The Career Portfolio Workbook

quite effective. If you believe the digital option is appropriate for you,

refer to Chapter 9 for ways to prepare and present a digital portfolio.

GETTING THE RIGHT LOOK FOR YOUR CAN-DO PORTFOLIO

When it comes time to use your Can-Do Portfolio, the effectiveness of

your presentation will be determined not only by what you say and

what you have in your portfolio but also by how everything looks. The

following are some strategies you can use to get the right look for the

portfolio you take to an interview.

Getting the Right Look for Your Carrying Case

As noted earlier, the carrying case for a portfolio that is taken to a

meeting is typically an enclosed three-ring binder that can be zippered

shut. The kind of impression you wish to make will, of course, deter-

mine the particular look you are trying to achieve with the carrying

case for your Can-Do Portfolio.

Consider using a carrying case that looks like a briefcase.For most

situations we recommend a binder that looks like a thin, leather brief-

case. The beauty of carrying your portfolio items in what appears to be

a briefcase is that it is not intrusive. In most cases you cannot know

ahead of time whether or not the right opportunities will come up to

present items from your portfolio. If your portfolio looks like a briefcase,

you have the option of not using it, without drawing attention to the fact

that you have brought a collection of portfolio items along. It’s perfectly

reasonable for you to show up for an interview carrying a briefcase. And

you can, in fact, use your portfolio carrying case as a briefcase, as well,

in which you might carry business cards, an appointment book, and a

pad of lined paper for taking notes. Alternatively, a loose-leaf binder

that is not zipped shut is likely to catch the interviewer’s eye. If the in-

terviewer asks what you have brought along, you have just lost control

of when and how you present the items in your portfolio.

If a certain kind of carrying case is expected, use it.The nature of

the field in which you will be interviewing is an important factor when

choosing a carrying case. People in design fields are expected to have

portfolios, and typically the carrying case is quite large to accommodate

artwork that needs to be bigger than a sheet of notebook paper to be

properly appreciated. On the other hand, if you are applying for an ac-

counting or sales position, an 8^1 / 2 - by 11-inch format is probably just

right.

Use a carrying case that blends. Another thing to bear in mind is

that the carrying case for your portfolio can look very ordinary or

quite sophisticated, depending upon the color and texture of the ma-

terial used for its outside cover. You will want to avoid bringing to a

meeting something that does not support the image you are trying to

project. So, as a general rule, the design and look of your carrying case

should be compatible with the kind of clothes you intend to wear. The

Chapter 3: Targeting Your Portfolio 41