Why You Should Create a Digital Portfolio This Week

If you’ve hung out in the Auburn Career Center or the Miller Writing Center much, you may have heard about students’ ePortfolios or digital portfolios, but to most job applicants, it may just sound like unimportant, futuristic career readiness jargon.

On the contrary, back in 2013, Forbes.com explained that 56 percent of hiring managers are more impressed with applicants’ personal websites and digital portfolios than any other element of their job applications. However, only 7 percent of candidates actually had one.

Given the ever-increasing pervasiveness of technology in the job search, it’s a fair guess that these numbers have climbed since the Forbes article was published. With only about 20 percent of applicants being granted an interview for any given job, this new marketing tool is well worth including in your job search arsenal.

So, what exactly is a digital portfolio? Put simply, they’re websites where job seekers, students and professionals can display their work, demonstrate their skills and convey their personalities in professional, flexible way. By creating a digital portfolio, you can easily direct employers to a comprehensive location containing your resume, work samples, biographical information, and other representations of what make you unique.

Because of the flexibility and opportunity for creative expression in digital portfolios, no portfolio is alike, although many professionals opt to include an HTML or PDF resume or both, along with photos and other design elements to give employers a hint of their personality and values. They also link their personal sites to your LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media accounts and include the link to their ePortfolio in their job applications, creating a web of information easily accessible by employers.

Because digital portfolios are still gaining ground in the job search world, applicants with any digital portfolio at all are likely to stand apart from their competitors. But candidates with an especially thoughtful, personally crafted ePortfolio put themselves heads and shoulders above their competition.

If you’re convinced it’s worth your time to create an ePortfolio, but you’re lacking in the technical knowledge or design chops to make it happen, don’t worry! Websites like Wix, Weebly, WordPress and SquareSpace, just to name a few, make it easy for anyone to display their work for free using pre-designed, customizable templates.

For starters, the basic components of a digital portfolio usually include some basic sections:

1. About me. This is your opportunity to introduce yourself and explain why you’ve created your website. You have freedom in this section to express yourself in whatever way you’d like: with photos, lists, inspirational quotes or a personal anecdote—any way that employers will get a sense of who you are both personally and professionally.
2. Skills and experience. Usually the reason you’ve created your ePortfolio is to have a location to store your work from classes, internships, freelance projects or full-time jobs, so it’s a good idea to first introduce what kinds of skills and experience inform your work. You can include this in a visual format with graphs, tiles or other design elements, or you can simply include a modified version of your resume on your site.
3.  Work samples. Employers enjoy looking at digital portfolios because they bring candidates’ work into their reach. Your resume and cover letter may mention your ability to draft in-depth financial plans, but displaying examples of plans you’ve actually crafted on your website takes it a step further and proves you’re as talented as you claim. However, it’s important to note that any work you include should be as blemish-free as possible; any information you provide in a job application is grounds for rejection, so make sure your work samples (and portfolio in general) are polished and pristine!
4. Contact information. If an employer stumbles onto your site through a Google search or LinkedIn, it would be helpful for them to contact you directly if they’re interested! You can include a form so they can submit messages to you directly from your site, or simply list your email address and phone number. Also include a link to your social media accounts (as long as they’re professional) to show more about your personality.

ePortfolios are fun, creative ways to show employers what a successful employee you could be to them. For more information about getting started with an ePortfolio and for samples of other students’ and professionals’ own digital portfolios, visit the Auburn Career Center’s drop-in hours or the Miller Writing Center’s ePortfolio Project.

Written by Sarah Russell

Graduate Assistant working on a MEd in Higher Education Administration

The Job Search is a Lot Like Dating...

I was talking with a friend the other day about her latest dating fiasco and it occurred to me that the dating world is remarkably like a job search. Now I certainly do not support too much crossover between the two, but the fundamentals are alarming similar.

Your dating profile and your LinkedIn profile need a lot of thought.

