Creating an Accomplishments Portfolio. Flaunt Your Stuff!

The idea of using a portfolio to promote one’s self to potential employers is fairly new for the typical job seeker although it has been used for many years by the likes of models, photographers, artists and aspiring actors. In light of today's extremely competitive job market, however, creating a portfolio showcasing your personal accomplishments is one of the best things you can do to differentiate yourself from the hordes of other job applicants applying for the same job.

Typically, most people go into the interview with a copy of their resume and perhaps a list of their references and proceed to expound on what they have done or can do for the prospective employer. If you bring a portfolio, you have concrete, solid evidence of what you have done. Even if it is never used in the interview and just sits on your lap, of lays on the desk, the fact that you physically have one will forge a positive impression in the interviewer’s mind that may give you that all important edge over another who has nothing to flaunt but their resume.

So, just what is a portfolio? A portfolio is an organized compilation of your work. The word portfolio has its early roots in the wonderful French language as porte folio which means page carrier. The word folio refers to a large sheet of paper typically the size of a full newspaper page. Porte means to carry. As we Americans have the habit of doing so many times with our English language, we have taken the elegant words porte folio into our lexicon and shortened them to portfolio.

Why do you need a portfolio and what are the advantages of having one? Simply put, a portfolio gives you the opportunity to expand on your resume. With a resume you are typically limited by custom to a one or two page thumb nail sketch of your background and experience. A portfolio allows you to provide a much more comprehensive presentation of your expertise, who you are and what you have accomplished. With a portfolio, you can actually show samples of your work. Instead of just talking during a job interview about what you have done or can do for the employer you can demonstrate with material evidence your skills and abilities. Since employers are not used to seeing portfolios, it will really help you stand out from the pack.

If you are out of work don’t wait to start building your portfolio. Do it now. If you are currently employed but looking, you should also start building you portfolio now. Don't wait until you have that dream job interview and need something to impress your interviewer. Putting an impressive portfolio together takes a bit of time and you want to make sure you give that positive first impression of your skills and accomplishments.

Look at your resume and portfolio as a comprehensive package of your professional experience and accomplishments. You want your resume to be straight forward and professional. With your portfolio however, you have a lot of space to be creative in its assembly. You can use different types of paper, bolder graphics and vivid colors if you like to showcase and frame your achievements to their best advantage.

While assembling your portfolio, keep in mind there are two types: a Working or Master portfolio and a Showcase portfolio. Your Working or Master portfolio holds everything you can find or still have of your working career. Your Showcase portfolio allows you the freedom to gather select material for a specific interview, employer or purpose that will best highlight your talents for the purpose at hand.
Start building your portfolio with what I call the “hard” items:

A good quality, three-ring binder for your Working or Master portfolio, the type you would use for school that is large enough to hold most or all of your papers; and a 1.5 inch binder to serve as your Showcase portfolio.

Several boxes of non-glare sheet protectors that are sealed on three sides so your documents are secure and will not slip or fall out.

Page dividers with labels you can print to identify the sections of your portfolio.

Other items such as pocket sheets, clear divided sheets and so forth to showcase photos, videos, CD’s etc. that contain information too large to fit into the portfolio if it were produced in paper form.

As you begin assembling your portfolio collect all the documents you would like to put in it. If any documents are damaged make new copies on crisp white paper.

Group and sort all related documents such as awards, diploma’s, certificates, reference letters, etc. together. Put these in the order you would like to presented and put them into the non-glare sheet protectors.

Do not punch holes in any documents or materials. This maintains the integrity of the original document.

If a document has two or more pages, put the entire document into one sheet protector. If the document is too large to fit put it a one sheet protector slip it into a pocket type holder.

Number the sheet protectors in the bottom right hand corner instead of the actual materials, as again, this maintains the integrity of the original document. The numbers on the outside of the sheet protectors will help you reorganize the portfolio if you have pulled any documents from the portfolio during your presentation. I like to have a large manila envelope handy, so as I remove items from the binder for presentation, they can easily and quickly be slipped into the envelope for replacement in your binder at a later time.

Prepare and insert the page dividers with major tabs for each group of items identifying the sections of your portfolio such as resumes, diplomas, certifications and so forth. Make sure they protrude farther out than the page protectors so you will be able to easily identify each section.

Once organized, go through your Working or Master portfolio making sure each page flips easily and the reader understands what each page represents. If you notice something that doesn't look right or flow just right, odds are a potential employer will notice that too.

Make a professional-looking label for the front of the portfolio or its spine with “Portfolio of…" or "Professional Portfolio of…". Use a type of paper and color that looks professional but also adds a little “pizzazz” to your binder.

It is a good idea to make sure you do not include any items in your portfolio that relate to your personal life such as your birth certificate or divorce papers for example. Everything in your portfolio should be related only to your career, skills, achievements and accomplishments. If unsure about a particular item, leave it out.
What should go into a portfolio? Here are examples of some documents you might want to include:
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• A statement of originality or confidentiality to protect your work
• Career goals or career mission statement if you are just starting out
• A copy of your resume for the position for which you are applying
• A list of or evidence of unique or special skills
• Letters of reference or recommendations from previous employers, from volunteer work,
from work-study programs, from internships, etc.
• Transcripts if a recent college graduate
• A summary of professional affiliations, community service or volunteer groups
• Academic achievements and awards
• Special projects you worked on or contributed towards
• Workshops, seminars, conferences attended
• Copies of diplomas, degrees, educational certificates, licenses or certifications
• Copies of positive performance appraisals
• E-mails, thank you letters, and handwritten notes complimenting your work
• Company announcements of your promotions, awards or achievements
• Copies of work documents, brochures, flyers, pamphlets, reports you had a hand in
designing
• Materials describing presentations, speeches, workshops or seminars you presented

As you move ahead in your career you might want to consider adding:
• A list and samples of articles you have published
• Research you have worked on
• Articles written about you or projects you have been involved in as reported in
newspapers, company newsletters, etc.
• A list of sites where you or your work appears on the internet

Once you have completed the Working or Master portfolio, go through it several times so you know where your documents are in the binder and what you want to say about each one.

When you have that opportunity to use your Working or Master portfolio it is highly recommended that you instead, create a Showcase portfolio to bring with you as not everything in your Working or Master portfolio will be relevant to that particular situation. And never, ever leave either your Working or Master portfolio or Showcase portfolio with anyone, no matter who they are or how much you may want the position at hand. Your Working or Master portfolio, which you worked so hard to complete, contains original documents related to your working career that may be very difficult or almost impossible to replace, so why take the chance of it being lost or never returned.

Your portfolio will be a work-in-progress throughout your career. Update it and add new items as they become available, with each new achievement, and each new resume. Don't worry if you don't have a lot when you are just starting out, your portfolio will grow and become an extremely valuable tool throughout your career.

Also, don’t be shy about showing off what you have created. These are your accomplishments. Be proud of them. Flaunt your stuff!

Note: Information for this article was found by searching the internet using the key word Portfolio