The document provides a 5-step process for creating an effective portfolio to showcase skills and experience to potential employers, including defining what to include, collecting relevant materials, organizing the portfolio, printing it, and leaving a strong impression in interviews by providing a copy. It emphasizes highlighting accomplishments, skills, and qualifications through visual examples and brief written descriptions. The sample portfolio shows how materials can be organized into sections like experience, awards, references, and includes contact information.

1. How to Create your
Portfolio
Presented to:
York Region Networking Group
March 12, 2010

2. Agenda
• Defining a portfolio
• Power of a portfolio
• Creating your portfolio—five steps to success!
• Sample: Paulina’s portfolio
• Discussion/Questions
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3. Definition
port·fo·li·o (pôrt-fl-, prt-) n.
• a. A portable case for holding material, such
as loose papers, photographs, or drawings.
• b. The materials collected in such a case,
especially when representative of a person's
work.
Origin
• from Italian portafoglio, from portāre to carry +
foglio leaf, paper, from Latin folium leaf Boston College
“A well-prepared portfolio provides "evidence" to an employer
of your accomplishments, skills, abilities and it documents the
scope and quality of your experience and training. It is an
organized collection of documentation that presents both your
personal and professional achievements in a concrete way.”
Portfolios for Employment
By Alison Doyle, About.com Guide
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4. Power of a portfolio
• Showcases your capabilities and experience, “We think creating a portfolio
complements your resume is a rare win-win interview
• Immediate stamp of professionalism tool. It gives you a rare edge
• Investment of time and effort speaks highly of who in interviews and lets the
you are as a professional and that you are confident interviewer get a much clearer
and passionate about your work idea of what you can bring to
• Differentiator—helps to market yourself and the company. And it might
separate you from the competition even mean that you end up
interviewing for more than
• Great way to refresh and give yourself a mental
one position or get called
boost prior to an interview
back to interview in more than
• Leave with hiring manager—makes for a lasting
one department.”
impression long after the interview is over
Manifestyourpotential.com
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5. Creating a portfolio—Five steps to success!
• 1: Identify what you want to showcase
• 2: Collect materials (print and online)
• 3: Create your portfolio
• 4: Print and burn your portfolio
• 5: Make a lasting impression
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6. Creating a portfolio—Step One
• 1: Identify what you want to showcase
– Sections: refer to your resume for key areas of
expertise as this will identify the sections in your
portfolio (tabs)
– About me: mini bio, photograph
– Awards
– Volunteer work
– Commendations (mix of peers, leadership, and
partners)
– Master resume
– Contact information
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7. Creating a portfolio—Step Two
• 2: Collect materials (print and online)
– A portfolio is a collection of the best examples of your work. No matter what kind of work you
do, it showcases what you excel at. And, if you don’t have samples, you can always
improvise by using photographs, charts, and/or self-created images to help depict and
support your key area of expertise.
Accountant/Information Technology:
– a detailed list of the systems you used, sample pages of the types of reports you prepared,
stats on the volume of data you routinely processed
Human Resources:
– Sample communications, posters, intranet postings of employee-facing programs that you
helped to manage or launch e.g., survey, transition to a new benefits provider
Business Development: PSDGraphics.com
– List of clients or industries, sample presentations or sell sheets that you helped to create for
client meetings, using charts show the percentage of business that you were responsible
for/grew during your tenure or by quarter etc.
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8. Creating a portfolio—Step Two continued…
• 2: Collect materials (print and online)
• Important note: please be mindful of proprietary
information such as company logos, policy information, names
of former co-workers that may require written approval prior to
sharing your portfolio with the outside world.
Nick Jennings
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9. Creating a portfolio—Step Three
• 3: Create your portfolio (electronic version)
• Use a program that you are comfortable with and one that
allows you to sort, copy and paste information with ease e.g.,
PowerPoint
• Scan any hand written or paper-based material
Techsmith.com
• For quick reference, file and save documents to individual
folders (same as sections)
• To capture, compress, copy, or highlight documents or
images, use a snipping tool (free with Windows 7) or snag it
(free download via techsmith.com)
• For section copy, use the 2-20 rule:
– Section headings should be no more than four words
and take 2 seconds to read
– Copy should be brief, in bullet form and only take a total
of 20 seconds to read. It’s purpose is to support your
imagery and should be task- or action-oriented.
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10. Creating a portfolio—Step Four
• 4: Print and burn your portfolio
• Select a copy and print centre e.g., Staples.ca
• Visit their online store and download your portfolio (PDF)
• For a small fee, add tabs to your portfolio order (allow for 2 days to print)
would suggest you call to confirm order once you’ve completed it
• Screen shot of Staples.ca online ordering system below • Burn your portfolio to
CD and attach to the
inside cover (back)
• Include other samples
or documents, as
required
• Personalize CD label,
if possible
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11. Creating a portfolio—Step Five
• 5: Make a lasting impression
• Before leaving the interview, ensure
that you leave a copy of portfolio
Actual responses received from hiring managers:
• ―Wow, this is impressive.‖
• ―This is for me?! Thanks. I look Enasha.com
forward to reviewing it.‖
• ―Thank you. I’ve never seen anyone
do this before.‖
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12. How to reach me:
Mobile:
289.388.7699
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulinacallaghanabc
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/P_Callaghan
Email:
paulina.callaghan@sympatico.ca
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