Electronic vs. Paper Portfolios

Creating the perfect portfolio is a significant part in preparing for an interview. Whether you are applying for a school, internship, or job, portfolios are extremely helpful. Presenting your interviewer with a professional-looking portfolio could be the difference between you and the other applicants. However, interviews are very stressful. There is so much to worry about such as what to wear, how to get there, how to answer those difficult questions, etc. It is almost too difficult to also remember to spend the time printing off a portfolio on fine paper and putting it all together in sophisticated folder. It would be very easy to forget something. Imagine if you had several interviews in a short amount of time. The amount of money you would spend making these portfolios could be over a reasonable budget. Even if you have all the money in the world, and you have the best memory, paper portfolios still may not be the best option. Bringing in a bulky folder to an interviewer may just mean you are adding on to the paperwork that he or she already has piled up on the desk. Once the decision is made on whom to hire or accept, all of those portfolios will just be trashed. Maybe your portfolio that you worked so hard on will be kept and filed, yet it will probably never be looked at again. It might be stored in a basement accumulating dust with all the other accepted and rejected portfolios since the company began hiring. By the end of the process, I would feel like my time and money was wasted on perfecting this packet of papers because they did not get the attention I wanted.

Thank goodness for a growing economy where almost everyone has become technologically adept. Not only is our society learning more about technology and computers and the advantages of using these, but also our society is becoming dependent on these things and not in a bad way. We are taking advantage of the mobility and freedom that technology gives us. Through technology, it is almost as if we can be anywhere at any time. Companies are making great use of technology through teleconferences, video conferencing, email, websites, Powerpoints, smart boards, etc. Schools are also incorporating these tools in the classroom as well as teaching their students how to use them. It makes sense to use these tools we have learned when applying for jobs especially since most employers are looking for technologically proficient students that can teach them a thing or two about a computer. Electronic portfolios are perfect for impressing these employers.

With electronic portfolios, you cancel out all the disadvantages of paper. You can apply for a position by sending that employer or admissions person a link to your online portfolio. Also, you can go to your interview with a simple card that has your information on it and a way to access your online portfolio. Do not worry about security issues because you can set up your online portfolio to share with only those people you want to see it. You can also do a lot more with electronic portfolios. Put as little or as much as you want on there. The employer only has to look at what he wants or needs to look at. There is room for as many writing samples as you feel necessary and you can write a description about yourself and what your portfolio contains. You can also do more with the design without worrying about printing costs. You can make it colorful, but still professional, and you can even add graphs, charts, or graphics. It is up to you what information you put on there. Online portfolios are not hard to create and do not take a long time; therefore, if you want to personalize them for a specific job, making multiple portfolios would not be a big deal. Online portfolios make interviewing so much easier and less stressful, especially if you are applying for a position far away. It would be almost impossible to have a face-to-face interview, so online portfolios would be perfect. Email and phone would be your main way of communication, and sending them a link to your online portfolio would impress your employer and make his or her job a little easier. There are so many advantages to using the internet, and our society is beginning to take notice of its benefits. It is only fitting to grow with society and take advantage of the opportunities technology has presented. I see a much greater use to online portfolios than paper portfolios, and I know that I am not the only one. Here are some links where you can read more about this:

Opeus

McGuhlin.net

The Electronic Portfolio Project