The Writer's Portfolio: Presenting the Professional You

When would I use a portfolio?

The portfolio goes with you to the interview. It is too bulky to mail with an application letter, too long to list its contents as part of your resume. But don't hide it in the first phases of the job search. Your resume might say at the bottom, "Portfolio of Writing Samples Available on Request." Your job application letter might refer to your portfolio. Mention that a copy of that brochure you wrote last summer is in your portfolio. Offer to bring the portfolio with you when you come to the job interview that your application letter seeks.

One key use for the portfolio may be as a means of directing a job interview. Job interviews are nerve wracking. You will be nervous, and so, most likely, will be your interviewer. A portfolio can be a tool to help you maintain control and remain focused. Use your portfolio to keep an interviewer's attention on your accomplishments as a professional communicator.

Show the interviewer the document(s) you produced in an internship or a summer job. Show the interviewer the report that earned you an "A" in your documentation class. Let your work and its solid presence do the talking when you're too tired or too nervous to think of something to say.

If you're just starting, you probably won't have that much work to choose from. But even if the specific documents in your portfolio aren't all that impressive taken one at a time, assembling a portfolio in a thoughtfully crafted presentation is itself an impressive professional communication accomplishment.

The key is an effective overall presentation. The portfolio itself, considered entirely apart from its contents, will make a strong impression and go a long way toward demonstrating to an employer that you have valuable skills as a communicator.