E-PORTFOLIO
CREATING AN E-PORTFOLIO
by Amy VanHorn
Assistant Director, Bethany College Office of Career & Professional Development
If you are looking for an internship or job and want to stand out from the other students or recent graduates, consider creating a Career e-Portfolio (CP). Having a CP use to be a rarity and packed a wow-factor punch with the hiring manager. Nowadays, not having one could get you eliminated from the shortlist in the working world. However, it is still relatively new concept for students and recent grads, and having one WILL get you noticed. However, the cliché "you only have one chance to make a good first impression" still holds true with a CP. You will most likely not be considered for a job if your CP is poorly put together.
If you don't have a CP, the Office of Career Counseling & Professional Development (OCPD) can help you get started. I highly recommend that you not wait until your senior year, but instead, start building your portfolio your freshman year. Regardless of where you are in your professional life, start building your CP now if you haven't already.
I've put together a simple plan to help you create a basic CP. As you become more familiar with the online platform, you can upgrade to more complex levels, but this is where you can incur costs. So let's get started creating a free CP.
How to set up a CAREER E-PORTFOLIO
The first thing you need to do is electronically create or collect a cover letter, a resume, a list of references, your coursework, any projects related to your field such as research, leadership, volunteer, outreach, presentations, publications, etc., and any awards. Obviously, you need to be proficient with a computer to create a CP. If you don't have a resume and aren't sure where to begin, please see the OCCP to get started creating the single most important document to a job/internship seeker.
The second step in the process is to select a portfolio building online platform in which to create your CP. I am very familiar with www.weebly.com and will use it for this article; however I've seen other recommended platforms that I am not familiar with but will relay this on to you for consideration and for creative ideas:
by Amy VanHorn
Assistant Director, Bethany College Office of Career & Professional Development
If you are looking for an internship or job and want to stand out from the other students or recent graduates, consider creating a Career e-Portfolio (CP). Having a CP use to be a rarity and packed a wow-factor punch with the hiring manager. Nowadays, not having one could get you eliminated from the shortlist in the working world. However, it is still relatively new concept for students and recent grads, and having one WILL get you noticed. However, the cliché "you only have one chance to make a good first impression" still holds true with a CP. You will most likely not be considered for a job if your CP is poorly put together.
If you don't have a CP, the Office of Career Counseling & Professional Development (OCPD) can help you get started. I highly recommend that you not wait until your senior year, but instead, start building your portfolio your freshman year. Regardless of where you are in your professional life, start building your CP now if you haven't already.
I've put together a simple plan to help you create a basic CP. As you become more familiar with the online platform, you can upgrade to more complex levels, but this is where you can incur costs. So let's get started creating a free CP.
How to set up a CAREER E-PORTFOLIO
The first thing you need to do is electronically create or collect a cover letter, a resume, a list of references, your coursework, any projects related to your field such as research, leadership, volunteer, outreach, presentations, publications, etc., and any awards. Obviously, you need to be proficient with a computer to create a CP. If you don't have a resume and aren't sure where to begin, please see the OCCP to get started creating the single most important document to a job/internship seeker.
The second step in the process is to select a portfolio building online platform in which to create your CP. I am very familiar with www.weebly.com and will use it for this article; however I've seen other recommended platforms that I am not familiar with but will relay this on to you for consideration and for creative ideas:
Not all are free for the long term, so read the fine print, especially when you see "free trial offer". I prefer platforms that are easy to use and upfront about how to keep your free site. It would infuriate me to get weeks into creating my "free" CP only to receive an email telling me that my free trial had expired and I had to pay to keep my CP or lose all of my work. If you want even more details to compare one platform to another, go to this site makeuseof.com where it goes fairly deep into the techy world explaining the other platforms pros/cons.
The third step is to set up an account using your chosen platform; as I said, I use Weebly. Weebly is easy to use and walks viewers through an easy-to-understand set-up process, and offers various guides found under the SUPPORT tab or [here]. When creating your domain name, I recommend simply using your own name such as firstlastname.weebly.com to keep it easy to recognize to the viewer as well as professional.
The third step is to set up an account using your chosen platform; as I said, I use Weebly. Weebly is easy to use and walks viewers through an easy-to-understand set-up process, and offers various guides found under the SUPPORT tab or [here]. When creating your domain name, I recommend simply using your own name such as firstlastname.weebly.com to keep it easy to recognize to the viewer as well as professional.
What is in a Career e-Portfolio?
A portfolio is a portable collection of material that showcases your accomplishments, skills, and abilities, and clearly outlines to your viewer the depth and quality of your experience and training.
A portfolio is a portable collection of material that showcases your accomplishments, skills, and abilities, and clearly outlines to your viewer the depth and quality of your experience and training.
Contents of a career e-portfolio:
1. Home page with your professional picture and a brief introductory paragraph about yourself
2. Updated resume
3. Detailed job descriptions of positions you've previously held
4. Marketing material or links to your employers, placements/internships, professional affiliations, community service sites
5. List of references
6. College transcripts, training certificates, continuing education unit documents, workshops
7. Projects from class, internship work or organizational involvement
8. Thesis or major papers
9. Publicity items such as fliers, ads, news clippings
10. Promotion letters, memos, articles of recognition, letters of recommendation or appreciation
11. Evaluations
1. Home page with your professional picture and a brief introductory paragraph about yourself
2. Updated resume
3. Detailed job descriptions of positions you've previously held
4. Marketing material or links to your employers, placements/internships, professional affiliations, community service sites
5. List of references
6. College transcripts, training certificates, continuing education unit documents, workshops
7. Projects from class, internship work or organizational involvement
8. Thesis or major papers
9. Publicity items such as fliers, ads, news clippings
10. Promotion letters, memos, articles of recognition, letters of recommendation or appreciation
11. Evaluations
Examples:
Bethany College Alumni CP:
http://tiffanyajayi.weebly.com/
Others found on the web:
individuals:
http://maggiecanning.wix.com/eportfolio
http://www.semakeup.com/
http://benjtoews.myrpi.org/
http://jamessw.com/
http://11pmphotography.zenfolio.com/
http://kellycreswelle-portfolio.businesscatalyst.com/index.html
http://ron4982.wix.com/eportfolio-
http://krshera.wix.com/kelsey-sherard
https://www.innovatecv.com/cv/share/24/do-not-reply@innovatecv.com
galleries:
https://carbonmade.com/examples
Bethany College Alumni CP:
http://tiffanyajayi.weebly.com/
Others found on the web:
individuals:
http://maggiecanning.wix.com/eportfolio
http://www.semakeup.com/
http://benjtoews.myrpi.org/
http://jamessw.com/
http://11pmphotography.zenfolio.com/
http://kellycreswelle-portfolio.businesscatalyst.com/index.html
http://ron4982.wix.com/eportfolio-
http://krshera.wix.com/kelsey-sherard
https://www.innovatecv.com/cv/share/24/do-not-reply@innovatecv.com
galleries:
https://carbonmade.com/examples
Other articles about online portfolios:
smashingmagazine.com
smashingmagazine.com
