What are Online Portfolios all About?

Whether you are an artist, a writer, a scientist, or even an events coordinator, you have the need to market yourself. As graduation quickly approaches, there will likely be one thing on your mind: finding a job. So what if you had the ability to not only find a potential employer, but the ability to direct them to a personalized site of your own creation containing an anthology of your best works, your resume, and a some basic information about yourself? Well friends, this is what an online portfolio is, and it could be the deciding factor between you and a candidate with equal qualifications.

An online portfolio serves many functions, here are a few:

1. As I mentioned earlier, it can offer an array of work samples, your resume, etc. This allows an employer direct access to your best work and gives them a chance to get to you know you a little. Humanizing a name on a piece of paper is always a good thing!
2. Going into job applications with a perfected portfolio communicates professionalism and passion for your given field.
3. An online portfolio is more accessible than scanning and mailing your creations, or attaching them to an email.
4. Online portfolios have endless potential for customization. So this means that you get to choose exactly how your site appears, and can design one that is tailored to the kind of work you want to show off.
5. Online portfolios increase your visibility ten-fold. You can put the link on your LinkedIn, your business card, and even in your email signature. So anyone who is intrigued can check out your work, and even pass it along to colleagues.
6. Online portfolios are ideal for digital works such as photographs, writing, graphic design, and more. You can’t beat the stunningly crisp quality a digital image lends itself to.

Now, how do you create one of these online portfolios? Well it’s simpler than you think. First, choose your site. WordPress, Wix, and Weebly are all good starters and they all offer a wide range of free options (with the potential for upgrades if you want to spend the cash). Each takes time to learn, but dedicating time to this will be worth it in the end. For help and tutorials visit JMU’s Lynda. Second, look over your work samples. Pick four or five of your best works that are relevant to the field you want to work in. If you feel you don’t have enough samples, then take the time to create some! Lastly, work on the aesthetics. Fields such as design or art leave room for a more creative look, whereas other fields like science or writing would be best presented in a cleaner, simpler style. Search for some inspiration if you get stuck, there are already a ton of portfolios out there, so don’t be afraid to mimic a style that you like.

To round this out, a few last words of advice: don’t provide links to your social media unless they are spotless, do present yourself in an honest and genuine way, and do put some information about yourself, but don’t make it overly personal; always be professional, and good luck!

Don’t Let This Ship Sail off Without You!

By Elaina Taylor

I remember very distinctly my parents encouraging me to intern back in high school. However, when I found out that most of them were not the paying type, I quickly dismissed them. I have plenty of time for that, I thought. Why wear dress clothes and uncomfortable shoes free of charge all summer while my friends are out and about raking in the cash? Well, let’s fast forward to the present.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am now one pretty broke college kid. Free stuff? Let me at it! Free food? Holy guacamole, where?! Looking back, it’s only after you fly the coop that you realize just how much you depended on your parents for well, everything. Now more than ever, come summertime I want to be making money and internships don’t always compensate for the work you provide. But before you write them off consider their value.

There are many benefits to interning, and the experience yields valuable tools that often cannot be acquired elsewhere. Chiefly among them is experience – this is quickly becoming a critical factor in hiring decisions. A potential employee with knowledge and experience in a given field is a much safer hire because they already have exposure to that line of work and clearly wish to work there. And with experience comes the acquisition of new skills not to mention confidence in your abilities and contributions. In a competitive job market, an internship can give you the boost you need to edge out another candidate with near similar qualifications. Additionally, internships can also provide course credit for some majors (take a peek at the undergraduate catalog to see if this applies to your major).

Lastly, internships give students the chance to network and create more contacts that could contribute to a possible job in the future. Getting a foot in the door can lead to entry-level jobs, if only because of the connections you established in the duration of your time there. But don’t forget that connections you establish with professors and fellow students could also lead to possible internships and later, job opportunities. Sometimes the best resources are right around you. I myself obtained an internship through a church acquaintance that happened to be the president of a non-profit organization headquartered in D.C. My point is that you can always find people who can help you along in your career, however adolescent it may be, and occasionally not in the most expected places. Take care to remember however, that these opportunities don’t always just present themselves, they have to be sought out and you have to be willing to work to earn your stripes.

