificationsAbove all, employers want to see proof of your qualifications for the position. So, just like the Work Samples section of your career profile, this section should contain links to actual documents or photos of them—not just descriptions of these items. 10. Professional development activitiesOne goal of a career portfolio is to show potential employers that you’re a lifelong learner and passionate about your career. A great way to do this is to include a list of professional associations you belong to, as well as any notable conferences, seminars, workshops, or other professional development activities you’ve attended or participated in. 11. Military records, awards, and badgesYour military honors demonstrate your high standards and commitment to excellence. Therefore, if you’ve served in the military, you should be sure to note any commendations, awards, badges, your honorable discharge, or other special recognitions in your career portfolio. 12. Volunteering/community serviceEmployers want well-rounded candidates. So, if you have participated in any volunteering, pro bono work, or community service activities, you need to describe them here—especially as they relate to your career. 13. References/testimonialsInclude a list of three to five people who are willing to speak about your strengths, abilities, and experience. Be sure to include their job titles and contact information. You can also share testimonials from clients, customers, professors, colleagues, or previous employers that highlight your best qualities and skills. This is also the place to showcase copies of positive employer evaluations or reviews. Next stepsOnce you have created a career portfolio, you need to customize it for each new job application and interview. Look for key skills and accomplishments each employer mentions in its job listing and adjust your portfolio to highlight these items. It’s also a good idea to update and improve your career portfolio at least once a year. Regularly reviewing your portfolio will enable you to add new information while it’s still fresh in your mind and remove items that have become outdated. It’s also a good way to monitor your progress and identify areas you need to work on. [video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9pM_e2fMCc] ***** If you don’t have a personal website yet to host your portfolio, we can help you get started. Our ReputationGrower product builds your professional web presence with a personalized domain name (for example, firstnamelastname.com), optimized business and social profiles, and monitoring of your personal brand. What does a portfolio reflect?A portfolio is a living and changing collection of records that reflect your accomplishments, skills, experiences, and attributes. It highlights and showcases samples of some of your best work, along with life experiences, values and achievements.
What are the 4 types of portfolio used in education?Seely (1996) identifies four types of portfolios: showcase, documentation, evaluation, and process.
What are the elements of a portfolio?12 elements of a career portfolio. Career summary. A career summary is a short paragraph that describes your relevant work experience, skills and professional accomplishments. ... . Mission statement. ... . Brief biography. ... . Resume. ... . Marketable skills. ... . Professional accomplishments. ... . Work samples. ... . Awards.. What should be included in student portfolio?Students can write journal entries, fill out self-assessments, or fill in learning logs to be included in their student portfolio. You may also want to include your own notes taken while working with or observing the student, checklists of skills they've become adept at, and even videos that record student progress.
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