M. Reber © 6/4/2015 Portfolios Show Them What You Can Do

2 Overview of Portfolios  Definition of Portfolios  Hardcopy Portfolios  E-Portfolios

3 Definition of Portfolios – What Is a Portfolio? A collection of your best work. A presentation of all your work that is organized and annotated. A showcase of your writing and design skills to potential employers. There are two types:  Hardcopy portfolios  E-Portfolios

4 Overview of Portfolios  Definition of Portfolios  Hardcopy Portfolios  E-Portfolios

5 Hardcopy Portfolios

6  Definition of a Hardcopy Portfolio  Advantages  Disadvantages  What You Need  Content  Writing Samples  Presenting  Maintaining  Do’s and Don’ts

7 Hardcopy Portfolios – Definition An attractively packaged collection of printed writing samples  3-ring presentation binder  Leather attaché case  Leather portfolio case Printed on heavy, high-quality paper

8 Hardcopy Portfolios – Advantages Portable – easily carried to interviews Tangible – a physical representation of your work Traditional – expected by potential employers

9 Hardcopy Portfolios – Disadvantages Individuals in remote locations can not browse through it. Portfolio can be damaged or lost. Space is finite.

10 Hardcopy Portfolios – What You Need 3-ring presentation binder or leather case Dividers and labels Page protectors Pockets High-quality paper (at least 28 lb.)

11 Hardcopy Portfolios – Contents Title Page Table of Contents Resume Writing Samples Personal business cards

12 Hardcopy Portfolios – Writing Samples Choose your best quality pieces only. Select writing samples according to the job. Include a variety of document types. Limit the sample to just a few of the best pages. Select the order to present your documents:  Chronological where you display your work samples in order of date, i.e. your most recent work first.  Functional where you classify and display your work samples according to topics like instructions, reports, etc.

13 Hardcopy Portfolio – Presenting Review your portfolio and decide which samples to highlight during your interview. Prepare some presentation comments. Rehearse with a partner. Do not just hand the portfolio to the interviewer and let them flip through it. Walk the interviewer through your portfolio. Point out specific items in your portfolio to show you have skills of interest to the interviewer.

14 Hardcopy Portfolio – Maintaining Keep your portfolio fresh by adding up-to-date writing samples. Write additional pieces to fill out your portfolio or to target your portfolio to a new industry. Consider writing:  Manuals for open source software  Instructions for operating a TiVo, a digital camera, an iPod, or other gadgets  Articles related to your field of interes

15 Hardcopy Portfolios – Do’s Retain copies of your best on-the job work, whenever possible. Obtain permission to include on-the-job writing samples in your portfolio. Present content in the order you would like interviewers to see it in. Make extra copies of your resume. Make extra copies of one or two writing samples to leave with the interviewer.

16 Hardcopy Portfolio – Don’ts Don’t include documents that contain proprietary or confidential information. Don’t forget to provide your contact information. Don’t leave your portfolio behind:  Might get lost or damaged  Pages might be removed

17 Overview of Portfolios  Definition of Portfolios  Hardcopy Portfolios  E-Portfolios

18 E-Portfolios

19 E-Portfolios  Definition of an E-Portfolio  Advantages  Disadvantages  Getting Started  Content  Design/Layout  Presenting  Maintaining  Do’s and Don’ts  E-Portfolio Hosts

20 E-Portfolios – Definition An electronic version of a traditional hardcopy portfolio. An opportunity to display your writing and design skills, professional image, and knowledge. A technological component to the whole package of portfolio, resume, and cover letter. An opportunity to give employers another window into your personality and qualifications.

21 E-Portfolios – Advantages Can access work samples from a central location. Can access work samples online and from remote locations. Can show your work samples in various formats demonstrating software knowledge. Can display your web page organization and design skills.

22 E-Portfolios – Advantages (cont.) Can show employers your work before and after an interview. Can create multiple e-portfolios on the same webspace and in a short time, tailored to different job profiles. Can easily implement future updates. Can have a secondary storage for electronic files in case of a disaster.

23 E-Portfolios – Disadvantages Many hosts limit storage space that may not be sufficient to store all your work using that host. Cannot explain the following details of your work if you are not present:  Teamwork  Document timeframes  Lifecycles Do not have any control over digital copies of your samples:  Unauthorized copying  Unauthorized alteration  Plagiarism

24 E-Portfolios – Disadvantages (cont.) Proprietary information and intellectual property are at stake:  Privacy of documents and work may be compromised once they are publicly available on the web.  Copyrights of work could be put in danger when you sign up with a host.  Violation of a confidentiality agreement could lead to prosecution.

