Building your professional portfolio - HER JOURNEY

Do you have a professional portfolio?

When I started my new job in US, no one knew about the work I had done previously and who I was professionally. I had to introduce myself professionally. I found it very difficult to talk about the work I had done and my accomplishments. I quickly learned the importance of having my professional portfolio and started creating one to cover my work experience in Germany. Today, in addition to my regular Resume/CV, my professional portfolio is a crucial artifact in my toolkit. I encourage everyone to create and maintain your professional portfolio.
In this post, I share some fundamental principles and my Mentees’ journey to creating her and maintaining her professional portfolio.  This post is co-authored by Jovian Chen.
 
What is a professional portfolio?

• A professional portfolio is an organized collection of relevant documents and artifacts that showcase your talents, most relevant skills, and charts your professional growth. (Source: Developing a Professional Portfolio).
• It is a snapshot of your work that highlights your value, skills, experience, and accomplishments.
• Your portfolio can include a professional bio, project outline, work samples, positive feedback/review, awards/recognition, training, growth areas and much more.

 
Why do you need a professional portfolio?
I like the view shared in the themuse article "Why You (Yes, You) Need a Professional Portfolio" on why you need a professional portfolio.
“Think of it like this: As a professional (regardless of your field), you are a business of one. When a company chooses to employ you, it is “purchasing” your business’ service. You can think of your professional portfolio as a marketing brochure for the services you are selling. By showcasing your skills, abilities, and achievements, your portfolio helps your customers (your employers) and prospects (your potential future employers) understand what services you provide and why they are special—and worth the purchase price!”
Your professional portfolio can help you do the following:

• Track your progress and growth.
• Present yourself during job Interviews.
• Provide proof of your work for performance reviews.
• Provides you with concrete leverage for salary negotiations.
• Motivate you by showcasing your achievements.

 
Jovian's journey
Jovian is an Asian American who grew up in Southern California. She is a thriving interactive Project Manager. She specializes in leading User experience and Innovation projects.

How long have you been keeping your professional portfolio?
I have been keeping a work portfolio for almost two years now. Initially, my only existing documentation of my work experience was my resume, but I realized that the descriptions I had were very high-level. Resumes are great for providing an overview of my entire career and educational background for recruiters, but my portfolio enabled me to have growth conversations within my company that extend beyond three bullet points. Similar to how resumes are updated continuously, I do the same for my work portfolio. 

Why do you have a professional portfolio?
I started keeping a portfolio at the suggestion of Marie-Christin, who has been an amazing mentor and professional sponsor to me. Keeping a portfolio allows me to share updates during our monthly check-ins easily. It provided a visual overview of the skills I have acquired and challenges that I have faced on various projects. My portfolio also served a key role in starting a conversation on the promotion process with my manager. Most importantly, I was able to set aside time to reflect on my career path and receive feedback.  

How did you build your professional portfolio?

1. I started by chronologically listing the projects I had worked on thus far, summarized by a table of contents.
2. Then I broke down each project into areas that I wanted to focus on, such as Responsibilities, Skillsets, and a Growth Plan. (See example at the bottom of the post)
3. I reviewed my portfolio with my mentor, and we discussed the goals I have set for myself. During this time, I made sure to ask for her input to gain a new perspective on a particular challenge or method of project management. I also included a list of managers/advisors that I have worked closely with that can speak to my performance.
4. To conclude, I created a simple slide that outlined high-level goals that I want to achieve. 

What is the most significant benefit of having your portfolio? How has it helped you so far?
In addition to my resume, Linkedin profile, and personal website, my portfolio is a centralized workspace where I can take a deep dive analysis into my career trajectory. Each version helps me track milestones in my professional journey. I encourage you to do the same! I know that several years later, I will be able to look back and piece together my journey and track my growth. It is helpful to see how my goals have evolved. Now I have a reference document whenever I am asked about my background and work experience.

What were some of the challenges you faced initially or still encounter with your portfolio?

• Reviewing what I have worked on and organizing my experiences in a textual format allowed me to revisit the different tracks of work that I owned. Finding the time to have internal reflections was more challenging than I thought. It was interesting to note that although my role centers on managing projects for clients, I struggled to find time in managing my own “career project.”
• Another challenge I faced in creating my portfolio was determining the optimal format. Excel, PowerPoint, Word document? Eventually, I found PowerPoint to be my preferred choice due to its ease of use, customization, and presentation. The content of my portfolio is always changing, and I can say the same for the format as well. Once I start my reflection and sift through past challenges, lessons, and goals, I feel a sense of accomplishment and anticipation for the journey ahead.  

What are the top 3 lessons you have learned through the process?
Lesson 1: Set actionable goals each time you make an update on your portfolio. Ask yourself:

• “What can I still improve on?”
• “How have I grown since my last revision?”
• “Who can help me achieve these goals?”

Lesson 2: It is easy to get caught up in the details of your day-to-day. Find time for yourself to journal, talk with a mentor, anything that will allow you to zoom out and see the bigger picture.  
Lesson 3: Share this with someone that can help you achieve your goals. Learning from other people’s experiences is extremely valuable, and it is essential to start building a community that will support you.  

Final thoughts

• Thanks, Jovian for sharing your journey with us.
• Every woman should have a professional portfolio.
• Start building your portfolio today. See some great resources below.

 
Great resources

• Why You (Yes, You) Need a Professional Portfolio
• Developing a Professional Portfolio
• How and Why You Need To Make a Career Portfolio
• Professional Portfolio Examples and The Pros and Cons of Each Type
• Creating Your Professional Portfolio
• Preparing a Portfolio
• 51 Items to Include in Your Job Career Portfolio
• Set Yourself Apart: How To Create Your First Professional Portfolio
• Why You Need a Professional Portfolio

Jovian's Example