Portfolios = Portable Proof!

Transcription

1 Portfolios = Portable Proof! Presented by: Carmen Croonquist, Director of Career Services University of Wisconsin-River Falls Presentation Overview What is a portfolio, and why should I have one? Types of portfolios The importance of self-assessment What goes into a portfolio and why Tips for organizing and assembling your portfolio Strategies for presenting your portfolio My goal: to inspire YOU to start your portfolio! What is a Portfolio? Visual presentation of mission/goals, strengths, personal traits, experience, accomplishments, knowledge, skills, education & training Demonstrates your past, present, future Helps you determine who you are, and how to tell your story to a particular audience A collection in progress. Presented by Carmen Croonquist 1

2 Two Basic Portfolio Types Personal & Advancement Personal Portfolios = Scrapbooks Advancement = Learning / Academic / Assessment Certification Project Career Transition / Employment / Salary Negotiation Performance Differences are determined by targeted audience & purpose What s in it for Me? Process is as valuable as the product: who are you and how do you present yourself your brand Can be a great mechanism for career assessment Self-knowledge builds confidence and self-esteem Distinguishes you from the competition & enhances your credibility employers value proof! Increased job offers & higher starting salaries More latitude during performance reviews Encourages the habit of tracking professional growth Basic Forms of Portfolio Portfolio (Master) Collection Special Purpose (Targeted) Portfolio Hard-copy vs. electronic format depends on situation; pro s & con s of e-folios Regardless of the form you use, the development process will be the same Presented by Carmen Croonquist 2

3 Pro s: Less paper! E-Folios Best format for showcasing technical skills; essential for certain fields Easy to transmit (URL or CD-ROM) Enables an employer to view samples of your work 24/7 before/after meeting you Can be used effectively during a phone interview E-Folios Con s: Must have solid technical skills to make it presentable & professional Technology failure; incompatible formats Difficult or impossible to present during an interview Hard to selectively show items or use ones not easily explained Certain items can t be included due to the nature of the web Places a demand on the employer Importance of Self-Knowledge Effective career portfolios are based on an indepth knowledge of an individual s strengths. The best targeted portfolios (for interviews, promotion, etc.) show a match between the individual s strengths and the job s requirements. Prior to starting a portfolio, make time for selfassessment Presented by Carmen Croonquist 3

4 Self-Assessment What type of work are you seeking? F I T : function, industry, things that matter What are your priority workplace values/conditions? What motivates you to do good work? What are your PEAKS : personal characteristics, experience, accomplishments, knowledge, and skills Where do you LACK experience, knowledge, skills? Analyze Your Skill Sets Targeted Portfolios Communication Teamwork Public Speaking Leadership Project Management Organization Technical Skills Marketing Time Management Financial Management Creativity & Innovation Problem Solving & Critical Thinking Research Analytical Skills Assessment Decide how you want to use your portfolio Research & analyze the audience: Remember: Your audience always defines portfolio content and format!) Identify desired outcome with that audience Analyze the opportunity (job or other): Requirements, desired traits Job description can serve as a filter for your contents Look for key themes to determine your tabbed areas (the skills and experience section) Presented by Carmen Croonquist 4

5 Brainstorming Items for Portfolio Collection Where Do I Find Items? Rummage through your stuff at work & home Consult your calendar: how is your time spent? Review job descriptions: past, present & future Collect positive performance reviews Consider community service, hobbies, parental roles Reconstruct lost items & create new ones Can include works in progress Ask others to create documents for you Find Evidence of: Your RESULTS: examples of your innovative ideas; money or time saved; challenges overcome; problemsolving; initiative shown Who you are as a person or a leader Your experience Certain skill sets or strengths (communication, etc.) Your education, training & certification Involvement: pictures, newspaper clippings, agendas, newsletters, publicity items, thank you notes, etc. Brainstorming Typical Portfolio Elements How are YOU planning to use your portfolio? What strengths might be sought? Brainstorm portfolio components around a specific job title or your ideal job Regardless of your purpose, there are some common portfolio elements for master portfolios Title Page Table of Contents Personal Statement: mission, goals, values Resume Education & Training Experience and Skills sections Captions Achievements & Awards Community Service Professional Affiliations Personal Interests & Hobbies Summary Pages Reference Materials Presented by Carmen Croonquist 5

