Deciding on format (print vs. online)
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Increasingly, applicants for internships and jobs are creating e-portfolios with all of their career materials in one place. Included would be your résumé, information about your career goals, and samples of your written work. You might include a reflective statement about yourself and your professional development through college and work experiences.
Even if you create your career portfolio online, you still might choose to take a printed sample of your best, most appropriate writing to an interview. You can never be sure how closely anyone has looked at your online materials, and it is thoughtful to leave a sample of your writing with your interviewer. It shows you value writing and are confident of your skills.
If you create an online career portfolio, keep in mind the following:
- Make it professional, not personal. This is not a Facebook page, so don’t include personal information that is not related to your position search. If you use a photo, make sure you are dressed and posed professionally.
- Design your portfolio for the position you seek. Portfolio materials for a position in finance would be different from materials for a position in graphic design.
- Choose writing samples that show your range. Don’t provide multiple samples that show the same things about you and your skills.
- Check your site. Make sure all links work. Check layout and design on different Web browsers to make sure things look and work right. Proofread very carefully—misspellings or careless presentation will eliminate you from a search.
- Google yourself to see what comes up—your employer will. If you have information out there on the Web that you don’t want employers to see, get rid of it. If you are posting your career portfolio to an accessible server, see if a search will bring up your page.
- Consider presenting yourself on a professional networking site such as LinkedIn. You can create your professional profile and link to your online portfolio.
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Sample traditional résumé