Career Portfolio Guide to Stand Out from the Competition (38 characters

Career Portfolio ►
A Step Ahead of the Competition
Linda D. Woodard, Ed.D.
© 2020 LDW Group, LLC www.ldwgroup.biz All Rights Reserved (Reproduction by Permission Only)

Topics of Interest
The importance of a career portfolio
Contents of a professional portfolio
Getting started
Packaging your portfolio
Using a portfolio during an interview
Using e-career portfolios
Electronic portfolio platforms
Selecting the right online profile platform
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Thank You!
“Youareincontrolofwhatyouprojectto
theworld.”
-Dr.LindaD.Woodard
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What is a Career Portfolio?
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Career Portfolio
A portfolio is a personalized collection of your materials and artifacts.
Portfolios are now used in the career development process to help
job seekers provide a more enhanced display of your professional
experiences. Career portfolios can be in hardcopy form or e-version.
The portfolio leaves a more complete picture of you as a professional.
**This document is to be used during the interview phase and not as
the initial document that you submit to a company when making
application for the job. It is important to know that this does not
replace the résumé.
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Why Create a Career Portfolio?
It tells the most important story: your story through a chronicle of your
work.
It provides a richer account of your accomplishments than just a
résumé.
It becomes a gift to your future self, providing a great satisfaction when
you review your portfolio, which you should do often.
Elizabeth Aurbach c 2005–2006, Aurbach & Associates, Inc
Regardless of purpose, portfolios document skills and
accomplishments through examples of work.
In a tough job market, if done well, a career portfolio will set you
apart from your competition! Shows that you went the extra mile!
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Why Create a Career Portfolio?
In short, a career portfolio:
 Draws attention to key information about you
 Provides links that connect you with an
opportunity
 Makes the key intangibles tangible
 Adds to your credibility
 Builds confidence
Frank Satterthwaite and Gary D’Orsi, The Career Portfolio Workbook
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Other Uses of Career Portfolios
Annual performance reviews
Promotion and raises
Secure consulting business
Demonstrate college performance and activities
Get a volunteer assignment
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Career Portfolio Contents
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Contents
Table of Contents
Customized Cover Letter (vision
statement, purpose of portfolio
Résumé or CV
References
Recommendations and/or
recommendation statements
Transcripts (optional)
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Contents
Certificates/Licenses
Professional Affiliations
Published work/Projects
Awards
Military Badges/Awards/Certfications
Presentations/Workshops
Anything else that can tell your story!
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Cover Letter
statement, purpose of portfolio)
Résumé or CV
References
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Your Cover Letter
Your cover letter should include:
A statement that speaks to the purpose of
the portfolio.
A vision statement that aligns with the
company’s vision and mission.
A summary of your experience that is
relevant to the specific job with key words
from the position posting.
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Recommendations
statement, purpose of portfolio)
Résumé or CV
References
14