6 Mission/Philosophy Statements Illustrates your unique purpose: defines who you are, what you do & why you do it (your brand! ) Ex., leadership, counseling, educational philosophy Can be a guiding principle for your career Make it original, simple, honest & direct: My mission is to nurture, motivate, and inspire others toward positive actions that lead to joy and fulfillment in their work & life Presented by Carmen Croonquist 6

7 Presented by Carmen Croonquist 7

8 Tips on Selecting Items Assembling a Special Purpose Portfolio Recent examples are usually best Quality is ALWAYS more important than quantity! Avoid redundancy Don t restrict yourself to items from paid experience Don t feature skills & knowledge you dislike using Get permission to use work samples Delete proprietary information Potential Portfolio Supplies: File box & hanging files Professional-looking binder; D-ring is best Clear, non-glare sheet protectors Divider tabs (packs of 5 or 8) Creative paper for title page, table of contents, section divider pages & summary pages Scrapbooking supplies Post-it tape or glue Card stock for mounting photos & creating captions Scanner Digital camera Assembling Your Portfolio Layout Tips Select the items to include Put items in sheet protectors Sort into functional categories; group similar documents Sort in a way that enables you to easily retrieve items Lead with your strengths Create a title page & a table of contents Create section divider pages & label tabs Consider summary pages for large documents Develop captions & reflective/accomplishment statements Make a back-up copy of your portfolio Strive for consistency & a visual identity; theme /brand Use good quality paper for layout pages Use front & back of sheet protector to link documents When possible, size documents appropriately Can use only one or two pages on large documents Color & photos add interest; can be mounted or scanned Try using collages; scrap booking techniques Strive for a professional, tasteful look Evaluation: ask for feedback on your portfolio! Presented by Carmen Croonquist 8

9 Presenting Your Portfolio Before the Interview: Thoroughly research the organization & position Practice specific examples of your skills, knowledge, & experience, in STARR format Be able to locate items that support your STARRs Role-play using your portfolio Can copy items you wish to leave behind Consider using portfolio items to prepare for negative Q s; goals STARR Mnemonic S = Situation T = Task A = Action R = Result (R = Relating to opportunity) Presented by Carmen Croonquist 9

10 Presenting Your Portfolio During the interview, in general: Never push your portfolio at the beginning of the interview yet, don t wait to be asked about it Weave your portfolio items into the interview process. Don t expect the interviewer to view your entire portfolio Be selective; err on the side of showing too few items Listen for key questions & clues regarding the strengths and PEAKS sought by the interviewer(s) Specifics on Presenting Your Portfolio First, respond to the question you are asked Follow your response by locating the portfolio item Inform the interviewer that you have an example to share (avoid asking IF they would like to see it!) Pull out the individual item & hand it to them Explain the relevance of the item Don t leave your portfolio continuously open Specifics on Presenting Your Portfolio At the close of the interview: Re-express your interest in the position. Summarize why you are an ideal choice show your enthusiasm & emphasize ROI Don t leave your original portfolio behind Don t discuss salary without a job offer on the table Request business cards for thank-you s & follow-up Get Motivated! Set up your system TODAY! Make time on your calendar to begin the process; schedule time for a self review Establish a designated collection place for your artifacts Identify where you want to expand your career; use your portfolio for goal-setting & performance reviews Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs Henry Ford Presented by Carmen Croonquist 10

11 Wrap-Up Questions? Comments? What were the most important concepts you learned today? Feedback/evaluation of session Thank you for participating! Presented by Carmen Croonquist 11