This is a complete guide for students with tips on the entire portfolio review process including how to put together your portfolio.

1. Portfolios
Requirements, Reviews & Formats
SOJC | Public Relations
2008-2009
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2. The Portfolio: Requirement
Feedback. We ask students to produce professional-caliber material in every
public relations course. We have high expectations and a rigorous curriculum. By
providing an outlet for regular feedback, critique and assessment, we prepare
students for the best, most competitive entry level internships and jobs. We know
this is true because through the portfolio review process, we, as faculty, get
feedback, too. We know if our students can stand out among the sea of graduates
competing in the workplace because we listen, learn and adjust to better respond
to a changing landscape.
The Review. The public relations portfolio review, looked to by the SOJC and the
University of Oregon as a model of assessment, is held at the end of J454: PR
Campaigns.
Each student meets individually with a panel of professionals (2 or 3 on each
panel) to present his or her work. By the time the students get to this review,
their portfolio is cumulative. And it likely no longer contains much from early
courses as the material is replaced term-by-term with the best classwork,
alongside internship and professional work.
So where do we start?
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3. Guidelines: Portfolio
General Format:
One portfolio that grows, changes and adapts over the course of the
student’s work in the major.
Portfolios should be customized for presentations just as cover letters
and resumes are. Removable pages create flexibility, allow for creativity
and customization.
Work should (ideally) be a mix of the best class work and pre-
professional work in internships, freelance work, etc.
Size:
10” x 14” or 11” x 17” to allow for overlapping pages, oversize pieces and
marketing collateral showcase.
Portfolio/Presentation Case:
There is a wide range of options that start at very basic (inexpensive)
ones that still function well.
We’ve provided some suggestions on the final page of this packet.
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4. Guidelines: What to Wear
The "what do I wear" question always comes up when students are
preparing for portfolio reviews. You're expected to dress like you'd
dress for an interview. What does that mean?
Wear a jacket (men and women).
Err on the side of being conservative, but not out of date.
Women
Minimal (non-distracting) jewlery
Go easy on the perfume
Carry a briefcase or a nice shoulder bag
Closed toe shoes
Manicured nails
If you're wearing a skirt, you need to wear hosiery
Watch your cleavage... this isn’t a club hop!
Men
A tie that you tie (as opposed to a clip-on)
Solid color suit
Limited jewlery. If you have distracting face piercings, I'd take
them out.
Watch how much aftershave/body spray you use. The Axe Body
Spray commercials are just commercials. Your reviewers won't
actually crawl over the desk and want to rip your clothes off if
you're wearing a lot.
Trim your nails
Carry a briefcase or your portfolio
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5. Best Practices: Portfolio Presentation
What are You Excited About?:
Highlight material that you’re most excited about. That enthusiasm will
show!
Tell a Story:
Be able to use your work to tell a story: what was the problem/
challenge, how did you/your team address it, what was the outcome?
Focus on Results:
How did you measure results?
How *would* you measure results?
Don’t Apologize or Downplay:
You have great experience to show. Be proud of your work! Even the
most mundane thing to you might be the most remarkable to your
reviewer.
Be enthusiastic about every piece you have to show. If you’re not, take it
out!
Highlight Your Teamwork:
Be intentional (practice) how to talk about your work as part of team
and what your contributions were without overstating and without
discounting the work of your teammates.
Don’t take credit for work you did not do. Be cautious about presenting
campaign pieces that you did not contribute to.
When in doubt, discuss with your teammates how they intend to present
their work and compare notes.
Practice!:
Think about your personal key messages. What do you want the
reviewers to remember about you?
You want to have a sense of what you can cover in the time provided. If
you run out of time, you might not be able to talk about your favorite
pieces.
Create a Leave Behind:
Choose your two or three favorite pieces, and along with your resume,
create a leave behind packet for each reviewer.
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6. Tricky Portfolio Pieces
PR Plan: Show the cover page and a
subpage that highlights a particularly
interesting part of the plan (or a part
you intend to talk about). Have full
copies of the plan available in case your
reviewers want to see it.
Social Media: Think about your
on,
objective... if it’s to show participati
take screen shots of all your social
media sites (profiles, blogs, twitter
a
streams, etc.) and arrange them on
page.
If your purpose is to highlight the
content, for blog posts, copy & paste the
text and the photos of your favorites;
provide your podcast or video on a dis
k.
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7. Tricky Portfolio Pieces
Special Event: Include fliers or
invitations, media coverage,
checklist or tasks. Create a one-page
overview of event that includes
objectives, strategies/tactics and
results. Include Photos!
ns
Presentations: Print small versio
of the slides (using the “print
ste
handout” option), cut out and pa
on paper that fits your portfolio.
Think about your purpose & your
ers
audience when describing to review
Related Hobbies: O
nly include hobbi
es &
interests that relate
to the job. Be select
ive
and relate directly
to how that experien
would help you do ce
your job. If your h
obby
is photography, in
clude work exampl
and explain how th es
ey can contribute
to an
organization with
these skills.
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8. Favorite Formats
Itoya Art Portfolio Tabletop Display
Basic starter portfolio. 24 pages with 48 Hands free showing off! Horizontal format
views. Less than $10. Pages do not could present challenge, but available in
remove and you cannot add additional. various sizes. A larger format would give
This is a great place to start for J440 and you enough room to show vertical pages.
are available at the UO Bookstore. Available online.
Leather Case, Removable Pages Scrapbook/Photo Album
A nice option if you want to buy one case and Available in an array of colors and comes in
have it last for the duration of the major and 12” x 12”. It’s important to ensure this format
into your first few jobs. Rings are nice to add looks professional and not “scrapbooky.” But
and remove pages. These are available online. these books are inexpensive and can be done
well. You can add and remove pages. These are
available for purchase at a craft store or a
department store.
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