WHO SHOULD USE A CAREER PORTFOLIO?
Anyone who is presently using, or intending to use, a resume should
consider using a career portfolio. A career portfolio should not be
viewed as taking the place of a resume. Instead, it should be viewed as
a way of substantiating the information from your resume and cover
letter once you have gotten the job interview. In Chapter 5, we will
show you how to create a resume that works in tandem with your port-
folio. The fundamental point is this: Use resumes to get interviews, and
then use portfolios to get jobs.
Among the obvious users of a career portfolio would be the follow-
ing:Students seeking employment.Whether you are a student at a two-
year community college or a physician completing an advanced resi-
dency program, a career portfolio enables you to package what you
have learned in a way that is appealing to potential employers.
Students seeking admission to college or graduate school.A properly
targeted portfolio can give you a significant advantage if you are com-
peting for admission to a school that interviews its applicants. The
items in your portfolio can bring to life and make credible the things
you say about yourself in your written application. And the fact that
you have gone to the effort of assembling a portfolio to bring to an in-
terview conveys the impression that you are strongly motivated and
are well organized to mount your campaign for admission.
People preparing for a key job interview in a highly competitive field.
A career portfolio helps you differentiate yourself from your competi-
tion. It creates the impression that you are well organized and
properly focused—that you’ve “got your act together,”so to speak. It’s
also the perfect antidote for that common career malady:“pre-job-in-
terview jitters.”
People who are “between opportunities.” If you were fired from or quit
your last job, creating a portfolio is a very constructive thing to do
during your downtime. It not only gives you an edge in future job in-
terviews, it also helps you rebuild whatever confidence you may have
lost due to the manner of your parting company with your former em-
ployer.
People who want to re-enter the world of work after time off. Let’s say
you’ve taken time off from your work career to do something else—to
travel, to start a family, or maybe just to do nothing in particular for
a while. A portfolio helps you present the noncareer accomplishments
you’ve done in a way that makes you a viable job candidate. Assem-
bling a career portfolio also enables you to overcome the fear and hes-
itation many people feel when they have been away from the world
of work for a period of time.
People who want to change careers. If you are looking to do some-
thing different in your work life, a career portfolio is a great vehicle
for presenting your transferable skills to an employer in a field that
is new to you. Going on informational interviews, which is part of the6 Part I: Building, Using, and Maintaining Your Career Portfolio