Preparing a Portfolio

Angela Simmons
Jill Lumsden

Objectives
1. Recognize the importance of preparing and
using portfolios in the career development
process.
2. Identify the parts of an effective portfolio.
3. Know how to compile and present your portfolio
in a professional manner.

Activities
These activities can help you achieve the stated
objectives. Do any or al of them. The more you do, the
closer you will come to meeting the objectives.
Read through this guide to understand the
basic dynamics of portfolio preparation.
Refer to the portfolio preparation related
resources that are listed in this guide.
Ask a career advisor about portfolio
preparation and related activities that are most
appropriate for your career planning needs.

Whats Inside

In todays competitive job market, effectively

showcasing your knowledge and skills to an
employer is critical in seeking and sustaining
employment. Along with a tailored resume, a
portfolio can help provide further evidence of
professional qualifications and abilities. This guide
can assist you in organizing a professional portfolio
and using it as a tool in your career development.

Why create a portfolio?..................................2

What is a portfolio?

Using an interview portfolio.........................3

A portfolio is a personalized collection of materials.

Portfolios are often identified with people in the arts
(photography, design, etc.) and conjure up images
of large black cases or binders with samples of work.
They are now widely used in many other fields.
A portfolio is:

A reflection of you as a professional

A record of your professional development
Proof of performance on the job or in class
What you have accomplished (i.e., tangible
artifacts/evidence)
Evidence of your learning new skills
Paper-, computer-, or web-based

Whats included in a portfolio?.....................2

Example portfolio additions..........................2
Benefits of interview portfolios.....................2
Making an interview portfolio......................3
Adopting a presentation format...................3
Creating electronic portfolios........................3
Use the FSU Career Portfolio........................4
Internet resources............................................4
Additional resources......................................4
References........................................................4

Why create a portfolio?

Example portfolio additions

Portfolios can be used for a variety of purposes. This

guide focuses on creating portfolios that are used to:

Education

Market your capabilities in job interviews

Statement of teaching philosophy (1-2 pages)

Negotiate promotions and raises

Teaching honors/awards

Apply for bonuses, scholarships, or grants

Document the quality and quantity of your
professional development

Evaluations (e.g., supervisor, student)

Demonstrate prior work or learning experiences

for educational credit
Regardless of purpose, portfolios document skills and
accomplishments through examples of work.

Whats included in a portfolio?

Items found in most portfolios include:
Resume or CV (ask a career advisor for
information on CV preparation)
Transcripts
Evidence of professional affiliations
Licenses or certifications
Letters of reference
Evidence of specific skills (e.g., public speaking,
leadership, writing)
Work samples (e.g., class projects, items
produced during internship or co-op
experiences)
Depending upon your profession, specific items can
be added to provide an accurate representation of
your knowledge and abilities (see example at right).
As you can imagine, your portfolio can become quite
a large collection of items. During an interview it
would be impossible and unwise to go through every
item with an employer. A better strategy is to select
items from your portfolio to be included in a smaller
interview portfolio. This portfolio can be presented
during an interview to add evidence of important
knowledge or skills you possess that are relevant to
the position or promotion at hand. Take your cues
from the interviewer in regards to an appropriate
time to share items from your portfolio.

Benefits of interview portfolios

Interview portfolios should include the best examples
of your skills and abilities from your professional
portfolio that are particularly relevant to the position
you are seeking. When you customize your interview

Video of your teaching

Evidence of student learning (e.g., graded
exams, assignments [1 good/1 bad])
Classroom innovations (e.g., new technology)
Sample lesson plans
Relevant photographs
The Arts Performance or Design
Actual work samples or photos of them
Video/audio recording of work
Course descriptions for classes/workshops
List of competencies mastered

portfolio to the requirements of the specific job, it

demonstrates that youve done your homework and
understand the characteristics the employer is seeking
(Kimeldorf, 1997).
Developing a portfolio helps you prepare for
interviews by allowing you to think critically about
your life experiences and accomplishments. When
preparing for an interview, this process will enable
you to highlight specific experiences that led to
the development of valuable workplace skills. In
addition, preparing a portfolio allows you to see how
well your qualifications match those of the position
for which you are applying.
When developing a portfolio, it is important to
identify skills and work samples that best highlight
the skills needed for the specific job you are seeking.
You may consider having targeted portfolios for
different types of jobs. When reflecting on your skills
related to a specific job, you may find skills that need
improvement. By clearly defining the skills you need
to improve, you are better able to discuss your goals
and their match with the goals of the organization
with whom you are interviewing (JIST, 2003).
Having your portfolio in the interview offers many
benefits. The contents of your portfolio demonstrate
your experience, skills, and abilities in a visual way.
In addition, it can help your application stand out to
employers.
Preparing a Portfolio

Making an interview portfolio

To make an interview portfolio:
Put items in loose-leaf binder
Use sheet protectors
Use copies (keep a master copy of all items)
Use index tabs and/or title pages to divide
sections
Maintain a manageable size, ideally 5-10 pages
Omit page numbers to make it easier to add and
move items around
Use consistent headings and placement of items
Put sections together according to what the
employer is looking for (job description)
Proofread to make sure it is error free
Ensure that your interview portfolio:
Looks professional

to job description only (e.g., computer skills). This

organizational scheme works when an individual has
varied experiences that need to be pulled together to
demonstrate ability in specified areas.
Work/Evidence Samples
For each sample, provide a reflection statement, either
in paragraph or bulleted format that contains:
A brief description of the sample item and the
context in which the item was created (e.g., A
marketing plan for a nonprofit agency created
for Marketing 425)
A detailed list of the competencies developed
or revealed by the sample. (It is this second

part of the reflection statement that makes the
portfolio element especially useful in the
interview process)

