Members Online Mentor

Portfolio Essentials

You know the job-hunting routine. You've tapped into the hidden job market using your network of friends, family, and acquaintances to gain advantage in finding the openings. You've designed your resume to highlight your skills and talents so you'll stand out from the crowd of applicants. But wait--before you head off to that important interview, you need to create a portfolio to show off your work. In this month's column, I'll talk about portfolios--why use them, what to put in them, and how to use them during your interview.

Why do you need a portfolio?

First and foremost, a portfolio shows a prospective employer that you know how to do the job. Would you hire kitchen designers without seeing pictures of their past work? Would their assertion that they've been kitchen designers for two years be all the evidence you needed to hire them to create your dream kitchen? Probably not. I like to see proof of a person's ability to perform a job. So do employers. We writers and editors must be prepared to show proof of our expertise and be able to explain our processes to the person on the other side of the desk.

What goes into a portfolio?

To begin building a portfolio, you need to collect samples. What constitutes a sample? Your work samples include anything that you've created or worked on. Linda Werner of Werner and Associates in Seattle says, "Save everything. Save every sort of writing or editing you do." She says that writers or editors need to save not just the results of their work and projects, but also the markups and interim versions (including the original), too. Then when you're proudly pointing out a page from a manual to interviewers, they can see for themselves how badly written or designed the original was and appreciate the work you put into the revision.

I'd like to add that I find it very helpful to keep a work journal, too. I write about the problems we faced on a project and detail the part I played in solving them. That reminds me of the key points I want to mention during my interview. I always think I'll remember those times, because they're pretty intense, but I don't. Let a few months go by, and I can't remember what all of the fuss was about any more.

I don't agonize too much about the form of my portfolio. Since I'm not a graphics designer, I find that a plain white or black binder works just fine. The key for writers and editors is not so much what you put your samples in, as long as they are neat and somewhat attractively displayed, but how you organize and detail your portfolio. I use tab dividers between my projects. I also include a page at the front of each section that describes a bit about the circumstances and criteria involved in that project. That helps me remember what I want to say, and in the rare cases when interviewers actually would prefer to read what I'm saying instead of hearing it from me, the overview page gives complete enough information for them to appreciate the significance of the sample.

People ask, "How big should my portfolio be?" I always include everything that I'm particularly proud of, everything that received any sort of special mention by previous customers or employers, everything that won an award, and one sample of every type of writing, editing, or graphic work I've done. How about projects that you worked on with a team? These days, many documents and web pages are developed by teams. Yes, include samples of those, too. Just describe the part you played in creating the sample in your project description page. In the case of the longer manuals I've written, I include two or three representative pages that I like as my sample. Remember, you don't have to talk about, and they don't have to look at, everything you bring to the interview.

How do you use your portfolio in your interview?

When you arrive for the interview, put your portfolio right on the table (or your lap if they don't provide a good space). When the interviewer asks you to describe how you contributed to your past projects, say "For this project I had to É" and open up your portfolio to the proper place. They'll not only have your words (and you'll have visual reminders of what you want to say), but they can see your work, too--visual proof that you know how to do the job.

In conclusion…

Portfolios take time to plan, design, and build. If you have a huge stack of samples, sort through to find the pieces you're especially proud of. Then go through that stack, one at a time, and write up a few paragraphs about why each one is special. If you do one a day, you'll eventually get through them all. Then, write out notes to attach to the other samples so you'll remember what you did on those projects. Some of your samples you'll never show anyone. That's okay. But, you also never know when even an old sample will suddenly become relevant for this latest job opportunity. So save it anyway.

Write to me and tell me of your experiences with your portfolio. How did you build it? What tips do you have to pass on to those who haven't done theirs yet?

Next month I'll pass on some advice from hiring managers and local recruiters about resumes. Until then, take care.

By Geri Frick.
Geri Frick has worked as a technical communicator for over 15 years. Join her here next month for the next installment of Member's Online Mentor. Send Geri your ideas or questions at Gerifrick@yahoo.com