The Career Portfolio Workbook

process we propose for targeting your portfolio, will also help you

identify the new direction you want to go in. We explain how to do in-

formational interviews in Chapter 4.

People going for a promotion, a work reassignment, a raise, or an an-

nual review. Portfolios are not just tools for getting new jobs in dif-

ferent organizations. A portfolio also helps you make the case for a

promotion or work assignment within your present organization. And

during an annual review a career portfolio can be useful for demon-

strating the value you bring to an organization. In Chapter 7, we ex-

plore how portfolios can be used to great effect in these and other ca-

reer advancement situations, including going for a raise.

Independent consultants looking for business or referrals. If you are

an independent consultant or contractor, a portfolio is an effective

way of demonstrating what you can do for clients. Advertising pro-

fessionals have always used portfolios to showcase their talents.

In Part 2, you will find several examples of targeted portfolios.

In addition to individuals, organizations such as schools and cor-

porations can make good use of portfolios. For example:

Portfolios can improve teaching and placement in schools and univer-

sities. Many school systems are beginning to use student portfolios

as an assessment tool and as a means of focusing their teaching on

outcomes that will prove useful to their students in their future aca-

demic and work careers.

Colleges and universities are also beginning to encourage, and in

some cases require, their students to create portfolios that will give

them an edge in the job market. Placement offices are discovering

that students who have well-thought-out portfolios are getting more

job offers at higher salary levels than students who only use a re-

sume. In Chapter 7, we will discuss some techniques universities can

use to help their students prepare portfolios.

Portfolios can improve staffing and other human resource activities.

Given the fact that change is now a constant in most organizations,

those firms that are most adept at reshuffling their employees to cap-

italize on emerging opportunities can gain a significant competitive

advantage. Requiring employees to create and maintain career port-

folios can help management identify the right people for internal re-

assignments. Including the use of portfolios in annual performance

reviews enables managers to gain a better understanding of the

range of talents of their subordinates. We will also cover this topic in

greater depth in Chapter 7.

HOW CAN CREATING A CAREER PORTFOLIO HELP YOU
MANAGE YOUR CAREER?

The process of assembling and then targeting your portfolio doesn’t just

give you a great self-marketing tool, it also serves as a very effective

Chapter 1: Introduction: What Is a Career Portfolio? 7