25 E-Portfolios – Getting Started Select a hosting site to store your e-portfolio. Create an account to log into the hosting site. Present a valid credit card if your hosting site requires a fee. Select the best electronic versions of your work samples to present in your e-portfolio.

26 E-Portfolios – Content Include a variety of document types like instructions, report, etc. in different formats such as Word or FrameMaker. Create one page for each of the following in your e-portfolio:  Welcome page  Education  Skills  Work history  Writing samples  References  Contact

27 E-Portfolios – Design/Layout Decide the design/layout:  Websites offer different pre-built templates, select one for your e-portfolio.  Or, custom design your e-portfolio using the tools the hosting site offers. Select the order to present your documents:  Chronological where you display your work samples in order of date, i.e. your most recent work first.  Functional where you classify and display your work samples according to topics like instructions, reports etc.

28 E-Portfolios – Presenting Send employers a link to your e-portfolio along with your cover letter. Remember to give the employers security permissions to view your e-portfolio. Show your e-portfolio during the interview. Send your e-portfolio after a phone interview. Explain your work with written or audio comments when you are not present.

29 E-Portfolios – Maintaining Keep your e-portfolio fresh by:  Adding up-to-date writing samples.  Changing your layout, color choices, style, and images. Keep backup copies of the latest version of your work samples on your computer and CDs. Protect your work with a password. Change passwords periodically to protect your files. Pay host subscriptions regularly.

30 E-Portfolios – Do’s Display work samples on your page instead of providing a link to download them if possible. Obtain permission to include on-the-job writing samples in your e-portfolio. Protect your work with a password to limit the number of people who can view it. Upload text files in PDF format to make copying your work difficult. Direct the visitor where to go, providing as many links as possible to related content on other pages. Present content in the order you want interviewers to see it.

31 E-Portfolios – Don’ts Don’t upload large images:  They slow down the loading of a page  The storage space on the site is usually limited Don’t forget to provide your contact information. Don’t forget to keep the latest version of your e-portfolio in a folder on your computer in case of mishap Don’t use serif fonts. Some users read information in UNIX clients, which does not always display serif fonts correctly. Don’t talk about “this document” or “this manual” or “these instructions” in your work samples page.

32 E-Portfolios – E-Portfolio Hosts Writer’s Residence Google Sites WordPress ImpactFolio EFolioWorld iFreelance

33 E-Portfolios – Writer’s Residence Is accessible at com. Is tailor-made for journalists and writers to create online portfolios.

34 E-Portfolios – Pros of Writer’s Residence Offers a free 30-day trial to everyone or a one- year free subscription to students with a school address. Displays samples of work in whole-page published format. Offers unlimited storage space for work samples. Does not display ads on the site.

35 E-Portfolios – Cons of Writer’s Residence Offers only a few templates which limits customization. Offers limited number of pages and page titles. Clutters the website in case of multiple writing samples. Eliminates styles once writing samples are pasted into site pages. Does not protect copyrights since content cannot be restricted.

36 E-Portfolios– Google Sites Is accessible at com. Is a well known name on the web. Is based locally in California.

37 E-Portfolio Hosts – Pros of Google Sites Is free and easy to use. Offers fully customizable templates. Restricts e-portfolio viewership with passwords and permissions. Provides 10 GB storage space which is ample for writing samples. Allows as many pages as you like. Integrates videos from YouTube.

38 E-Portfolio Hosts – Cons of Google Sites Page navigation can be confusing for first time users. Color hex charts and links are not provided for users who want to customize color schemes. Options for page layout are limited. Individual files more than 10MB in size cannot be uploaded.

39 E-Portfolios – WordPress Is accessible at com. Looks and feels more like a blog than an e- portfolio on first presentation.

40 E-Portfolios – Pros of WordPress Offers free hosting service. Is easy to use even for a non technical student. Provides over 60 themes for page layout and design. Offers privacy with members-only blog options. Blocks spam. Saves your posts frequently as you write.

41 E-Portfolios – Cons of WordPress Offers only 3 GB storage space which is not much for samples with images. Does not provide a preview when editing. Does not offer an ad free space without paying a yearly fee.

42 E-Portfolios – ImpactFolio Is accessible at folios.com. Host is geared more towards artists. Lends a professional image.