Recommendation Statement
Thank you for agreeing to write a statement of recommendation for Linda D. Woodard, President, LDW Group LLC.
Please contact me if you have any questions. I plan to use this information for inclusion in my professional career
portfolio.
When writing your recommendation, it need be no more than a few sentences (3-4) that providing some detail relative to
the following:
• dates of services provided to your organization (program design, proposal writing assistance, technical assistance, etc.)
• type of service provided (training, program design, etc.)
• why the LDW Group was selected
• the quality of the services provided by Linda Woodard, LDW Group LLC
I would appreciate it if you could forward the recommendation to the email address listed below by June 15, 2018. If you
elect to offer a full letter of recommendation, please provide the information your agency’s letterhead and email the letter to
me as a Word or pdf document.
Again, thank you for your support. The LDW Group enjoyed serving your organization.
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Sample Recommendation Statement
Linda Woodard's efforts to lead and ensure accurate, transparent and
professional communication of the Closed Schools' Transition Teams
were the Corner Stone of what has been viewed as one of CMSD's first
successful Transformation Initiatives. Linda Woodard possesses the
capacity and expertise needed to guide exemplary communication
practices that would be essential for the success of CMSD's
Transformation Plan. July 13, 2010
Daniel Jones, Head of Closed/Relocation Schools, Cleveland Metropolitan
School District
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Sample Recommendation Statement
I have had the opportunity to work with Ms. Woodard over the past three years as an
administrator colleague and know firsthand that she demonstrates a deep passion and
the strong skills necessary to be an effective leader within any educational system. As
part of our educational outreach mission, for the District, we provide a number of
community forums and Saturday workshops for parents, students, and community
members throughout the school year and during summer months. Ms. Woodard
always brings a strong set of organizational and collaborative skills to the team as part
of the scope of work for District outreach. In closing, Linda Woodard, would make an
excellent hire and I am positive you will be pleased by her caliber of work! July 26,
2010
Sara Goode, Deputy Chief of Curriculum & Instruction, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
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Getting Started
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First Things First
• Decide on the sections in your portfolio
• Get file folders to collect your artifacts
• Don’t worry about time; just collect the information
• Create your portfolio as a Word document
• Scan certificates as jpg’s then copy and paste them into your Word
portfolio document
• Use high quality paper (28lb or 32lb) for printing your final document
• Use tabs to separate the sections of your portfolio
• Use sheet protectors for brochures or other items that you wish to display
• Make sure that your portfolio has a consistent look throughout
• The cleaner the look the better; fancy does not always mean better
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Packaging Your Portfolio
Your portfolio is a representation of your professional
side.
Make it unique but not gaudy.
Bring multiple copies of the finished portfolio to the
interview.
• Avery.com: affordable and easy customized binders
• Galleryleather.com: leather portfolios
• Kinkos/Staples: for reproduction of your portfolio with
different bindings
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Packaging Samples
The first two are Avery customized binders; the one on the
far right is a binder purchased at Staples.
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Packaging Samples
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Sample Portfolio
https://www.slideshare.net/ldwgroup/career-portfolio-example-
93870044
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Opening Your Interview
Let the laminated card speak for you! These 5x7 laminated cards can be
your introduction item.
Do you have a quick answer to the that question: Tell me about
yourself?
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The Interview
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Portfolio & the Interview
• Do not use it as a crutch but know every aspect of
your portfolio – it is a story about you!
• Make sure that you bring multiple copies so that
everyone on the interview panel has a copy.
• Behavioral interviews are excellent for directing
the interview panel to various tabs/sections that
highlight specific work or projects. You can take
the interviewers to the tabs in your portfolio to
speak about those projects.
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The TX After the Interview
Now that you have made a great impression
during the interview with your career portfolio,
now make an even greater one with a video
thank you.
You can be creative as you want. There is
power in video. You can record a video thank
you with Zoom, Teams or many other video
services; use the URL to send out.
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e-Portfolios
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e-Portfolios
• Once you complete the hardcopy version of
your portfolio, it is a relatively simple task to
create an electronic version.
• You will be copying and pasting your Word
documents into a web-based electronic
format (a few are included in this
presentation).
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e-Portfolios
Advantages
• Corrections can be made in real time
• Can send the portfolio link to companies to review
• Can change design in real time
• Saves on reproduction costs
• Excellent for networking purposes
• Can create a QRL code for use on your business card or
resume
• Always include in your “Thank You” email after interviewing
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e-Portfolios
Disadvantages
• Must have Internet connectivity to open and review
• Need to be sure the person receiving is tech savvy (does not
mind web-based resources)
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Sample e-Portfolio
LINDA D. WOODARD, ED.D.
ePorfolio for Dr. Linda D. Woodard
https://bit.ly/DrLindaDWoodard-Portfolio
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e-Portfolio Platforms
https://www.canva.com
Canva is a free service that offers design presentations,
social media graphics, and more with thousands of layouts.
Hundreds of templates to use. You can upgrade from the free
account to the Pro ($12.95/mo) or Enterprise ($30/month) to
get more features.
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www.weebly.com
Weebly is based in San Francisco and is a website and
eCommerce service founded on the belief that anyone
should have the tools to take their business from idea to
launch to growth. You can set up a free website which gives
you Free SSL Security and a 3rd party embed code. You
can pay monthly and get additional features. Many free
templates available.
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www.wix.com
Wix allows you to start from scratch or choose from over
500 designer-made templates to make your own
website. Fairly easy to use; no more free service.
 VIP First Priority Support $39/month
 Pro $23/month
 Unlimited $18/month
 Combo For Personal Use $14/mon
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https://carbonmade.com
Carbonmade is a free service that allows you to create a
short portfolio. It has limited capabilities with the free
version; you have 5 projects, 35 images, and no videos.
If you upgrade, you pay a monthly fee less than
$20/month and get to add more photos and video and
personalize the landing page. Some issues with saving
work; fairly user friendly.
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An Online Profile
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What’s Online About You?
Start out by Googling your name: Go to Google.com and put your
name in: “FName LName “. Hit enter and see what comes up!
www.google.com
Some facts:
 Most employers research prospective candidates online (Face
Book, LinkedIn, You Tube, Indeed, etc.) so make sure your
online presence is professional and accurate.
 Your résumé must have key words because job boards scan for
key words when matching for jobs.
 LinkedIn is the most accepted professional profile site that
employers use.
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Select the Right Online Profile for You
There are many online profile vendors that
offer a variety of types of profiles.
Listed next are highlights of a couple of free
services that provide ease of creation and
provide an URL for sharing and search
optimization.
39

Online Profiles
www.linkedin.com
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network
with over 722+ million members (as of 11-2020) from
over 200 countries and is growing rapidly. LinkedIn
connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you
exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a
broader network of professionals. This is a free
service and one of the best networking services
available. At a minimum, everyone should have a
LinkedIn profile.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindawoodard
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Online Profiles
https://www.indeed.com/
Indeed offers a résumé service that uses a vertical
search engine to search for jobs. You can set up
your account to seek certain types of jobs. You
don’t have to set up an account; if an employer is
interested in your résumé then they contact
Indeed. Your detailed contact information is only
publically displayed (city and state only). It is also
an open search engine so you can see how others
are posting their résumés. Very user friendly and
free.
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Online Profiles
https://www.portfoliogen.com/
Portfoliogen was initially created for teachers, educators and
students, PortfolioGen allows anyone to create their own
online portfolio. With over 137,000 users from over 110
countries, PortfolioGen has become the preferred online
digital portfolio resource for teachers, students, educators
and professionals. Developed by teachers, PortfolioGen
makes it easy to create a customized e-portfolio to showcase
and share your skills, education, work experience,
achievements and provide an opportunity for reflection and
continued professional growth.
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Online Profiles
https://www.foliospaces.org/
FolioSpaces is the world's most popular free ePortfolio platform.* Use it to
create your own Personal Learning Space. Students, teachers, career
professionals and others find electronic portfolios are the best way to:
 showcase achievement
 provide proof of learning and experience
 give and receive feedback (in private or public)
 reflect on learning and critical incidents
 help get jobs, project funding, promotion, and much more
 free ePortfolio with 2GB storage
 export your FolioSpaces ePortfolio free of charge at any time, in
standards-compliant LEAP2A or HTML format.
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Thank You!
“Thefuturedependsonwhatyoudo
today.”
-MahatmaGandhi
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Linda Woodard, Ed.D.
Email: lindawoodard1@outlook.com
Office: 866-649-6194 Cell: 216-496-4598
www.ldwgroup.biz
45

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