Creating a Professional Portfolio Ms. Stewart Business Management 12

What is a job skills, job-search, or career portfolio? It is a job-hunting tool that you develop that gives employers a complete picture of who you are Your experience Your education Your accomplishments Your skill sets -– and what you have the potential to become -– much more than just a cover letter and resume can provide

What can I use a Portfolio for? You can use your career portfolio in job interviews to showcase a point, to illustrate the depth of your skills and experience, or to use as a tool to get a second interview.

Ok, I’m sold! Now what?? Your biggest time commitment will be the initial development of your portfolio, but once you've developed it, keeping it current and up-to-date should be fairly easy. Your two biggest decisions in developing your portfolio are determining: 1) The format of the portfolio 2) The organization of the portfolio

Organization Your portfolio must: → Be kept in a three-ring binder → Have a table of contents → A system to separate the various parts of the portfolio (tabs or dividers) → All documents in plastic page protectors

Next Step?? Once the organization is complete, you then have to gather, write, copy, and assemble the material that goes in the portfolio. Here’s the categories you will need in your portfolio:

Categories 1) Cover Page 2) Career Summary and Goals 3) Personal Mission Statement 4) Resume 5) Skills, Abilities and Marketable Qualities 6) List of Accomplishments 7) Samples of Work 8) Letters of Recommendation 9) Transcripts and Certificates 10) Awards/Recognitions

Cover Page Think of this as the first impression! Your cover page should make a statement and say something about yourself.

Career Summary and Goals A description of where you see yourself in two to five years. What are your goals for education, employment, life style, etc?

Personal Mission Statement A description of the guiding principles that drive you and give you purpose.

Resume A summary of your education, achievements, and work experience, using a chronological or functional format.

Skills, Abilities and Marketable Qualities A detailed examination of your skills and experience. This section should include the name of the skill area; the performance or behavior, knowledge, or personal traits that contribute to your success in that skill area; your background and specific experiences that demonstrate your application of the skill.

List of Accomplishments A detailed listing that highlights the major accomplishments in your life to date.

Samples of Work A sampling of your best work, including reports, papers, studies, brochures, projects, presentations, etc. Besides print samples, you can also include CD’s, videos, and other multimedia formats.

Letters of Recommendations These could include recommendations from teachers or past employers. Please allow some notice when requesting these from teachers, as they will need time to write them. Don’t leave these to the last minute!

Transcripts and Certificates This could include a transcript or report cards from school. Also, you may want to include certifications you hold (WHIMIS, First Aid, etc.)

Awards/Recognitions A collection of any certificates of awards or recognitions you have received, these could be for school, any extra-curricular activities or acknowledgements from work.

Reminder! When putting your portfolio together, make copies of your original documents and use the copies in your portfolio. This safe guards your originals and if you loose your portfolio or leave it at an interview by accident you still have your original documents!!