a final word about online portfolios

The creation and/or curation of an ePortfolio has been one of the most practical aspects of my college career. My final semester is drawing to a close and while I’m keeping some binders full of notes and lectures from my favorite classes, and some of the more useful textbooks, my ePortfolio will be the most accessible quick and thorough reference for my coursework.

Creating an online portfolio caused me to carefully weigh my words, and work to convey my message – about who I am and what I do – clearly and professionally. This was a challenge, but it was a fun challenge. It becomes necessary to be your own editor, designer and researcher, and these are powerful skills when entering the job market.

I think I have improved my professional presence in incremental steps with each class I have taken that has required an ePortfolio, and now, although of course I plan to keep making updates, adjustments and improvements, I feel that my portfolio presents a polished view of who I am and what I do. One of things I like most about my online portfolio is the ease with which I can transition this site to my own domain and build on what I’ve already created. I actually like my portfolio; it’s not just a class project.

One of the most challenging aspects for me has been the videos, because while I enjoy speaking and the editing process, from a tech standpoint, my equipment (either an iPhone camera or webcam on my computer) leaves much to be desired in the quality of the videos. In retrospect, a crash course or some YouTube tutorials on videography and editing may have helped me produce with better quality, even if I was still restricted with equipment.

I would advise all future ePortfolio students to make the most of this opportunity. Even though you want to convey that you’re a fun, cool person (I mean, my website’s main page features a picture of me wearing a clown nose), you want to keep your main focus on the professional image you are creating. You should be willing to put your portfolio website on your resume, and expect recruiters and potential employers to check it out. I found it helpful to keep that in mind the entire time I worked on my portfolio. Do not coast through, do not put in a half-hearted effort. This is part of the education you’re working so hard for – be willing to put in the time and creativity, and then let it work for you. You won’t be disappointed.