You may have a killer resume with great job skills, but in this crowded job market you need a competitive edge to separate you from the rest of the applicants. A portfolio of creative work is a common tool used by artists, designers and architects to demonstrate their talent. The concept is taking on new life for anyone looking for a job. The job skills portfolio isn’t a substitute for a resume. It goes with you to the interview and provides hard-copy examples of past work, projects, recommendations, writing samples and other documented items. It is a powerful visual aid to give life to resumes through concrete examples of past work.
This isn’t a book of every award since high school. The items included should be the best of the best and match bullet points in your resume.
1. Begin the portfolio copy of your resume. Organize documents chronologically according to your resume format. Letters of recommendation, awards, newspaper articles or other press coverage, drawings or photographs depicting professional or work-related events may be included. Both team and personal accomplishments are appropriate.
2. Compile your documents in a three-ring binder, a leather (or faux leather) zippered portfolio or another professional looking folder. Organize the documents into sections with a table of contents and dividers. Be prepared to leave the portfolio with a prospective employer. Be sure to have a master copy or duplicates for other interviews.
3. Make copies of any customer appreciation letters or emails. Remove any contact information, such as email addresses or phone or fax numbers.
4. Print out a copy any referrals on your LinkedIn profile. Just listing your LinkedIn address doesn’t ensure the prospective employer will access and read the amazing things previous employers or colleagues have to say about you.
5. Put all the documents through Spell Check and have someone else read them for spelling or grammatical errors. Documents with errors or spelling mistakes will work against, not for you.
6. Be sure everything in the portfolio is relevant to the position. The portfolio should be customized the same as your resume to reflect the position description requirements. Keep it simple and don’t include things just to fill up some pages. A few targeted examples on key requirements can put your resume in 3-D. Too much or irrelevant information can appear confusing and desperate.
7. Create an electronic version of the portfolio and copy to an inexpensive flash drive. Leave the flash drive with the employer. It not only shows your technical expertise, it also makes it easy to for them to send to others who are part of the hiring team.
Do you have any other tips that you can pass on to other job seekers? Let me know in the comments section.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for BusinessWorkForce.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at businessworkforceblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
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