What is a Portfolio?

1. What is a Portfolio? A portfolio is a collection of important documents and information that can help you get hired for a part time job, prepare for full time career-related work, or help you focus on goals and directions in higher education. It is a collection of information that showcases your talents, interests, abilities, achievements and experiences.

2. Organization is KEY • Why should you prepare a portfolio? • Portfolios provide applicants with an edge over those without a portfolio when competing for positions. (especially in today’s highly competitive job market • Your education and career plans will be in one easy-to-use location.

3. What can the portfolio do for you? Use the portfolio to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your employment skills. Use the portfolio as a place to store evidence of the successful accomplishments of certain employability skills. Use the portfolio as a means to clarify and explain information you offer during an interview. Use the portfolio as a model to develop a resume for a particular job. Use the portfolio as a way to interact with your career counselor, employer, family members, and/or teachers to obtain suggestions for personal career development. Translation = Money for Skills, Planning, Implementation

4. WHY DO YOU NEED A PORTFOLIO? A portfolio helps you organize the important things in your life . It is a tool that will benefit you for years to come. • After you graduate, you may be planning to look for a job, and your portfolio is a good way to show an employer how you spent your time . Employers care about your attendance, and they want to know if you took courses that will help you in your career. • If you are planning to attend college, your portfolio will help you gather the information you will need to prepare your application. And, if you are planning to look for a job while attending college, you will have the information you need for your new employer. • No matter what your plans are for the time after graduation, you will find the information in your portfolio to be very useful.

5. What Goes in Your Portfolio? An Appropriate three-ring binder (Provided) Typed Vision Statement Typed Resume 2 Letters of Recommendation ______ Samples of your work Official High School Transcript Copies of Certifications Awards and Achievements Note: Your instructor may add other items during the course of the school year.

6. Sheet Protectors! Tips for an Organized Portfolio: • Appropriate Binder • Neat • Table of Contents • Sheet Protectors/Dividers • Balance Black and White • Color Used Appropriately

7. A few closing hints: Remember, you are supposed to be making a good impression with whoever sees your portfolio. You are trying to put your best foot forward. Your portfolio should look good. It should give a professional impression. There should be no spelling or grammatical errors. Color should be used wisely (not splashed all over the place.) Well-chosen photographs at appropriate points in the portfolio add interest and a professional touch. Use the same font where ever possible throughout the portfolio. This does not mean you retype artifacts you wish to use that were previously done, but all of your introductory statements and material that you create as originals for the portfolio should be in the same font. Be consistent in your use of font size. One size for the bulk of the text, another size for headings, another size for titles or sections, but be consistent. Avoid unusual fonts. Stick with Times Roman or Arial or something similar. When you develop an electronic portfolio make sure all the internal links work and that the portfolio is easy to navigate.