To complete a portfolio, you will need to prepare a reflective statement, assemble your material, obtain feedback from others, and prepare the final revised copy.

Reflecting on your work

You should introduce a portfolio with a written statement that explains and reflects on your work. This statement might be in the form of a memo, cover letter, personal essay, or video, depending on what works best for your portfolio. Think carefully about the overall impression you want the portfolio to create, and make sure that the tone and style of your statement set the stage for the entire portfolio. The statement should include the following:

Assembling the portfolio

For a print portfolio, number all pages in consecutive order, and prepare a table of contents. Label and date each piece of writing if you haven’t done so previously. Put a cover sheet on top with your name and the date; if the portfolio is for a class, include the course title and number. Assemble everything in a folder.

For a digital portfolio, arrange the works in a way that makes sense to you and that allows your readers to find what they are looking for easily. Add any links that seem necessary to help users move from place to place within the portfolio or at external sites—and check that the links work.

Getting responses

Once you have assembled your portfolio, seek responses to it from several classmates or friends and, if possible, from at least one instructor. (You may want to refer your reviewers to the guidelines on reviewing a draft in 4b.) Revise accordingly.

If this portfolio is part of your work in a course, ask your instructor whether a few corrections are acceptable. If you intend to use it as part of a job search, you should make each piece as final, professional, and functional as possible. Either way, the time and effort you spend revising and editing the contents of your portfolio will be time well spent.