Portfolio Power
About Job Portfolios
Job portfolios are not reserved only for creative workers to showcase
their work; it's a powerful interviewing tool for many careers.
A job portfolio supplements your resume and
presents tangible proof of your skills and abilities. Seeing is
believing!
During your career, if you have written, developed, created or
earned anything that you can file, print, frame, photocopy, photograph
or digitize, then you have the stuff of which job portfolios are
made. Here are just a few ideas:
- Articles
- Awards
- Brochures
- Transcripts and degrees
- Drawings and designs
- Grants
- Flyers
- Manuals and handbooks
- Merit reviews
- Photographs
- Presentations
- Product support plans
- Tech bulletins
- Programming examples
- Proposals
- Scholarships
- Training certificates
- Videos
- Recommendation letters
- Reference letters
Consider creating a Web-based version of your resume, with links
to your digitized portfolio. It's an excellent way to impress potential
employers, display your work, and put the Internet to work for
you. But even if you have a Web resume, it's still a good idea
to hand carry your portfolio to interviews.
Compile and organize your portfolio as you complete projects and
earn recognition, so you don't overlook anything. Collecting all
along allows you to quickly replace old stuff with new, and choose
what to include for specific job interviews.
It's not a good idea to wait until the day you quit your job,
before compiling your portfolio. You won't have time if you are
escorted out the door, shortly after you submit your resignation
letter. (It happens.) Your soon-to-be ex-employer might stand
over you as you gather items from your office or worse, search
your briefcase as you leave.
So it's a better idea to plan to quit
your job in advance, and you never know when you might get laid
off or fired.
It doesn't look too good to take company property, especially on
your last day.
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