Career Portfolio

Written by Dr. Frank B. Flanders and Katherine Hudson

Revised June 2010

What is a Career Portfolio?

Easy way to display your best work and accomplishments Employers and college admissions staff may use it to judge a

person’s academic ability, maturity, and motivation May help determine a person’s future employment or

acceptance into a two- or four-year college Includes an account and evidence of a person’s

accomplishments, experiences, and activities Should be used throughout a person’s working career Should be added to and updated regularly as career-relevant

experiences occur and new skills are mastered The finished product will provide others with a

comprehensive profile of the person and their abilities.

Using a Career Portfolio in an Interview

Having a career portfolio in an interview will never hurt you, but it may give you a great advantage!

Politely let the interviewer know you have brought your portfolio to the interview

The interviewer will let you know if they want to see your portfolio

Never make the interviewer feel pressured to look your portfolio

Do not be offended if the interviewer chooses not to view your portfolio

Allow the interviewer to view the portfolio facing them – you should be familiar enough with your portfolio that you can talk about it without needing to look at or read from it

Other Uses For a Career Portfolio

Demonstrate your abilities in a performance review

Evidence when trying to obtain a promotion

Proof you deserve a pay increase

Review of your qualifications when preparing for an interview

The Electronic Portfolio

A personalized, career oriented website Shows you are technology-savvy Contains the same information as a

hard-copy portfolio Electronic portfolios have become more

popular as technology becomes increasingly important

Include the web address to your electronic portfolio on your resume

Best to start with a hard-copy portfolio, but you may want to consider having both formats

The benefit of a hard-copy portfolio is that it is something tangible you can bring into an interview

Career Portfolio Tips

Never put original work in your portfolio – use high quality copies

Don’t be too humble; the portfolio helps you talk about yourself and your accomplishments

Use pictures of yourself in action shots

Be familiar with the contents of your portfolio so that you are prepared whenever you are asked about your qualifications

Components of a Career Portfolio

Cover Letter Resume References Awards and

Achievements Work Experience

Leadership Experience Extracurricular

Activities Special Skills Examples of Work Follow-up Letter

Cover Letter

Way of introducing yourself to prospective employers, show interest in a position, and highlight your qualifications

A cover letter should address: Why you are interested in this

position, business, or college Your career aspirations and

goals The skills and abilities that would

make you successful in a particular career or at a particular college

Why this business or college should select you

Resume

Summary of a person’s qualifications Uses short statements to inform potential

interviewers about important facts about the applicant

A resume should include: Who you are Contact information Your experiences, skills, and abilities for

the position When creating a resume, ask yourself:

What skills do I have? What should a potential interviewer

know about me? What achievements could I highlight to

help get the interview? Should not exceed one page in length

Letters of Recommendation and References

Include at least 3 letters of recommendation, one of each kind: Employment-related: A letter from a past employer evaluating your work

performance. Character-related: A letter from a person who has known you for more

than one year and can testify to your personal and/or academic attributes If you have not been employed in any way you may use 3 character-related

letters When asking for a letter of recommendation, explain your time frame and ask

each writer to complete the letter by a specific date Some people give their resume to letter writer to help the writer draft a more

detailed and personalized letter Thank the writer by writing a thank-you note The portfolio should also include a list of at least 3 references, made up of past

employers, co-workers, teachers, and close family friends Each reference should give the person’s name, phone number, address, and

email address

Awards and Achievements

Shows employers all of your accomplishments Possible awards and achievements could be:

Making the honor roll Winning a scholarship Being recognized for community service Awarded MVP on a sports team Obtaining a certification An example of a particularly outstanding performance

Include any certificates or documents that prove your achievement or receipt of award and take pictures of any medals or trophies that will not fit in your notebook

For each award, explain what it was for, why it was given to you, and what work was involved in attaining it

For each achievement, explain what your goal was, the steps you took to accomplish it, and any obstacles you encountered along the way

Work Experience Shows an employer you are mature enough to handle job responsibilities and have had the

opportunity to practice your skills and training in real-world situations Proves you have prepared for full-time employment and have learned to work with others in

ways that are successful and rewarding Could be a summer or after-school job, an internship, helping with a family business, or a

neighborhood babysitting gig Can be organized two ways.

Experience related to your desired career appears first Chronological order

Each work experience entry should tell the reader: The employer Your title Dates you worked there Job responsibilities Description of day-to-day tasks Any projects you worked on, including your role on the project, the contributions you

made, and how you helped reach project completion Include evidence of your work experience, such as certificates or other documents of employer

recognition, business cards from past employers, copies of performance reviews, and pictures of you on the job

Leadership Experience Shows you:

Can use your intellect, experience, and job-relevant skills to lead and motivate others

Have been trusted enough to have been put in a leadership role Can work well with others Can communicate effectively

One of the most important factors in hiring and promotion decisions Examples could be:

Holding an officer position in a club Being captain of a sports team Being the leader of a group assignment Any time you showed leadership skills during an activity

or project For each leadership experience:

Describe the situation What your responsibilities were How you accomplished your goals The skills you used or acquired How your leadership affected others

Include proof, such as recognition of your leadership or relevant pictures

Extracurricular Activities

Shows the reader: You have made a meaningful contribution to something What your non-academic interests are That you can maintain a long-term commitment That you can manage your time and priorities What unique perspectives you can bring to a group

Could be a school club, volunteer activity, religious affiliation, sports team, or personal hobby

For each organization, explain what its purpose was, what you gained by being part of it, and how you contributed to it

For each personal activity or hobby, explain how you stay active in it and what you gain or learn from it

Include pictures and other documentation of your extracurricular activities

Special Skills Examples of skills would be:

Computer proficiencies and technical abilities: fluent in Java, proficient in Excel, certified in farm safety

Office procedures: answering multi-lined phone systems, taking dictation, greeting clients

Linguistic capabilities: fluency in a foreign language, ability to translate General skills: leadership, communication, time management, organization,

reasoning, decision making Personal Qualities: team player, self-motivator, values oriented, self-confident Any skill that is industry-specific for the job you’re seeking

Show proof of each skill by including past work, describing a situation in which you used the skill, or including pictures. For example:

If you are fluent in Java, provide a screen shot of a website you created If you say you have teamwork skills, describe a time when you used your skills

to make a group run more efficiently or achieve a goal

Examples of Work Demonstrates what you can do and how well you can do it Choose samples that display skills appropriate to your desired career Examples should be work that you are proud of and shows care and planning Include a picture of any samples of work that are three-dimensional or won’t fit in the notebook Each sample of work should be accompanied by a note that tells an employer:

When, why, and for whom a project was completed What obstacles you were faced with The processes used to overcome those obstacles If you were responsible for only part of the project, explain your contribution

Possible examples of work could be: Research papers, book reports, essays Math projects or science projects Exams that show achievement Computer projects Mechanical/technical drawings Published articles Pictures, projects, or descriptions of activities relating to:

Personal interests and hobbies (photography, poetry, cooking, woodworking) Community involvement outside of school (Scouts, religious organizations, 4-H)

Follow-Up Letter Send a thank-you letter to the employer

or admissions officer after every interview

The letter gives you the opportunity to: Thank the person for taking time to

speak with you Restate how your skills and

qualifications are a good fit for the position

Reinforce that you want the job and why

Describe how you might make significant contributions

Discuss anything important your interviewer neglected to ask or that you neglected to answer as well as you would have liked