To Look Like A Fox In An Interview, Do This

Five tips to make your work portfolio look tops

When you go into a job interview you should be ready to show your professional communications work. But preparing your communications portfolio for your prospective employer takes some work.

Your first step in building your professional portfolio is buying a standard one-inch, white binder with outside sleeves on both the front and back covers. You should also buy a booklet of tabbed dividers with at least six tabs that are numbered one to six.

Now that you have all the tools you need, you can build your communications portfolio. Here’s what your portfolio should include:

1) A cover sheet: The cover sheet should have your name, phone number and email address as well as your professional title/identifier. You should also use your cover sheet to provide a list of the types of writing samples included in the portfolio (e.g., press releases, speeches, fact sheets). Place the cover sheet inside the binder’s front sleeve.

2) A table of contents: The table of contents should provide a list of all the types of items in the portfolio, in the order they appear, by tabbed divider. The table of contents should go before the first tab.

3) Your resume: Your resume should be placed after the first tabbed divider. Your resume should be no longer than two pages for a private sector job. A five-page resume is fine for a federal job.

4) Your writing samples: Each of five writing samples should be placed after tabbed dividers two to six, as listed in your table of contents. Your strongest writing sample should go after tabbed divider two.

5) Your biography: Your biography should be two to three paragraphs long and be “values-focused.” In other words, your biography should be tied to your personal commitments (e.g., increasing education, enhancing personal health practices, etc.). Additionally, your biography should focus on your accomplishments. Please note, that your biography shouldn’t include your education: Your education should be in your resume. Place your biography in the back sleeve of your binder.

Your well-organized personal portfolio will be your first product for your prospective employer. Make sure you put the effort into making it look professional. During your interview it will be able to use it as a tool to support stories about your successes as a communicator.