Portfolios

What is a Portfolio?

A Portfolio is a collection of your employment and professional documents, also known as artifacts, that show your abilities to a potential employer. It provides evidence to an employer of your skills and accomplishments. A professional work portfolio will also show an employer your communication, organizational and career related skills. A Portfolio is an excellent way to market yourself.

Portfolios can be either digital or an actual physical binder. You will add to your portfolio throughout your whole life. It will contain important documents from high school, and from positions you have been employed in.

If your boss gives you a great quarterly review, you will want to put that in your portfolio.
If you participate in a volunteer walk for charity and get a certificate, you will want to put that in your portfolio.
If you take a class and get an "A" you will want to include your transcripts in your portfolio.
If you earn a new certification - OSHA or CPR for example, you will want to include a copy of your certification in your portfolio.

All of those documents, and the ones listed below, will become a part of your portfolio.

Here is a Checklist of what could be in your portfolio

Career Goal Statement

Each senior will write a brief Career Goal Statement to put in their portfolio. This statement will include the students' goals for their career and how they plan to achieve them.

Resume

Your resume is a document created by you that shows all of your education, experience, skills, and certifications in a format that is more like a list than a paragraph.

Certifications

Employers love to see what you certifications you have earned. Having copies of these documents in your portfolio add to your credibility.

Letters of Reference

Letters of Reference are written by people who know you well and are willing to put nice things about you in writing. Each senior will be asked to get 2 Letters of Reference for their Portfolio.

Awards & Certificates

Awards and certificates round out your portfolio by highlighting those things you have been recognized for. They are evidence of your accomplishments.

Photographs & Evidence of Work

Photographs of you in your uniform or work you have completed speak volumes to employers. It shows them that you know what you are doing and helps them to imagine how you'd look working for them. Check out this page for tips on taking photos for your portfolio.

Additionally, portfolios may include:

Task Lists
Samples of your work (lesson plans, artwork, etc.)
Any other relevant employment information.

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