“Hey, don’t forget your portfolio”. What better way to showcase your achievements and talents then a simple binded book to show samples of your work certificates, diplomas, degrees, awards, letters of commendation, and work samples from projects etc.

Just imagine your binder sitting on top of a job interviewer’s desk well after the interview just staring at them. This could be your binder of goodness that keeps you top of mind and helps you stand out from other candidates. In today's competitive job market creating a portfolio is one of the ways that you can really distinguish yourself from other job applicants.

Sure you can always improve your job interview responses and techniques but with a portfolio in hand you can back-up your responses by showing tangible evidence of your skills and achievements. A portfolio really is worth a thousand words. It will persuade employers to consider hiring you over someone who has nothing to show for their skills and achievements.

Advantages of a job interview portfolio:

• Expand on your resume by showing evidence of skills, knowledge and experience in a more comprehensive manner.
• Show tangible samples of your work, awards, certificates etc. to back-up your responses. What better way to describe something then by showing it.
• Keeps you organized and will always help with you provide stronger work related responses.
• Employers don’t receive many well organized portfolios, so putting one together will really help you stand out from the crowd.
• In job interviews, it acts as a constant reminder of things you want to highlight which are relevant to the job.

What do you add in a portfolio?

Most portfolios are presented in a good quality three ring binder with labeled and tabbed sections. Here are some items you may want to include in your portfolio:

• Cover Letter highlighting your career goals or objective statement.
• A copy of your resume
• Letters of reference or recommendation from previous employers, from volunteer work, from internships, co-op programs, Associations etc.
• Transcripts.
• A summary of all community service or volunteer work you have done.
• Academic awards and achievements.
• Copies of educational certificates, diplomas, or degrees.
• Copies of positive performance appraisals.
• E-mails, thank you letters, and handwritten notes complimenting you on a job well done.
• Company announcements of promotions, awards or achievements.
• Documents or reports you have created.
• If you are into creative arts or design, you might include a DVD video or photos to display your work. Also, if you have a web site, provide the URL
• Samples of articles you have published.
• Report of research you have conducted.
• Articles written about you or projects you have been involved in (newspapers, company newsletters, etc.)
• Lists of professional memberships or associations you belong to that are work-related (e.g. BC Human Resources Management Association (BCHRMA) for human resources professionals).
• Presentation material from presentations you have conducted (hand-outs, PowerPoint slides etc.).
• Any other related materials you think should be added that will benefit in the hiring decision.

When putting your portfolio together remember not to add any personal pictures or information. Not everything above will be necessary for your portfolio. Before going on a job interview, determine which items will be essential and be of most interest to the interviewers.

Although creating an initial portfolio can be time consuming, once you have created one it’s becomes easy to revise and update with new items.

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Information provided by, HRinmotion Consulting Group, your complete employment center.

 
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