University:
Boston University
Course:
QST SM 101 | Introduction to Management
Academic year:

2023
Views:

339

Pages:

2
Author:

Ruth Delacruz

Portfolio Tips: Organization The purpose of an engineering portfolio is to make it easy to hire you! 1. Razor-focused on skills Skills will get you hired, so... Projects should focus on relevant skills that make you hirable! Highlight your individual contributions on group projects. Emphasize what you learned if a project’s outcome didn’t work out (troubleshooting, resiliency, learning from difficulty are good traits to have) 2. Best: Organizing portfolio by skills Use projects as examples that demonstrate specific skills. It’s OK to use a project in multiple skill sections. Make sure that clicking a project under a given skill navigates to dedicated content related to that skill. Also include quick project summary for context. Develop a flexible framework that allows for easy navigation within specific skills and between specific skills. 3. Also acceptable: Organizing portfolio by projects If you already have a portfolio organized by projects, be sure to provide a bulleted list of skills used in that project, making them easy to find. HOLD ON, WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO, AGAIN? An engineering portfolio is a website that showcases your projects and experiences. It presents your work in a mostly visual format and demonstrates your skillset and specialty as an engineer. Portfolio Tips: Writing & Visual Style 1. Layout Does “I have to interview this candidate” jump off the page? Visually engaging (photos, drawings, 3D models, etc.) Consistency: Use same organizing structure across your entire portfolio. Easy to navigate AND identify your relevancy & compatibility for the job. 2. Refined writing style Writing is an indication of how you think and communicate Summarize project contexts and outcomes concisely. Use bullets instead of big block paragraphs. Use efficient language balanced with key details. Embrace the editing process (write, read, edit, rewrite, repeat) 3. Authentic to your true style You get to choose which visual style you are most comfortable with. You’ll feel more confident and be more likely to invest time into your engineering portfolio if it truly represents you. WISDOM FROM HIRING MANAGERS Technical writing is an art form. A portfolio is an opportunity to get better at this art form. (On average, 40% of your time as an engineer will be spent writing) A portfolio is a living document that you should spend time updating as your career progresses so that you are ready for future opportunities. There are dozens of hosting platforms out there with differing levels of functionality & costs. If you are job hunting, consider temporarily paying a premium to ensure your portfolio is highly user friendly (ex. subscribing to LinkedIn premium while actively job searching)