Portfolios

A Resume SAYS what you've accomplished.
A Portfolio SHOWS what you've accomplished.

Materials to Include:

Work Related Items

• Job descriptions
• Internship experience
• Level of effort (hours, sales, case loads)
• Promotion notices
• Evaluations
• List of skill sets or competencies
• Awards or achievements
• Customer satisfaction (thank you letters, emails)
• Work samples/Results (documents you have developed, PowerPoint presentations, web pages, etc.)

Involvement Items

• Volunteer experience
• Committee involvement
• Community activities
• Group membership
• Leadership activities
• Campus activities

Application Materials

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Reference list or letters of reference
• Personal mission statement
• Answers to relevant interview questions

Educational Items

• Honors/Awards/Certificates
• Articles you've written
• Scholarships
• Transcripts
• Recognitions (attendance, performance)
• Special skills and knowledge
• Workshops
• Degree program or course descriptions
• Evaluations from teachers
• Study abroad descriptions
• Class samples (papers, projects)
• Relevant test results
• Research experience

Include anything that demonstrates your abilities, adds value to you as a candidate, or is going to elicit additional conversation. If you don't already have an item, create something that would highlight your accomplishment.

Obtain the following supplies:

Leather three ring binder, sheet protectors, dividers with labels, and professional paper. Or create an online portfolio, PowerPoint or video presentation, or a CD/DVD portfolio

Portfolio Tips:

• Always consider how your portfolio will be read. Create it with the employer in mind.
• Develop a master portfolio that will allow you to easily pick items for the portfolio you take to specific interviews. Look at the job description when deciding what to include
• You must take the initiative to present your portfolio in an interview. However, a portfolio is a support tool, not the central part of an interview.
• Your portfolio is a professional document; don't haphazardly put it together like a scrapbook. Create a Table of Contents and categorize sections using labels to divide them. Don't handwrite labels; type everything.
• Don't fold or punch holes into any of your documents unless absolutely necessary.
• Make sure items don't move around or fall out. Smaller items can be pasted to a full sheet of paper (used as a border).
• Consider using charts, lists, logs, and descriptions to highlight your accomplishments.
• If an item is too lengthy, include only a portion of it or write an abstract.
• Reproduce items that aren't of the best quality.