Is your Professional Portfolio up to scratch?

Many candidates fail to see the significance of having a Professional Portfolio prepared and ready for presentation to an interviewer. While not all companies might request a copy of your Professional Portfolio, there is nothing that screams out ‘I'm prepared and professional' like having your portfolio ready and available to present in an opportunity should the need arise.

Don't get confused between a Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resumé and a Professional Portfolio. They are not one and the same thing. A CV tells recruiters what your skills and qualifications are, while a Professional Portfolio includes examples testifying to your abilities, skills and qualifications.

So what is a Professional Portfolio?
A Professional Portfolio is a collection of documents that testifies evidence to your entire Career History. It contains all the documents that relate to your skills, educational qualifications, certificates, recommendations, performance appraisals, references, psychometric evaluations, personality assessments, personal validations and background checks. A Professional Portfolio contains your complete history of your entire career path and provides invaluable evidence of your achievements and career development since the inception of your career to date.

When do you prepare a Professional Portfolio?
Every individual should begin building their Professional Portfolio since the day that they leave school, starting with the Matric certificate and testimonial document as well as any special achievements or commendations received. Your portfolio is ongoing and will be updated throughout the duration of your career. Wherever possible, try to collect evidence (emails, references, etc) that delivers testimony to what you have done, what you can do and what you are qualified to do.

Gather all the information that demonstrates your skills and expertise. Wherever possible, request references from colleagues, managers, clients, tutors etc. that clearly outlines your experience and abilities as well as any special achievements. Don't be afraid to ask for these recommendations from your lecturers, colleagues or managers. Try to gather proof of any special accomplishments, even if it is the form of an email received from a manger.

How to compile a Professional Portfolio?

Once you have gathered all your documentation, sort it into a chronological order or sort it by the relevant categories or skills. Store your documents in a professional binder and slide your documents into plastic sheets to protect them from becoming tarnished. If you have articles or newspaper clippings, paste these neatly onto a piece of paper where you have added a detailed caption explaining the relevance of the photograph, article or clipping. Mark each section clearly with a tab or divider. Be sure not to let your portfolio look like an art project. While colours and photographs can make your portfolio appear more interesting, use it sparingly and only as relevant.

How to present a Professional Portfolio?
Never email your entire portfolio to a recruiter or prospective employer. You should take it along to the interview with you and use it to support comments that you have made in the interview. Where you have answered a question pertaining to your previous experience or qualifications, or special achievements, and you have evidence to that effect in your portfolio, explain to the recruiter that you wish to present them with a reference or document that will qualify your answer.

Don't bore the interviewer by taking them through every document of your portfolio and only refer to it when there is something very relevant to the interview question. Be sure that you know exactly where that particular document is so that you can flip to it quickly without having to waste the interviewer's time while you search for the document. Ensure that you fully understand the job description that you are being interviewed for, as well as the company background (culture, history, products and services) so that you know before-hand which document is most likely to be referenced during the interview in order to demonstrate that you are suited to the requirements of that particular role.

As always, be prepared and organised for your interview and only share that information which is relevant to supporting you in securing your ultimate dream job.

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