Principles of Architecture & Construction Career Portfolio to Document Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities What you see is what you get—the career portfolio gives individuals the opportunity to present their best work.
Career Portfolio Collection of your work that represents your skills and abilities Snapshot of your communication, technical, problem-solving, and research skills Valuable tool to share with prospective employers Resumés, sample work for your profession, awards, and accomplishments The resumé is a common source for prospective employers to learn about the best employees. Many employers count heavily on a career portfolio to determine what individuals have really accomplished.
Cover Letters Introduces a candidate to the prospective employer Works cooperatively with the resumé Adjusted according to the job you are seeking Cover letters will frequently determine the fate of prospective employees. Errors in the letter and poor format will frequently result in the prospective employer eliminating the job applicant.
Cover Letter Three paragraphs: Paragraph 1 states the purpose of the letter and should include a brief statement about the company to indicate that you have conducted research Paragraph 2 should sell yourself (skills and personal experience) Paragraph 3 closes the letter by reinforcing why you would be good for the company and requesting an interview The cover letter is a reflection of the potential employee’s writing capabilities. This letter should introduce the employer to a potential employee. The letter must be succinct, using proper grammar and interesting sentence structure.
Resumés that Make an Impact Functional Qualifications are organized by related skills or experiences Chronological Shows employment history in reverse chronological order from most to least recent Combination Combines functional and chronological resumés (begins with a powerful summary of professional profile) Functional resumés are good for individuals who have been in the workforce for a substantial period of time. These resumés are a good fit for individuals with industry experience—individuals who have not recently graduated from college. Combination-combines functional and chronological resumés (begins with a powerful summary of professional profile) The chronological resumé makes it easy for the potential employer to follow an applicant’s career ladder. This form of resumé will also raise a red flag on job hoppers.
Resumés that Make an Impact Curriculum vitae Conservative resumé that emphasizes educational credentials, academic projects, presentation, awards and honors Electronic resumés Format is important Sometimes prospective employers prefer a curriculum vitae that highlights two or three areas. Electronic resumés have become increasingly popular with online career website. Electronic resumés with errors will turn off potential employers. All resumés must be free of errors.
Parts of the Resumé Objective Education Professional Skills Related Activities Honors and Awards References Individuals preparing a resumé can use a worksheet to complete the major sections. All information on the resumé must be accurate.
What to Do Now? High-quality sample projects for the portfolio Internships and work experience Resumé that you keep building Now is the time for high school students to make an impact on their career path. Portfolios will help students get accepted to universities that offer degrees for their ultimate goals.