What Are the Steps to Developing a Personal and Career Portfolio

THEME: Career Guidance and Transitions

Lesson: The Steps to Developinga Portfolio

Learning Outcomes

• Students will understand the steps involved organizing a portfolio.

Essential Question

• What information should you gather for your portfolio?

Level

• Grade 12

Time

• 3 x 15 minutes

Materials

• Write Essential Questions on the board
• Handout “What Are the Steps to Developing a Portfolio”
• Handout “Electronic Portfolios”
• Handout: “Portfolio Checklist”

Procedures

1. Discuss the Essential Questions.

2. Review the handout with students so they understand what steps need to be taken

to organize their portfolios.

3. Explain that students need to begin gathering their information. At school they will work through each section of the portfolio, but they will need to collect things to put into the portfolio. They should start put things into a binder. If they are using certificates they may need to buy some plastic sleeves to put their certificate or items they do not want to hole punch.

4. Some students may want to make an electronic portfolio. There is a lot of information available on the internet. Give students that are interested in an electronic portfolio the “Electronic Portfolio” handout.

5. Provide each student with the “Portfolio Checklist” handout.

Extending

• Students can use the internet for resources.

What Are the Steps to Developing a Personal and Career Portfolio?

A. Gather Your Evidence

Collect the information and records that show your interests, involvements, and achievements.

B. Organize Your Portfolio

Arrange your evidence into sections that will help someone else see what you have accomplished.

C. Assemble Your Portfolio

Format and compile your portfolio so it is easy for someone else to read and understand

the information you have gathered.

D. A Final Check

You have much to be proud of in your portfolio. Check that it has updated information

and that it shows your work in the best possible light.

A. Gather Your Evidence

What evidence can be placed in a portfolio?

Evidence comes in many forms. You can include evidence of your skills, your

talents, your achievements, your awards, your experiences, as well as your learning

and employability skills. Be sure to include things you do both in school and away from school.

Items for Your Portfolio

Items can include:

report cards, things you are proud of (newspaper clippings, certificates, awards, etc.),

certificates of Participation (clubs, events, etc.), a record of your community involvement activities and an updated résumé

B. Organize Your Portfolio

Your challenge is to organize the information you have in your portfolio into an

understandable overview of your accomplishments to date. Similar items and

accomplishments should be grouped so that the reader can find the information easily.

The following four categories will help you organize your evidence:

1. This Is Me

In this section, concentrate on who you are.

Items to include:

Mission statement

Paragraph about yourself

Career Plans

Personal Inventories

Resume

Covering Letter

2. Academic Skills

This section should contain evidence of your ability to communicate, think and learn.

Items to include:

Current report card, school transcript, diploma/certificate

Achievement Test Scores – SAT, ACT, etc.

Awards/Scholarships

Certificates: First Aid, CPR, drivers’ license, swimming, babysitting, etc.

Writing Samples

Art Portfolio

Special Projects

Special skills acquired through clubs, organizations, work, etc.

3. Personal Management Skills

This section focuses on your combination of attitudes and behaviors that demonstrate responsibility and adaptability.

Items to include:

Letters of reference from present/past employers, teachers, coaches. etc.

Performance Appraisals/Evaluation from work, work experience or school

Volunteer Work

Recognition Awards

Leadership Skills – SRC, leadership training

Participation/Award certificates

4. Teamwork Skills

The last section should focus on your ability to cooperate and work effectively with

others in a group.

Consider your involvement in:

Team sports, clubs, drama production, band, choir, etc.

Job activities/committees/projects that required teamwork.

Documentation of involvement in a position of an organization

Hobbies and interests associated with a group.

Awards, certificates, special recognition

C. Assemble Your Portfolio

After you have selected and organized your evidence, it is time to format and compile your portfolio so it easy for someone else to read and understand the information you have gathered.

.

Tips for assembling your portfolio:

Does my portfolio show a wide-range of my accomplishments?

The strength of a portfolio is in the variety of what you show. Examples you include should show many of your accomplishments rather than many examples of one accomplishment.

Are my most important accomplishments clearly evident?

Not everything you do will have equal value. The portfolio should show the best examples of your talents and abilities. Make sure that those things that you are most proud of are highlighted in your portfolio.

Does my portfolio have a consistent format?

A portfolio is an organized collection of evidence. Using a consistent format and page layout throughout, connects the diverse documents so it shows a clearer picture of your

accomplishments. Any graphics, arrows, or clip art should accentuate your portfolio

contents, rather than decorate it.

Do I have a Cover Page for my portfolio?

This page should include:

your name

a mission statement for your portfolio

a photo (if you choose)

Electronic Portfolios

In addition to your traditional portfolio, you may want to create an electronic portfolio. You can make the electronic portfolio available to employers as a supplement to your résumé. It can be on the World Wide Web or on a CD-ROM, floppy disk, or zip disk. You can set it up as a PowerPoint presentation or include a PowerPoint slideshow as part of your electronic portfolio.

Electronic portfolios are easy for employers to access and use, especially if they're on the web. By including a "mailto" link in your portfolio, employers can contact you easily simply by clicking on the link and typing in a message for you. Another benefit of having an electronic portfolio is that it shows employers that you are familiar with various types of computer technology and programs.

Before creating your electronic portfolio, create your traditional version. Include electronic versions of items from your traditional portfolio. For example, include the word processing files for your writing samples and your résumé, scans of appropriate photos and certificates, and Adobe Acrobat (pdf) files of graphics such as brochures that you have designed.

In addition to the kinds of materials in your traditional portfolio, you might include an expanded version of your résumé, audio and video clips. Avoid personal information and inappropriate links--anywhere on your web site. Remember that anyone with much web experience can explore more of your web pages quite easily beyond your portfolio if it's online. You might want to put your online portfolio on a different server to prevent this kind of browsing by employers.

This section includes anything that represents who you are, what you value and your plans for the future.

 Personal Profile ----- Mission Statement

 Paragraph on yourself – Who you are and your plans for the future

 Career Plans/Personal Inventories

 Resume

 Covering Letter

Your academic skills reflect your ability to communicate, think and learn.

 Current Report Card, school transcript, diploma/certificate

 Achievement Test Scores – SAT, ACT

 Awards/Scholarships

 Certifications: first aid, CPR, driver’s license, food safety, etc.

 Writing Sample

 Art Portfolio

 Special Projects

Personal Management skills represent your own combination of attitudes

and behaviors that demonstrate responsibility and adaptability.

 Letters of reference from present/ past employers, teachers, coaches, supervisors.

 Performance Appraisals/Evaluation from work, work experience or school.

 Memberships in clubs or organizations.

 Volunteer Work

 Hobbies/Interests

 Leadership Skills – SRC, leadership training, etc.

 Participation/Award certificates

 Special skills acquired through clubs, organizations, work, etc.

Teamwork skills represent your ability to cooperate and work effectively with others in a group.

 Documentation of participation in a team sport, club, drama production,

band, choir, yearbook, graduation committee, etc.

 Job, activity, committee, project that required teamwork

 Documentation of involvement in a position of an organization

 Team/club pictures

 Hobbies and interests associated with a group

 Certificates, awards, special recognition