Let’s look at the words “career” and “portfolio” separately. Richard Bolles, author of “What Color is your Parachute,” says, “A career is technically your total life in the world of work.” Dictionary.com defines “career” as “a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking.”

Jennifer Margison, career services manager at the University of Victoria, defines “portfolio” as “a portable collection of papers and/or artifacts presented in a variety of formats which can represent a broad range of one’s life.” The American Heritage Dictionary defines “portfolio” as “a) a portable case for holding loose papers, photographs or drawings. b) The materials collected in such a case, especially when representative of a person’ work.”

A career portfolio brings together the tangible artifacts from your world of work. It is a visual representation of your skills, abilities, values, interests, knowledge and capabilities that provides evidence of your talents. It can communicate your potential as an employee. It is a marketing tool that can give you the edge not only during your job search but when you are preparing for a performance appraisal or seeking a promotion.

The process of putting together a career portfolio is just as important as having one. The act of collecting all of those artifacts is a great way to assess where you have been, what you have accomplished and where you would like to go. Creating your portfolio is a terrific self-evaluation experience that can build confidence, create clarity and give your career direction. The career portfolio should contain information that reflects your skills, knowledge and experience as they relate to the jobs for which you are interviewing.

A career portfolio provides many benefits to a job seeker. During an interview it can help you

• Demonstrate your accomplishments.
• Increase your credibility.
• Stand out from other candidates.

When you begin the practice of maintaining a portfolio, you will begin to think more deeply about who you are and what gifts and talents you have to offer. Remember that your career portfolio will be a work in progress – just like you are.

“One can never be certain where our careers will lead today,” says Martin Kimeldorf in “Portfolio Power: The Creative Way to Showcase Your Job Skills and Experience.” “Therefore, use a portfolio to keep track of where you have been. It may just help you get to where you are going next.”

For more information on career portfolios: http://www.quintcareers.com/job_search_portfolio.html