At some point in your college career, you will probably be asked to create a portfolio, as an assignment, final project, or as a requirement for your major. Portfolios, a Real Adult concept, and are basically essential for that resume 2.0 glow up for those post-grad job apps.
If you haven’t started yet, now is the time for you to start putting together a portfolio, regardless of whether you are a first-year student or a senior wrapping up their last capstone. This is a way for you to show potential future employers a representation of your skills that extends beyond listing them on a piece of paper. A portfolio is the professional way to brag about your best work. Here’s the best part – they don’t have to be boring!
You might be picturing a stapled packet of the papers you received the highest grades for, with a standard title page, Times New Roman text and all. A portfolio can, and should, be so much more! This is your opportunity to stand out in a competitive group of applicants. Impress your interviewers with use of multimedia and digital technology. A portfolio can take the form of a website, a slideshow, or a poster. Explore different format options, considering which is the best to present your work and which will have the most appeal your audience.
Spice up your portfolio with some pictures, such as a professional headshot or two. Instead of just copying and pasting all the papers you have written over the past four years into a single document, use summaries, quotes, and abstracts to give a concise glimpse of your work’s quality, but don’t forget to give some context for each project! You should strongly consider creating an e-portfolio because this offers you more potential for creativity and the ability to easily share your portfolio with potential employers.
Don’t wait until the week before graduation to start putting together your portfolio. This is something you can have fun with, so its better to start when you don’t have the added pressure of upcoming deadlines and scheduled interviews.
Here are links to some resources for creating portfolios: