internship experience and the value of an ePortfolio

I can't say enough positive things about a solid ePortolio.

I have to keep it real here and say that mine is still very much in the evolutionary process, and still needs lots of work, however, I have learned that if you are a member of the modern workforce and don't have any kind of online presence - especially if your work involves any kind of digital media - you're already one step behind. Through the process of creating, curating, and maintaining a portfolio on the web during my internship, I've found that I feel more equipped to continue developing my career online.

Throughout the process of developing my portfolio, I was required to complete several assignments that caused me to think objectively, most specifically, creating a business brief outlining the 8 rules of nonverbal communication in the workplace. This assignment was both challenging and enlightening, and I learned a lot about professional nonverbal communicaiton in the process.

I think this course has helped me improve my professional presence by pulling together all my experience and education into one place, to tell one "story" of sorts. I've learned much about the importance of consistency in online presence, from portfolio/work website to LinkedIn profile to Twitter; to stand out, you must be consistent across each medium.

I enjoy that my ePortfolio helps me present myself as both creative and professional. I think it helps present a combination of fun personality, while at the same time communicating that I am professionally-minded, give attention to detail, and work hard.

The most challening part of my portfolio has been deciding what work to include, and I am still in the process of sorting through this. My work for several businesses and nonprofits, while applicable to some prospective clients, may not be to others, so determining what best represents me and the kind of work I like to do is a bit challenging.

In the same vein, I am still not completely satisifed with my work samples - probably because I haven't uploaded any yet! While my site, blog, etc. speak to my style, a prospective employer or client would not be able to get a great idea of what exactly I do without seeing some solid samples, results, and possible a full-length CV. I plan to continue working toward that.

I would advise future students to take full advantage of the opportunity to create an ePortfolio. Don't give half an effort; your presentation of yourself may be the first impression a future employer has of you, and if you've put little effort into it and don't really seem to care, it reflects badly on any work you do. Your ePorftolio doesn't have to be perfect right away, so don't be paralyzed, but it should be as close to perfect as you can get it! (Also, edit, edit, edit!)