Portfolios
In your view, what do the most successful portfolios contain? Can you think of exceptional examples that students have developed over the years?
In the nature of our work, Massage Therapy, a standard portfolio is not appropriate. However, we utilize professional vitae extensively.
This is fairly similar in content, but vastly different in formatting. I encourage students to start from the very 1st term they're here by breaking down subcategories: Professional, Volunteer, Personal Interest. Then include events they have already participated in that demonstrate employable skills/qualities.
A graduate that was licensed in CT for a long time was seeking licensure in a state that required a different test than what she had taken. Based on her professional vitae alone, the Board granted her state licensure. I was so happy for & proud of her for following through with this invaluable habit.
Our students are able to collect quite a few things while attending school that are wonderful in a portfolio; President's List Honors and Perfect Attendance Awards, Honor Society memberships just to name a few. We also include a Mission Statement, copy of their resume and letters of recommendation if they have any. We always suggest that they ask for a recommendation letter from their externship sites.
Hi Gretchen,
Thank you for sharing such an extensive list of portfolio contents - great ideas!
Robert Starks Jr.
Dependent on their field of study, the most successful business portfolios I have seen in the past are comprised of current cover letter, resume, references, letters of recommendation/accodalades, transcripts with graduating GPA (if impressive), additional certifications/awards, sample writing plans, sample business plans, sample marketing plans, tri-fold advertising brochures and business card samples. With an Esthetics graduate, it is similar in regards to cover letter, resume, reference page, letters of recommendation, additional certifications and licenses pursued, but also includes photos of their work. This ranges from before and after shots and sample make-up artistry work.
No, not at this time, but I think that is a great idea! I definitely believe that students are motivated by receiving public acknowledgement.
Hi Viola,
I like that you mention awards. Does your office have an awards program to recognize professionalism, communication skills, or other "soft skills?" I've seen more and more career services offices developing training programs to help students develop these professional skills. Adding an awards program could incentivize students and allow them to build more achievements for their resume. Do you do anything like this?
Robert Starks Jr.
Definitely letters of recommendation are a popular addition. Our students also add their awards like perfect attendance or honors, if they receive them.
Hi Vanessa,
Consider specifically asking for new ideas of ways in which students can demonstrate skill in their portfolios and see what employers tell you! It might lead to some innovative ideas.
Robert Starks Jr.
I haven't really had feedback about portfolios. I've gotten more feedback about resumes than anything else. But, perhaps, I'm asking the wrong questions. It's definitely something to think about.
Hi Vanessa,
Have you asked employers what they may like to see in a portfolio? Have they communicated any preferences perhaps from advisory board meetings or in your conversations?
Robert Starks Jr.
Honestly, I can't think of anything that stands out in my mind. We do have them keep copies of any projects they've done in school that can be used. We also have them keep any certifications they may have in their portfolio as well.
Hi Amber,
Thanks for sharing. I love that you incorporate a portfolio in the education process. Because I'm not aware of what precisely is on your evaluation forms, I'm not sure if this would make sense but if anything were quantified such as ratings from evaluations in which a Likert scale was used, that data could actually be used to generate a line graph in Excel to visually show improvement but also demonstrate other qualities skills possessed by the graduate.
I've interviewed people before for staff positions and one young lady impressed me so much, I still remember her. She came in with a binder and used feedback data from reviews and customer satisfaction surveys (that included Likert scales) and created graphs visually showing her improvement over time. This demonstrated not only her skill but her analytical skills, her communication skills, her ability to use Excel, her attention to detail, her sales skills (persuasively communicated her skills) and the extent to which personal development and improvement mattered to her. 99.9% of people will never monitor their progress in this fashion and go through the trouble of graphing it out!
My point is, it was impressive. Consider these types of ideas to further enhance your students' portfolios and look for opportunity to help them display quantifiable data in areas that matter to employers. I can imagine that there is lots of focus on massage alone when in reality, they may be asked to sell products, upsell services, and of course, build long-term clientele. How can students demonstrate all of these types of skills in a portfolio?
Robert Starks Jr.
Our students complete clinical trials here on campus throughout the course of their study. We therefore encourage students to include at least 10 of the evaluation sheets they received from clients with compliments and criticisms. We even sometimes encourage them to include the "not so great" reviews from earlier in the clinicals to show the improvement and growth they had throughout the program.
Our students are in the allied health field so they often have not completed special projects to include in their portfolios. However, we always encourage our students to try and get a letter of recommendation from his or her supervisor or the physician in the practice. Our community is very small and so a letter of recommendation can go a long way. We also encourage our students to include any certifications they receive.
