27 Using a Portfolio

Before the Interview

Prepare to Use Your Portfolio

• Review the job description and common interview questions.
  • Consider which items in your portfolio demonstrate some of the skills the job requires.
  • For hardcopy portfolios, make extra copies of these items so that you can leave them with the interviewer.
• Indicate that you have a professional portfolio on your resume or cover letter, and provide a link if your portfolio is accessible online.
• If you have a digital portfolio, bring your laptop to the interview and ask if you can use the Wi-Fi during your interview.
• Practise answering interview questions using your portfolio. Remember that showing a quality portfolio item says a lot more than a verbal answer.

During the Interview

Use Your Portfolio in One of the Following Ways

• Option 1: To answer an interview question better during the interview.
  • For example, the interviewer asks: “What do you see as your strengths?”
  • You answer: “One of my strengths is using MS Office to create presentations and documents. I have an example in my portfolio. May I show it to you?”
• Option 2: At the end of the interview.
  • If the interviewer asks, “Is there anything else you want to share with us?” You can show an item you feel incredibly proud of from your portfolio.
• Option 3: At the end of the interview.
  • If your portfolio items did not seem suitable to answer any of the interviewer’s questions, you can say: “Can I share an item from my portfolio with you?”

Tips and Advice

• Keep the focus on you, not on the portfolio. Your portfolio items should be part of your verbal answer and should not replace answering a question verbally.
• Ask the interviewer’s permission before showing items from your portfolio.
• Use your portfolio strategically; you do not need to reference it for every question.
• If appropriate, provide copies of individual items to the interviewer(s), and avoid giving over your whole portfolio.