Portfolio Requirements

Contents | Format

The purpose of this portfolio is to accurately and thoroughly represent what you have accomplished during your internship. It should include final copies of all types of work you completed. There is no final journal entry included, only work you contributed to or did yourself, along with several other items as listed below. Please read carefully both the content and format requirements listed. Deviations from the instructions will result in point reductions.

Contents

Your portfolio should contain the following, and be presented in the order specified:

  1. Your résumé. If you do not have one, or it needs work, there are books in the library, and workshops through career services. I want you to research this and present a professional résumé that you would be proud to send out to a potential employer.
  2. A table of contents.
  3. Letter(s) of recommendation from your supervisor. You may, at your discretion, include letters from other relevant individuals from the organization willing to write for you. I suggest no more than three letters. Letters from faculty (except me of course) are acceptable, optional additions to the letter from your supervisor.
  4. Final versions of your work, separated into sections by type and clearly labeled. You want, for example, all news releases in a section, not mixed with an article you wrote for a newsletter. For the purposes of this portfolio, include as many examples as you have. They should, to the extent possible, be organized chronologically. I realize that some might not be considered your best work, and when submitting this for a real job interview some items might be omitted. I, however, want a more complete representation of what you have accomplished. Many of you did not include some of your work in the journals as I noted in my comments. I highly recommend you find this work and include it. Original documents, on company letterhead, etc. are best. If they are not available, then use the cleanest duplications you can obtain. One final note: proof the work carefully and be sure that it is all error free. Spelling, punctuation, grammar, or any other mistakes will reflect on your professionalism.

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Format

  1. The portfolio should be submitted in either a professional portfolio case (preferred) which has a binder and closing zipper or velcro, or in a professional 3-ring binder. DO NOT use binders with any logos, bumper stickers, or other visible paraphernalia. Find one that is large enough so that the enclosed material can easily be accessed, and the pages turned with little effort.
  2. Note content requirement #1 for identifying who the portfolio belongs to. If a prospective employer must find out by looking at material in the portfolio, they are likely to become irritated.
  3. Every page inside the portfolio should be encased in a clean plastic cover.
  4. Each section of the portfolio should be clearly labeled with its contents; either with notebook dividers (be careful -- the tags easily fall out as many of you have discovered) or color-coded paper dividers (hardstock is recommended). Use large but consistent fonts to label your sections.
  5. Unless it is absolutely, without question self-explanatory, each section and sample should have an accompanying brief but explanatory description of its purpose and your role in its creation. The preferred format is the explanation on the left page with the work on the right and subsequent page(s). Be sure to use consistent fonts throughout. Obviously your work produced is likely to have varying formats, fonts, etc. as appropriate for its purpose, but the rest of the portfolio should use consistent font and style.

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