Faceless avatars are creepy

The picture you use will be analyzed by a recruiter or potential suitor so make it appropriate for the occasion and the audience. It is unlikely that you will use the same picture for your dating profile as you do for LinkedIn, but lighting, personality, clothing choices should all be considered when choosing. What does this picture say about me?

These profiles will also be looked at for completeness and to tell the viewer about you. Generic information or missing information does not bode well for you as a date or applicant, so be sure to fill out the profiles completely and with information that would catch the attention of your targeted audience.

Get out and meet people, both in-person and online

The number one way anyone finds a job or a date is by personal referrals. It is unlikely someone is going to track you down in your apartment to ask you out or hand you a job if you are not putting yourself out there. Having a strong network is key and leveraging your network online is a must. Simply leaving your profiles out there will do little for your search for a date or a job, you need to do some of the leg work and contact people with whom you might be interested in speaking. Being able to hold a conversation is an art that everyone needs to practice. 

Good first impression is a must.

When reaching out to a potential date or network contact, how you approach them will make or break you chances for a meeting. Opening with “I need a job” or “I need a date” will likely end with no response or a response I am not able to post in blog. For a job search, it is more appropriate to compliment the person’s career progression and ask for information and advice instead of a job. Everyone’s favorite topic is themselves, so let them talk.

When you do finally meet, be on time, dress appropriately, and be polite. This goes for dating, networking, or interviewing.

Showing interest works better than generics.

In a cover letter or initial conversation, everyone wants to feel wanted. For the job search, this means that the company to which you are applying should feel like you know about them and sought them out to apply. Do your research…you know they will be researching you.

You will be Googled.

Around 80% of employers report they are Googling potential hires. I would venture to say that number is even higher for those who are going on a date, especially if meeting online. What are they seeing about you? It is important to keep your online image clean, but even more important to be able to be found online. If you have not already done so, set a Google alert with your name so you are emailed every time you name is posted online. Also, create some professional profiles, like an ePortfolio or LinkedIn to ensure a professional image is projected.

A commitment is often being sought by one party.

Hiring a new person is a costly investment for a company. Just like dating, when a commitment is being sought, it is best to know as much as possible beforehand to make an informed decision. Whether you are looking for a long commitment or not, do not indicate to a company any plans that would take you away from your work in the near future to avoid thoughts of you leaving in less than a year.

Desperation ruins chances.

Whether you are on an interview or on a first date, it is never a good decision to tell the other person how many dates/interviews you have had recently or how badly you want a relationship/job. No one wants to be the last resort or end up with someone no one else wants. Confidence is key but avoid overconfidence if possible.

Personality plays a big part in attraction.

The vast majority of companies are very concerned with hiring someone who will fit into a company’s culture. Your personality plays a big role in showing how you would fit in a company or relationship, so it is essential you let that show through…to an extent at least. 

Remember, an interview is a lot like a first date, you are not going to share EVERYTHING about yourself, only the highlights that will keep the person interested.

Rules for following up.

I am sure there are a lot of rules out there about how long to wait before calling someone after meeting them. The same thing applies to the job search. You do not want to come off as desperate, but showing interest goes a long way. Follow up after meeting a contact within 1-2 weeks and if you have not heard back in the stated hiring time frame, follow up a few days later. There is a fine line between showing interest and being a pest…in dating and in the job search.

Rejection stinks, but is natural.

Whether you are dating or on a job search, not every person or every company is going to be Mr./Mrs. Right. It is perfectly natural and okay to be not receive a call back or be offered a job. "There are always more fish in the sea," as we are constantly reminded. How you handle the rejection will say a lot about who you are as a professional, so remember to be cordial and thank them for their time. If you are concerned that it was something you did wrong (in an interview, not on a date), you are welcome to meet with a Career Center staff member to discuss the event or practice your interview skills. 

I am sure there are even more similarities than I have expressed here; what have you noticed?