Definition & Reason
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/9/4/24943054/1385154023.png)
What is a Career Portfolio?
Simply stated, a career portfolio is a visual representation of your résumé and vocational direction. A career portfolio highlights your skills and abilities, and it documents your academic, employment, and extracurricular achievements. It adds your personality to a resume and allows accessibility by being managed online.
One thing is key. It is very important to make your portfolio visually appealing, well organized, concise and easy to read, while making it a personalized evolving collection of information, work samples, etc. tailored to either a specific role / position you may currently hold or a more eclectic assortment of materials, links, awards, or other to meet a broader range of personal career needs/goals over time.
Simply stated, a career portfolio is a visual representation of your résumé and vocational direction. A career portfolio highlights your skills and abilities, and it documents your academic, employment, and extracurricular achievements. It adds your personality to a resume and allows accessibility by being managed online.
One thing is key. It is very important to make your portfolio visually appealing, well organized, concise and easy to read, while making it a personalized evolving collection of information, work samples, etc. tailored to either a specific role / position you may currently hold or a more eclectic assortment of materials, links, awards, or other to meet a broader range of personal career needs/goals over time.
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/9/4/24943054/1385168103.png)
Why is a Career Portfolio Necessary ??
Until recently, portfolios were primarily used only in creative professions and sectors such as public relations, photography or artists. However, now career portfolios are now being used across all industries as well as educational arenas and can be used as a strong persuasive tool in the interview process in any field.
Rather than simply telling an employer or a hiring manager about your skills, you can visually demonstrate evidence to them providing a ‘snapshot’ of your achievements to date, the type of work you’ve done and hence the type of employee you will be.
If possible, please take a minute or two to pull out a copy of your own resume and compare it to some of these examples of vocational career portfolios:
Nursing Student: Kristin Krajewski
Accounting: Gary Ginn's
Journalism: Mara Rudolph
Game Programmer: Navjot Garg
Business Management: Pierre R. Presume Jr.
Now you have seen a few examples. Still not convinced? Here are a few more facts.
As part of the 2001 Education mandate, all K-12 teachers must develop and maintain a professional career portfolio. Many marking and advertising corporations also require employees to keep updated information on such sites as LinkedIn or association sites. By 2015, all medical personnel, drug development research centers, personal care assistants, physical therapy centers, and hospitals will be required to have some form of electronic career portfolio under the Affordable Care Act.
As for job hunting, candidates who have an online portfolio have a 45 % higher success rate over those who do not, at getting promotions or raises. According to LinkedIn, 75% of those who have a career portfolio report opportunities or hiring managers approaching them on a regular weekly basis. To those seeking a job change or new vocational direction, a career portfolio offers a way to demonstrate learned skills which can be transferred to new employment opportunities. As you can see by these examples, any field is can use one as they are based upon a document you may already have in your hands - a resume.
Until recently, portfolios were primarily used only in creative professions and sectors such as public relations, photography or artists. However, now career portfolios are now being used across all industries as well as educational arenas and can be used as a strong persuasive tool in the interview process in any field.
Rather than simply telling an employer or a hiring manager about your skills, you can visually demonstrate evidence to them providing a ‘snapshot’ of your achievements to date, the type of work you’ve done and hence the type of employee you will be.
- Have you ever looked at a photographer's online portfolio? An example can be found here Jill Greenberg
Or listened to a musical portfolio? An example can be found here: Fingers Fred
If possible, please take a minute or two to pull out a copy of your own resume and compare it to some of these examples of vocational career portfolios:
Nursing Student: Kristin Krajewski
Accounting: Gary Ginn's
Journalism: Mara Rudolph
Game Programmer: Navjot Garg
Business Management: Pierre R. Presume Jr.
Now you have seen a few examples. Still not convinced? Here are a few more facts.
As part of the 2001 Education mandate, all K-12 teachers must develop and maintain a professional career portfolio. Many marking and advertising corporations also require employees to keep updated information on such sites as LinkedIn or association sites. By 2015, all medical personnel, drug development research centers, personal care assistants, physical therapy centers, and hospitals will be required to have some form of electronic career portfolio under the Affordable Care Act.
As for job hunting, candidates who have an online portfolio have a 45 % higher success rate over those who do not, at getting promotions or raises. According to LinkedIn, 75% of those who have a career portfolio report opportunities or hiring managers approaching them on a regular weekly basis. To those seeking a job change or new vocational direction, a career portfolio offers a way to demonstrate learned skills which can be transferred to new employment opportunities. As you can see by these examples, any field is can use one as they are based upon a document you may already have in your hands - a resume.