Using an interview portfolio

Adopting a presentation format

Before attending an interview, it may be beneficial

for you to role-play using your interview portfolio
with a friend. This exercise will help you feel more at
ease in handling your portfolio during an interview
(Steigerwald, 1997). Once in the interview, relax and
look for opportune moments to use your portfolio to
address employer questions. Remember, when your
interview portfolio includes reflection statements
as discussed earlier, it will be easier for you to feel
confident in showcasing your abilities to an employer.
Additionally, your interview portfolio can remind
you of information you wish to share with an
employer in the instance you forget key points.

It is important to choose a presentation format and

stick with it throughout the portfolio. For example.

Creating electronic portfolios

Reflects your actual skills

Is occupationally focused
Is easy to update
Is easy for the employer to quickly review
Can stand alone without explanation
Supports information presented in your resume
Adapted from: Ademan, B., & Choi, J. (1997). Job
portfolio: Its the door opener. Adult Learning,
March/April, pp. 26-31.

Introductory Title Page

Table of Contents
The table of contents can be organized in two ways
(Kimeldorf, 1997):
1. Chronologically: Sections are packaged according
to job description and dates the portfolio samples
represent (e.g., General Work Performance 19961998). This organizational scheme helps demonstrate
increasing improvement and accomplishment over
time in a particular field.
2. Functionally: Sections are packaged according

Preparing a Portfolio

Electronic portfolios use interactive multimedia to

increase the range and type of materials that can
be included as evidence of learning. They take full
advantage of the advanced capacity of desktop
computers to include text, graphics, animation, sound
and video (Pack, 1998). One day, employers may
require applicants to submit electronic portfolios.
In his book Portfolio Power, Kimeldorf explains the
intricacies of this process and provides a few tips on
creating these types of portfolios (1997).
When developing electronic portfolios, remember to:
Update your electronic portfolio frequently

 Include only relevant work samples arranged to

highlight your best skills
Keep your portfolio concise, neat, and honest
Do not:
Put your picture in your portfolio (reduces
employment law issues)
Use flashy text, icons, or sound (unless needed)
Include work samples that are difficult to load
(Dixon, 1998; JIST, 2003)
You can develop an electronic portfolio on your own
by designing a website. The advantage to developing
your own is that you have the greatest amount of
creativity. A possible disadvantage is the need for
web design skills. FSU students and alumni can use
the FSU Career Portfolio to avoid building a website
(see example at right).

References
Dixon, P. (1998). Job searching online for dummies.
Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.
JIST. (2003). Your career and life plan portfolio (2nd Ed.).
Indianapolis, IN: JIST Publishing, Inc.
Kimeldorf, M. (1997). Portfolio power: The new way to
showcase all your job skills and experiences. Princeton,
NJ: Petersons.
Pack, D. (1998). Wings: The Winona State University
Electronic Portfolio Project. About Campus, May-June,
pp. 24-26.
Steigerwald, F. (November, 1997). Portfolio
development: Documenting the adventure. Counseling
Today, Vol. 4, no. 5, p. 30.

Internet resources
By typing in phrases like professional portfolio,
interview portfolio, and career portfolio to any
Internet search engine, you will find several sites to
review. These sites may provide you with ideas for
the creation of your own portfolio.
teachnet.com
This link focuses on teaching portfolios and provides
concrete suggestions for how to use the portfolio to
sell yourself to potential employers.

Use the FSU Career Portfolio

FSU has developed an online portfolio system for
students and alumni. The Career Portfolio can
be accessed at portfolio.fsu.edu. The FSU Career
Portfolio allows you to present your:
1. Profile (background, goals, and/or objectives)
2. Resume or CV
3. References
4. Unofficial transcripts (service and/or academic)

www.amby.com/kimeldorf/p_mk-toc.html

5. Artifacts/examples of work

This is Martin Kimeldorfs Portfolio Library, which

contains helpful tips on how to use your portfolio in
your job search, among other topics.

6. Skills

Additional resources
Career Library resources and call numbers:
The Complete Job Search Handbook....................VD F5
How to Put Your Book Together
and Get a Job in Advertising....................IIB 11-2011 P3
2004 Job Search Handbook for Educators...........VD M3
Your Career and Life Plan Portfolio.........................IA J5

To illustrate your skills, the Career Portfolio

presents a matrix of skills that may be gained from
experiences, such as courses, jobs/internships,
services/volunteer work, memberships/activities,
and interests/life experiences. These skills include
communication, creativity, critical thinking,
leadership, life management, research/project
development, social responsibility, teamwork,
technical/scientific, and a place to add unlimited
skills of your choice. You may share your portfolio
by giving employers or other referred users a
personalized access key (password) that lets you
track who is viewing your profile.

Alternative Format Available.

Revised 10/13.

850.644.6431 career.fsu.edu