Portfolios: A Secret Weapon for Your Internship Search
As always, our goal at Internweb.com is to provide you with special tips and tools for landing your dream internship and eventual full-time job. We’d like to share one very powerful strategy that may set you far ahead of your competition. We’re referring to a well-thought-out, professional career portfolio.
For many people in creative positions (i.e., creative advertising, graphic/web design, etc.), using a portfolio is not a secret. It is a very necessary part of the job search…much like a cover letter and resume. However, for other, less-creative positions, using a portfolio in the job search is not as well known. We’d like to share with you how this technique can be a job search secret weapon for people in any profession.
Reasons for Using a Professional Portfolio
A strong professional career portfolio provides direct evidence of your related accomplishments. It provides potential employers with a "snapshot" of your achievements to date, the type of work you’ve done, and the type of employee you will be. A professional portfolio goes beyond a cover letter and resume. Rather than simply telling an employer about your skills, it provides evidence of them.
How a Professional Portfolio Should Be Used
A professional portfolio is typically presented within an interview situation. A portfolio should be neat, clear and concise and be tailored to a specific type of position. For example, a student applying for a computer programming internship might present an example of a program he or she has written when asked about relevant programming experience. Additionally, a marketing communications intern candidate might present an example of marketing brochures that he or she has created when asked about previous marketing experience.
Contents of a Professional Portfolio
There are a variety of items that may be included in a professional portfolio. Contents selected should be relevant to your industry and internship of interest and should provide evidence of your skills/achievements to a potential employer. Example portfolio items include:
- Letters of Recommendation from Employers/College Professors
- Performance Reviews
- Thank-You Notes
- Awards, Scholarships, Grants
- Examples of Writing: Articles, Papers
- Examples of Projects
- Examples of Presentations
- Brochures/Fliers Created
- Certificate Programs
- Academic Curriculum
- Web Sites/Pages Created
- College Transcripts
- Marketing Plans
- Computer Program Code
Types of Professional Portfolios
A traditional type of portfolio generally consists of a high-quality, leather-bound folder that attractively displays professional documents. Plastic sheet covers may also be used for an added professional look and to help protect valuable documents.
Another type of includes an electronic or web portfolio. This may be advantageous if your employer of choice utilizes web/electronic resumes in their search for interns. In many cases, this is an advanced version of a resume that provides links to portfolio information.
Conclusion
In conclusion, using a portfolio can help anyone move to the top of the internship candidate pile. It goes beyond a cover letter and resume by providing employers with direct examples of skills and accomplishments.
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