Creating Print and Online Portfolios Melissa Brown STC Senior Member STC DC Chapter Career Day March 20, 2004
Who am I? STC member since 1995 Twelve years of experience in TechComm field Active in STC Online competitions, local and international Lots of job interviews
What will we cover? What do YOU want to cover? Background Why you need a portfolio How to obtain and organize material Print portfolios Background Examples Online portfolios Background Examples Q & A
Why you need a portfolio To show writing samples To back up your resume To catalog your past work To create a good impression To gaze at in moments of clarity
How to get material School Work/Internships Caution: Proprietary Volunteer work Personal work Your resume Personal Web site (caution)
How to organize material Group material according to subject or media Avoid chronological order Label each piece with audience and purpose Limit number of pages
Print portfolios: Background Choose neat, clean, adjustable format Re-organize portfolio for EACH client or interview Remove items not applicable; 8-12 pieces of your BEST material Have extra copies of samples DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PORTFOLIO!
Print portfolios: Examples
Online portfolios: Background Use it to support (not replace) print portfolio Showcase Web sites, graphics, PDFs Optimize for speed and browser compatibility Be aware of search engines and information privacy
Online portfolios: Examples
Q & A
Resources GENERAL o STC o STC DC Chapter o DC Web Women o Art/design portfolio host PORTFOLIO EXAMPLES For educational purposes only! (Click "Samples") (Great audience and purpose descriptions) (Academic career portfolio) (Consultant portfolio; good problem/solution theme)