Professional Portfolio

What goes into a professional portfolio?

A professional portfolio is not the same as a personal portfolio. Your personal portfolio is a good starting point, but be sure to include only relevant and appropriate items in a professional portfolio. The type of company and the job you are interviewing for will help determine what is relevant. If you’re not sure whether something is too personal for a professional portfolio, leave it out.
The materials in your portfolio depend on the kind of work you’re looking for; a graphic artist will have a very different portfolio than a journalist. However, anything in your portfolio should show only your very best work. Check for typos or misspellings as carefully as you would on your resume.
How you organize your portfolio is also important. You can arrange the contents in chronological order, by project, type of experience or any other way that you choose. Make sure the order makes sense to the reader. A random jumble of clippings won’t impress an interviewer – no matter how wonderful the content.
Folder-type portfolios are easy to carry and can be left with an interviewer, if requested. You can also use a good-quality three-ring binder or a zippered portfolio, depending on your budget. Just like your resume, cover letter and personal appearance, your portfolio is a representation of you. Make sure it is neat, clean and well-organized.

Some tips to remember

• Make sure your portfolio is well-organized and has a consistent appearance.
• You may want to add a caption or short note explaining the relevance of each component of your portfolio.
• Only put copies – not originals – in your portfolio, in case an interviewer wants to keep it.
• Don’t put in anything too personal. Consider your portfolio public knowledge, since you don’t know who may see it.
• Keep your portfolio current, just like a resume.

You may decide that a professional portfolio doesn’t suit the kind of job you’re looking for. That’s fine. Collecting the materials for a portfolio is a valuable tool in itself; it helps you focus on your accomplishments so you can better answer some of the questions interviewers are likely to ask. The better prepared for an interview you are, the greater your chances of making a good impression and landing the job of your dreams!

http://careernetwork.msu.edu/finding-an-internship/portfolios/professional-portfolio