Do You Have a Career Portfolio?

No, I'm not talking about the newest collection from Coach or Tumi! Artists, photographers, architects, designers and writers have used portfolios for decades to showcase their abilities and talents. In today’s competitive job market, portfolios have become a useful tool for professionals outside the artistic arena.

The ability to effectively showcase your relevant knowledge and skills is critical, whether you are seeking a new opportunity or staying with your current employer. Along with a tailored resume, a career portfolio can provide further evidence of your professional qualifications and abilities.

What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a personal collection of information describing and documenting [your] achievements and learning. As a visual representation of your skills, capabilities and knowledge, it shows your potential to add value to an organization.

Why create a Career Portfolio?
You can use a career portfolio to:

• market your capabilities in a job interview
• support a request to your manager for a promotion or raise
• document the quality and quantity of your professional development
• demonstrate prior work or learning experiences for educational credit

Career portfolios have become a nearly universal requirement for the hiring process. But, if you already have a secure job (i.e., one that's not on the Endangered Careers List), you can view a career portfolio as your insurance against unforeseen shake-ups at your company. Keeping this self-promotion tool up-to-date also can be a good exercise in self-evaluation.

In upcoming posts, we’ll help you to organize your career portfolio and use it as a tool in your career development and advancement.