Digging Inside the Portfolio. Part 3: The Resume

Along with your cover letter and letters of recommendation, the resume is also a piece inside your portfolio you will want to perfect.  The resume stands as the key document in showcasing exactly what experience you have done in the past and what you are capable of bringing to the table in the future.

I  1. Include relevant contact information. This is extremely important because you want a potential employer to be able to contact you if they wish to set up an interview!  If you start sending out applications while you are still living at school but you know you are moving home immediately after graduation, put your home address on there.  Also, make sure your email and cell phone number are easily visible because they will more than likely get a hold of you this way. You don’t want an employer to pass you up because your contact information was not easily accessible.

2. 2. Include specific information. When listing your past experience whether it be an internship or job you have held, or courses and projects you have completed while in school, be specific. Lay out exactly what tasks you were given, what you learned, and what you are capable of doing. Employers want to know EXACTLY what your skills are.

3. 3.  Keep the formatting easy to read.  You want your resume to be a visual representation of yourself and employers will think of it this way. You do not want it looking cluttered, unorganized or hard to read.  Keep the font simple and the text size readable, and make sure the different sections are easily set apart from each other.  You want your resume to look as polished as you will look in person when you come in for that interview!

Posted By: Kayla Molczan

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Digging Inside the Portfolio. Part 2: Letters of Reccomendation

Going deeper into the explanation of each individual piece you want to include in your portfolio or even just to have prepared for future interviews, there are few guidelines and tricks you can apply to selecting letters of recommendation.

The Value of Letters of Recommendation: Getting your foot in the door is always about who you know, and letters of recommendation can speak volumes to employers.  You may not have gotten the greatest grades compared to the others you’re competing against, but when it comes to personality traits that set you above the rest such as enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, you can display these through your recommendations.

Where to Get Your Letters: When preparing to ask others for recommendations think about who you have worked closely with and who knows you personally.  For example, if you are a leader in an organization and have a faculty advisor they would be an excellent source.  Ask those who have had authority in your academic career, who you have learned from, as well as those who have a positive opinion of you and your capabilities.  Look for those you know who are warm and supportive and who don’t mind giving you a little reinforcement during your job-hunt. 

The Content: After you have selected and received feedback from your sources, outline the job you are applying for so they can cater the content toward that specific position.  Give them a copy of your resume so they can have something of reference to work from.  Make sure your letters verify experience, confirm competence, build credibility and bolster confidence.

Next step, working on your resume! Look for an upcoming post from Kayla about how to build an outstanding resume. 

Posted by: Taylor Ray

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Digging Inside the Portfolio. Part 1: The Cover Letter

Along with a portfolio of relevant work you’ve done, you will also need to perfect your cover letter and resume before you graduate so they are ready to go when you come across jobs you are interested in.   Employers get hundreds upon thousands of applicants with decent cover letters and resumes so you will need to do something different to stand out amongst the crowd.  Research shows an employer spends an average of five seconds looking at a resume before they decide whether to throw it out or not.  The goal: to stay out of the trash!

Let’s first focus on the Cover Letter!

1. Know who you are addressing.  Never say “To whom this may concern” because it is vague and will not inspire a connection between you and the employer.  Also make sure you use appropriate titles and prefixes when addressing their name.

2. Spell check until the cows come home.  Misspelling even the simplest of words can cost you the job.  Remember, employers are getting tons of resumes so they need one simple way of sifting through them.  Correct spelling and grammar is one easy criteria they use to decide if you are a yes or a no.

3. Be specific.  Do not send a generic cover letter to multiple employers.  Read over the job description for the position you are applying for and the overall company and include things in your resume that shows you did this.  Showing the employer you have done your homework and actually researched the company will put you above the rest.

Posted By: Kayla Molczan

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The Value of a Professional Portfolio

Image via WikipediaAn item you can bring to an interview that can give you a major leg up on competitors is a strong, relevant portfolio.  Brining in examples of your previous work can show employers you are prepared and organized, while at the same time it gives you a platform to talk about your greatest achievements with tangible, visual aids.  

Depending on your interview or profession, you can use either a three-ring binder with plastic page protectors or a leather bound, briefcase style portfolio with three-ring binder and pockets within for displaying your work.  These can be purchased at Wal-Mart, Staples or any other office supplies stores and can range from 15 to 50 dollars depending on the quality.  

Once you have selected the format of your portfolio, it's time to start filling it with relevant pieces.  Some elements that are essential to include in your portfolio are copies of your resume to give to a potential panel of interviewers, cover letter, business card if you have one, reference contact page, letters of recommendation, college transcript, and at least five pieces of work that you are most proud of and are related to the job you are interviewing for. 


Quick Tips:

1. Choose your example work wisely and do not be afraid to go over it and make corrections to your original work. Make it relevant to the interview.  
2. Keep your portfolio organized and to the point.  Look at this as a summary of your greatest achievements.    
3. Place labels and tags on pertinent information you want to bring up during your interview.
4. Practice talking about the pieces in your portfolio to your friends before your interview.   
5. Have copies of selected pieces to give to employers.  

Posted By: Taylor Ray

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