Saturday, May 25, 2013

Perfect and Professional Portfolio-ism


For internships, jobs, and even student organizations, PR students have to go through several interviews. Of course with an upcoming interview comes the re-wiring of your portfolio. Whether you are just starting to put together your portfolio or updating it, following these few steps can lead your portfolio to perfection.

Compile all the pieces. Since public relations consists of a broad range of skills, there are plenty of options for material for a portfolio. The majority of your portfolio will consist of writing pieces of all different kinds: press releases, media alerts, PSAs, media kits, pitch letters, articles, and even informal blog posts. Make sure to include pieces that reflect your relevant skill set, even things such as graphic design or media technology.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget to grab a program from any event you’ve worked or volunteered at. Add them to your portfolio to show that you’ve been out and about in the world of public relations at events, not just writing from an office!

Find the perfect fit. By the time you graduate, you’ll probably need a 3” inch binder, but don’t overcompensate as a beginner. Open space will take away from the neat look of your portfolio. Pick out a binder that is going to accommodate what you have currently, and then move on up in size.

Perfect your resume. Edit your resume for the specific position you are interviewing for, adding any newer relevant positions you hold. Always keep a few copies of your resume in the front of your portfolio. If you’re using a binder, slide them in the outside sleeve. You could be surprised by multiple interviewers and wouldn’t want to be without copies for everyone.

Use a peer review. Ask fellow students and friends to take a look at your portfolio. They can check out your resume and writing for any small errors you may not have noticed, and catch if your portfolio has the right appearance. The more eyes to view it, the better.

Overall, you want your portfolio to come off like yourself do in an interview: cool, calm, and collected.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Alyssa Guckin.

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