COMM 2232

Communication for Career

Development
Week 7

Portfolios

A Portfolio contains samples of your finest work

from school, work or other projects
Resume
tells employers what you have done/can do
Portfolio
shows them

Supplies
Hard Copy

Electronic

3 ringed binder

Computer

clear plastic sheet

protectors

Scanner

Website Platform

tab dividers

PLANNING THE
PORTFOLIO

Primary Skill Areas

choose 3-5 skill areas you want your portfolio

to demonstrate

include both technical and transferable skills

use these as a guide in selecting artifacts

Primary Skill Areas

Problem-solving

Leadership

Communication

Drive

Resource Allocation

Imagination

Technical Information

Flexibility

Self-Confidence

Conflict Management

Initiative

Goal Achievement

Teamwork

Other

Your Portfolios
Message

What does your Portfolio say about you?

This doesnt go in your Portfolio

Use it to help you build your Portfolio

Your Portfolios
Message
Example:

My portfolio demonstrates that I can develop

and implement networked computer systems
that contribute to workplace efficiency. It proves
that I am a good business communicator,
effective problem solver, and valuable team
member.

What to Include?
(Artifacts)

Important!
Dont use original
documents in your
portfolio, use copies

4 Categories of
Artifacts

Introduction

Employment

Education

Other Items Unique To You

Introduction

Introduction Artifacts

Statement of Originality/Confidentiality

Career & Professional Development Goals

Work Philosophy or Ethics Statement

Confidentiality
Statement

"This portfolio is the work of ________. Please do

not copy without permission. Some of the
exhibits, work samples, and/or service samples
are the property of the organization whose
name appears on the document. Each has
granted permission for this product to be used
as a demonstration of my work.
http://www.ryerson.ca/career/students/createyourportfolio/buil
dingaportfolio/

See also, Career Services Portfolio booklet for

example.

Goal Statements

include 3-5 goal statements in your portfolio

shows employer what you want in a career,

how you would be a good employee and
that you are goal oriented

Goal Statements
Guidelines for writing Goal Statements

Focus on the professional skills, knowledge, and

achievements you want to pursue over the next 2-5
years

Ask yourself where you see yourself professionally

4-5 years from now. What do you want your
accomplishments to be?

Make your goals specific, focusing on specific

accomplishments whenever possible. These goals
should be measurable so you can tell when you
have accomplished them.

Goal Statements
Suggestions for writing Goal Statements

Think about what you want your career path

to look like

Look at job ads for positions you are not

qualified for yet to get an idea of where you
could go beyond an entry level position

Goal Statements
Sample Goal Statements

To hold a team or leadership role in IT projects.

To develop project management skills by working

with project managers and project personnel and by
successfully using project management software
tools.

To earn outstanding performance reviews and

receive promotions

To mentor new employees or trainees in the IT

department.

My Goal Statements

To teach a new course each semester to reach

a flu course load

To revise an existing course

To create a new General Education course

To create a faculty professional development

workshop

To share my resources with new and existing

faculty

Work Philosophy
Questions to consider:
What does it mean to be a good employee?
What does it mean to be a good employer?
What makes a good work environment?
How is success measured?
How does one become part of a community?
??????

Employment

Employment Artifacts

Cover Letter & Resume

Letters of Recommendation

Work Samples

Evaluations/Performance Reviews

????

Education

Education Artifacts

Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees

Academic Awards

Transcripts

Professor Accolades

Education Artifacts

Learning Samples

Program Learning Outcomes Information

Course Learning Outlines

Technical & Other Writing Samples

Photographs

Other

Other Artifacts

Professional Memberships

Newspaper Clippings

Letters of Appreciation

Recent Media (photos, video, audio)

Community Service/Volunteer Work

Labelling Artifacts

Labelling Samples

For each artifact, include a Title and a short

written description that explains:

What the sample is.

What it is for, why it was done.

When it was done.

Who else was involved.

What skill it demonstrates.

Titles, Headings,
and Captions

Use them to demonstrate a skill, show an

action, or clarify something

Be consistent with Title format

ORGANIZATION

Organizational
Structure

No one right way to structure your portfolio

Order and present your artifacts in the way

you think will have the most impact on the
audience you are showing it to

Organizational
Techniques
Table of Contents

Gives reader an overview. Name contents. Include

page numbers.