Now that the importance of internships has been established, how do you find one? To start out, I’d suggest making a list of places you would be interested in working for and contact them directly. Also be sure to take advantage of the school resources available; JMU has job fairs and services that are specifically tailored to help students find internships and jobs. The Career and Academic Planning Center provides a wealth of related information under the Jobs and Internships tab, and beyond the biannual Career and Internship Fair also offers the Recruit-a-Duke service with recent job and internship postings. Check out Eric’s blog post below for a comprehensive summary of the services offered by the Career and Academic Planning Center!

Once you find an internship you’re interested in, send in an application and follow up! Even if you consider it to be completely out of reach you may land an interview, if only based on your tenacity to be given a chance. You may not have the skills they are looking for, but your persistence and willingness to learn just could pay off. Hint, this has happened to me before! Good luck to you all!

Looking for more information or know-how advice with regards to internships? Then be sure to take a look at my sources: Internships – Career and Academic Planning, Internship information – Academic Services Center under the College of Business

Ask Me Anything

As college students, we are all too familiar with the looming anxiety that comes with entering the job market. Most of us will inevitably spend hours, days, even weeks searching and contacting potential employers trying to land a job—any job—or if we’re really lucky, one that we might truly love and be fulfilled by. Even getting a response about a job inquiry can feel like a massive victory- but don’t celebrate just yet! The next step in the process, the interview, can really make or break the opportunities you are afforded. Although it can be a nerve-wracking process, interviews are actually a great chance to let yourself shine. For those with a less than desirable resume, interviews allow you to make up for what you are lacking on paper by demonstrating your personality and capabilities firsthand. And if you are on the opposite end of the spectrum, the opportunity to demonstrate your interpersonal skills will only further compliment the spectacular resume you worked so hard to build.

Obviously, interviewing is a stressful and ongoing process; it is not only the interview itself that matters, but also how you prepare before and follow up after the interview that will make an enormous difference—and just may get you the job!

Before the interview:

• Get to know your company and interviewer. Gathering as much information as possible about your potential employer is integral to a successful interview. Scour the company’s website, find any available information on the interviewer, or even call the company to speak with someone who is currently employed there. The more you know, the more prepared and interested you will seem.
• Dress for success. Not only will dressing professionally show that you take yourself seriously (and that others should too!) but it will also make you feel better. By looking your best, you can feel your best and ultimately perform to your maximum potential.
• Practice. Available online are a whole slew of potential interviewing questions. Make a list and practice answering each one. JMU’s Recruit-A-Duke offers two interviewing services: Practice Interview Program, in which students can schedule appointments to meet with employers and practice interviewing, and InterviewStream, which allows you to practice interviewing online using a webcam.

During the interview:

• Take your time. Always think before you speak. When the interviewer poses a difficult question, take your time to compose an answer that is worthwhile instead of rushing through with an inadequate response, or worse, blathering on about nothing.
• Ask questions. By either creating a list of questions beforehand, or writing down questions as the interview progresses, you will show your interest in the company and desire to grow as a future employee.
• Remain professional. Of course it is important to remain calm, cool, and collected during an interview, but this does not mean you should let your guard down. Feeling too comfortable with the interviewer can allow you to slip up and come off as unprofessional. Remember: the interviewer is your future boss, not your new best friend.
• Sell yourself honestly. It is integral to sell yourself during an interview, but it is commendable if you are able to remain honest at the same time. For example, the interviewer will most definitely ask what your strengths are, but will also expect you to know your weaknesses.
• Provide examples. When answering questions or referring to your skills and experience, be able to cite concrete examples. Saying that you “volunteered at a soup kitchen in Baltimore” will come off as much more respectable and noteworthy than saying something vague like you “helped those in need”.

After the interview:

• Say thank you. Just as you have gone out of your way to make time for the interview, so has the interviewer. Thanking them shows that you are grateful for the opportunity and humble enough to recognize the effort and time someone else put forth for you.
• Call them back. If you don’t hear back within a reasonable time frame (say 2-3 business days), take the initiative to call or e-mail them back, express your continued interest in the position, and politely ask if and when you can expect to hear back. This will not only show to them that your interest is sincere, but it also will help you decide your next move within your own job search.

Interested in more information? Check out these sites that helped me out!

Monster Job Interview Tips, 7 Interview Tips That Will Get You the Job