43 E-Portfolios– Pros of ImpactFolio Provides a near unlimited space to upload files. Provides over 25 customizable website templates. Secures individual files with separate passwords. Provides watermarking option. Displays ad free web pages.

44 E-Portfolios – Cons of ImpactFolio Cost of opening and maintaining the site is not ideal for a student on a budget. It limits only six web pages for content. Host promotes the commercial sale of work which may not be ideal for writers working with intellectual property and classified material.

45 E-Portfolio Hosts – EFolioWorld Is accessible at Designed for career seekers, students, educators, and institutions to organize, manage, and display academic and career information.

46 E-Portfolio Hosts – Pros of EFolioWorld Offered to students free of charge at twelve California community colleges in the California Virtual Campus (CVC) program called eFolio California. Defined security and user permissions restrict who can view the e-portfolio.

47 E-Portfolios– Cons of EFolioWorld Needs institutional licensing to use this host. Does not allow text editing and formatting on Mac. Allows only Word, PDF, and HTML documents. Associates work with an institution, which may not be ideal for freelance writers.

48 E-Portfolio Hosts – iFreelance Designed for freelance writers, photographers, and more Connects buyers to service providers (you) Connects service providers (you) to projects

49 E-Portfolio Hosts – Pros of iFreelance Offers marketing tools to maximize portfolio visibility. Does not charge any commission on money you earn. Creates a personal URL for your portfolio. Provides a cool thumbnail view of your writing sample before the viewer opens the attachment. Offers discounts for longer membership agreements.

50 E-Portfolio Hosts – Cons of iFreelance Membership level and pricing structure limits storage space and determines position in directory and bid searches. Allows advertisements to clutter the look of the E-Portfolio.

51 E-Portfolios – Comparison Table Writers Residence Google Sites WordPressImpactFolioEfolioWorldiFreelance Cost 30 days trial 1 year free for students $8.29/ month Free 30 days trial $21/ month $50 setup fee Free with institutional license $3.75- $12.00/ month based on member- ship level and length of agreement Storage Unlimited 10 GB3 GBAbout 10 GB25 GB 5 samples to unlimited Security No Password protection available Password protection Watermarking Individual file protection Password protection No Password protection available

52 E-Portfolios – Comparison Table (cont.) Writers Resi- dence Google Sites Word Press Impact Folio Efolio World iFreelance Customi -zation One pre- built template Limited customi- zation Basic template 25 fully customizabl e templates Limited customi- zation Extras Phone and support Integrates videos from YouTube  Blog included  Pay extra for Ad-free space  Upload music and video  HTML editor  Blog Marketing and performance tools

53 E-Portfolios – Student Sample of Writer’s Residence Accessible at

54 E-Portfolios – Student Sample of Google Sites Accessible at

55 Technical Writing At De Anza College The purpose of De Anza’s Technical Writing Program is to help you build your portfolio and reach your career goals! For in-depth information, go to

56 Technical Writing Program at De Anza College Receive comprehensive instruction in resume writing, interviewing, and job hunting. Build a professional portfolio that will blow away your competition in an interview. Explore career and professional opportunities through research and interaction with industry professionals. Receive job postings through the Technical Writing Department listserv. Develop planning, analysis, organization, project management, and business communication skills relevant to a variety of fields to achieve your personal career goals. Learn from professionals with years of industry experience Gain experience creating documents from proposals and progress reports to a 50 page camera-ready instructional manual. Earn either an AA Degree or a Certificate of Achievement in Technical Writing from De Anza’s acclaimed program.

57 Technical Writing Program at De Anza College: Core Courses TWRT 61 Introduction to Technical Writing: Introduces basic writing techniques for technical communications. Topics include functional description, process writing, technical vocabulary, resumes, and technical editing TWRT 62 Survey of Technical Writing: Focuses on technical and business writing assignments such as feasibility reports, progress reports, and proposals TWRT 63 Technical Publications: Expands on the planning, writing, and editing skills learned in previous classes to design and write a camera-ready technical manual TWRT 64 Technical Writing Seminar: Applies acquired skills to create specialized technical projects, such as web pages and newsletters, within a team environment

58 De Anza College Marrietta Reber Department Chair of Technical Writing (408) 864 – faculty.deanza.edu/reberm

59 No Time for a De Anza Course? Want One-on-One Coaching? Marrietta Reber Executive Upgrade Consulting