What is meant by professional portfolio? In short, it offers interviewers with a complete picture of a candidate applying for a job. Professional portfolios involve your experiences, accomplishments, skills, education, interests, and professional goals and aims. With this overview, learn what portfolios offer that resumes and cover letters don’t. A professional portfolio might be just what you need to edge out the competition.
Professional Portfolio Is More Effective Than Resumes
Only because a resume and cover letter assisted you to land a job in the past doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t benefit from a professional portfolio. Why? They are much more comprehensive than the traditional resume and cover letter combo. In fact, portfolios are so helpful that many interns and job candidates bring them to their first interview. Doing so enables the employer to see an in-depth summary of what you have accomplished.
They Are Specifically Useful in Certain Careers
If you are fascinated in pursuing a career in, say, nursing, a professional portfolio might not be especially useful during your job search. Although, portfolios are pretty suitable for certain professions, including education, art, graphic design, theater and writing jobs. If you are an educator, use your portfolio to show prospective employers samples of your lesson plans or projects you have assigned in class. If you are an artist, there is nothing better than a professional portfolio to show off your talent. And if you are a journalist, you can use a portfolio to show off your best writing samples.
Portfolios might be utilized for other careers as well.
There are no hard and fast rules about which fields best lend themselves to a professional portfolio. Even if you are not in one of the careers mentioned above, by all means, piece together a portfolio if you think it will assist you get your foot in a door. And, remember, in the 21st century, a portfolio does not necessarily mean a heavy book that writers and artists lug around with them. Many professionals today now use online portfolios, which are helpful because scores of individuals apply for jobs online rather than in person.
If you are unsure whether a potential interviewer will check out your portfolio, include a link to it both in your cover letter and in your email signature.
They Make an Impression
Taking the time to establish a high-quality portfolio can be the deciding factor that puts you ahead of the pack. Instead of only hearing about your success, a professional portfolio shows an employer what you have done. The proof is in the pudding, and portfolios give instances to employers of your best work.
Portfolios can help you to make a good first impression and shows the employer that you are serious about the job. It is key if you have more talent than actual work experience in your field.
Although creating a professional portfolio will take some creativity and time, once it’s been developed it only takes minimal effort to keep it current and up to date.