Annotated Table of Contents

Includes a brief description of contents under the

name.

Cover Pages

Introduce each portfolio section. Can be tabbed

sheets.

Introduction
Statement of Confidentiality

p. #

Career and Professional Development Goals

Work Philosophy

p. #
p. #

Employment
Cover Letter

p. #

Resume

p. #

Letters of Recommendation
Work Samples:
Example 1
Example 2

Education
Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees

p. #

Academic Awards

p. #

Transcripts

p. #

Accolades from professors

Learning Samples:
Example 1
Example 2
Other
Professional Memberships
Volunteer Work/Community Service
Example
Media

NEATNESS &
LAYOUT

Visual Perception

when people read in our culture, eyes move from upper

left to lower right on a page

people tend to start reading where the strongest visual

element exists on the page

people notice illustrations before they notice text

people perceive larger items as more important than

smaller ones. The same is true for larger headings as
opposed to smaller ones.

people pay attention to colour more than any other

visual feature

Typography
Guidelines:

Body text is commonly a serif font in 10, 11, or

12 point size

Titles and headings are usually in 16-18 pt size

Decorative fonts should be used sparingly, if at

all. They tend to be difficult to read.

Two fonts are the maximum for one page - one

for text and one for headings

Typography
Two main font categories
Serif: accentuated with ornamental lines at end,
easier to read in large blocks of type
ex. Times, Century Schoolbook, Garamond
Sans Serif: straight, no ornamentation, often
used as headings and display type
ex. Arial, Helvetica, Optima

Graphic Images

ex. photos, illustrations, maps, charts, etc

use to break up text and provide variety on

page

make sure the message they convey is easy

to understand

use high-quality images

consider putting a border around images

Placement of
Elements
readers attention can be directed by placing

objects or visual cues in a sequence ex. left to

right, top to bottom

Place most important info near the top of the

page

Visual hotspot - eye at rest tends to move to

bottom left section of a page - place important
messages there for extra attention

border or frame around title or cover pages give

more professional look

Colour

creates immediate impressions

use to accentuate or differentiate elements

ex. colour coding sections of portfolio or

highlighting important elements or information
in the same colour

However you use it, be consistent

Choose colours that are easy on the eye

Dont overuse colour

White Space

the blank area around text and graphics

affects readability

too little = page looks cramped and uninviting

too much = page looks unimportant

Advice for
Presenting Samples
Paper

Use same kind of high-quality paper throughout.

Cropping*
If you only want to show part of a sample, crop electronically or
cover sections you want to hide and photocopy
CDs, DVDs, etc
make sure they are labelled appropriately and explains how to use
them
Clip Art
Use only if it enhances your message and looks professional.

Tips for Increasing

Impact
Increase Visual Content

Create a Visual Identity

Symbols, logos, lines, or other visual elements

repeated through a document or entire portfolio

Keep Formatting Consistent

Remember that Less is More

too many samples, too much text on a page, too

many photos, etc., clutters your presentation and
message

ELECTRONIC
PORTFOLIOS

WEEBLY
http://laraloze.weebly.com/
WORDPRESS
http://katharinehansenphd.com/

Should not take the place of hard copy portfolios, offers

another place to self-market, contents can be similar to
hard copy
Advantages

Allows employers to look at your material at their

convenience

Allows employers to spend more time reviewing your

qualifications outside the interview setting.

Allows employers to conveniently share your portfolio

with others

Easy to update

Shows you have computer skills

Steps to Create EPortfolio

1) Collect samples and convert to digital format
2) Organize

Websites are not read linearly

start with your homepage and create tabs & drop down menus with internal links to
your content

3) Create your website

maintain consistent look across all pages

use short paragraphs

Use a font that is easy to read

Avoid patterned backgrounds that make text hard to read

Dont overload the pages with graphics

Keep it simple - easy to navigate and read

Using your Portfolio

in an Interview

Mention early on in the interview that you

have brought a portfolio

The interviewer may or may not want to look

at it - dont worry if they dont - you can still
refer to it in your answers

After you answer a question you can refer

them to the specific artifact that is related to
your story or demonstrates the skill you
talked about

If the employer wants to keep your portfolio

to look at it after the interview, set a time to
pick it up (24 hours)