Portfolio Sections
There are different ways that you can organize your portfolio and various sections that you can include when developing your content. Keep in mind, not all sections will be applicable to you and portfolios can look different depending on the industry and the job. For example, if you are an Early Childhood Educator seeking employment with the school board, you will notice that they ask for a specific list of portfolio items on their job application. If you are in an industry that relies on portfolios more heavily, your best bet is to identify and follow the industry expectations. Once you have familiarized yourself with your target market and aligned that with your professional aspirations, think about what your audience wants to see.
As a baseline for getting started, here are sections you should consider including when creating your portfolio:
- Title Page: You should include a cover page that indicates a title (Job Search Portfolio or Career Portfolio), your name, and your contact information.
- Table of Contents: List all the sections of your portfolio and separate each section with dividers. This will allow you and the person viewing your portfolio to quickly and easily access the relevant information. In your digital portfolio hyperlink your table of contents.
- Profile: There are several variations of what a profile can look like. Consider writing a short biography, a mission statement explaining who you are, or a professional philosophy about your vision of the future in this industry.
- Career Goals: Include 3-5 career-focused professional goals. Be as specific as possible.
- Resume and Cover Letter: Include copies of your most up-to-date documents.
- Skills Summary: Could be included in the resume or as a separate page as a list of 3-5 key skills with supporting demonstration statements for each.
- Documentation: Employer evaluations, awards, customer satisfaction surveys, thank you notes, appreciation emails, letters of recommendation, certificates, professional development documents, licenses.
- Work Samples: Team projects, presentations, written reports, webpages, blogs, volunteer and community service, images, and graphics.
- References
Remember, your documentation and work examples can come from all areas of your life: paid employment, volunteer work, community organizations, college course work and extracurricular.
CHAPTER ATTRIBUTION
Portfolios – Be the Boss of Your Career: A Complete Guide for Students & Grads (pressbooks.pub) by Lindsay Bortot and Employment Support Centre, Algonquin College