Job seekers use career portfolios to demonstrate, in a visual format, the range of their skills, accomplishments and experiences.

Though career portfolios have traditionally been used by graphic designers, copywriters, journalist, teachers and other creative professionals, job seekers in a wide range of career fields now use portfolios to augment the more traditional cover letter and resume.

What's in a career portfolio?

A portfolio can contain samples of your best work including:

• Reports, papers, studies, brochures, project descriptions, presentations, etc.

In addition, a portfolio may contain any or all of the following:

• Career summary and goals
• Research and publications
• Testimonials, letters of recommendations, copies of thank you letters received
• Details of professional development activities
• Volunteering and community service
• References list

Formats

Your career portfolio should be kept in a professional three-ring binder, with or without a zipper closure, and should include a table of contents and section dividers.

Besides print samples, you can also include CD-ROMs, videos, and other multimedia formats.

Depending on your skills and your intended career field, you may wish to create a web site with the complete contents of your portfolio.

Further Information

For more on career portfolios:

• Your Job Skills Portfolio: Giving You an Edge in the Marketplace
• Getting a job can be as easy as learning how to show-and-tell: how to use a portfolio in an interview

For teaching portfolios:

• Develop a Teaching Portfolio