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Tool kit

Tool kit image (wrench) Every successful work search starts with a strong application. The tool kit can help you navigate the world of résumés, cover letters, interviews, portfolios and networking.

Not sure where to start? Check out our roadmap to the tool kit.

Put together a portfolio

A strong career portfolio can bring an interview to life. Put together a continuous portfolio to keep records of your projects, skills and achievements. Then pick appropriate artifacts to share at job interviews.

Portfolio basics

A portfolio is a visual, organized and portable collection of documents and artifacts that provides a cumulative record of your experience, skills, knowledge, accomplishments, and attributes. There are two types of portfolios: (1) master portfolio (2) presentation portfolio. Learn more about the types of portfolios and how to present them below. For a hard copy of this resource, download the Portfolio basics info sheet.

Type 1: Master portfolio

A master portfolio is a comprehensive collection of the information and documents that you feel are important markers in your career development. The primary audience for this portfolio is you. You use it to store information that you may want to access as your career develops. You would not normally show this to employers as it will just be too big. There are many benefits to creating a master career portfolio:

Allows you to observe patterns and areas of exploration in your career
Helps you to clarify what you want to build in your career
Enhances your self-esteem and confidence as you identify strengths and see concrete evidence of your progress
Helps you create career-related documents such as résumés, cover letters, personal websites and employment proposals
Prepares you for career events such as meetings with employers, interviews and performance reviews

Type 2: Presentation portfolio

A presentation portfolio is a small collection of critical documents that you assemble from your master portfolio and present to an employer. If you spend the time to create and maintain a master portfolio, you’ll be able to quickly put togetherpresentation portfolios when you need them.

Storing your portfolio

Once you have gathered together your information and artifacts and put them into categories, you will want to find an effective way to store them. You may need two forms of storage, one electronic and one hard copy. The most common ways to keep your hard copy documents are in a binder with plastic page protector sheets or in a file box. Your prime concern is to find a way for you to keep your documents together in a way that is easy to access and flexible to use.

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