Your career is made up of many different kinds of tangible by-products; many job search resources refer to these as a collection of artifacts, which can be presented in an interview as proof of all that you’ve achieved. By incorporating these artifacts into a portfolio as part of your branding package, you are painting a picture or a landscape of your career journey for both the employer and yourself. A portfolio gives you the opportunity to organize your skills and accomplishments in a visually appealing, professional, and creative way. In the past, you may have associated portfolios with industries like art, media, and design; however, in today’s market, portfolios are being used by many job seekers, and can be effective self-marketing tools in every field. Although a portfolio is not often considered a mandatory component of the job search process, it offers many different benefits, both personally and professionally, and creates a positive impression in a job interview:

• It acts as a persuasive marketing tool.
  Your portfolio demonstrates evidence of your qualifications and showcases your accomplishments in an organized and interesting way. Showing pieces of your portfolio to a hiring committee in an interview setting can set you apart from other candidates.
• It keeps you organized.
  By having all of your documentation in one convenient place, you are able to easily reference or provide employers with the information they are seeking before, during, or after your interview in a timely manner.
• It reinforces your personal brand.
  As a supplement to the rest of your job search documents, your portfolio strengthens an employer’s image of your personal brand, impresses upon them what you have to offer, and increases the odds of you being noticed.
• It helps you to prepare for an interview.
  Reviewing the documents that you have included in your portfolio can be a good way to prepare for an interview. Reading over your portfolio and referencing your many accomplishments will be helpful in identifying supportive examples when answering interview questions.
• It builds confidence.
  Being able to see all the things that you’ve achieved will make you feel proud, and make you more aware of your strengths. Your sense of accomplishment will translate into positivity and confidence when interacting in an interview and networking setting.

Before the interview:

• Select pieces of your portfolio that are most relevant for the job or create a short version of your master portfolio.
• Indicate that you have a professional portfolio on your resume or cover letter and provide a link if your portfolio is accessible online.
• Ask the employer if you will need access to internet or a computer.
• Practise answering interview questions using your portfolio.

During the Interview:

• Keep the focus on you, not on the portfolio. Your portfolio is supplementary and should be incorporated at the end of your answer when applicable.
• Ask permission of the interviewer(s) before showing items from your portfolio.
• Use your portfolio strategically; you do not need to reference it for every question.
• Provide individual items to interviewer(s), avoid giving over your whole portfolio.
• Be prepared to leave copies of your documents with the employer after the interview.

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