Standout from Other Candidates with Your ePortfolio

I never gave much thought about ePortfolios.  I've been using a paper resume that's updated for the job I want since graduating from college 16 years ago.  If I'm interested in banking, the content and focus will be Finance.  If I apply for an educational position, the interest will reflect the specific grade level teacher in the classroom.  Recently, my resume changed dramatically when I learned about the "modern" one-pagers.  It provides a snapshot of my experiences and skills instead of highlighting abilities from each of my previous positions.  I thought this would revolutionize the way I appear to employers. However, I was mistaken; there's another way.

It wasn't until earlier this year that I encountered a co-worker who was rigorously working on their ePortfolio to highlight their creations for an instructional design position that prompted my curiosity.  Since I'm a good student, I asked many questions, "Why is it digital? How do potential employers view the link? How do you send the link? Do you still have a paper resume? What do you include in all the links? Isn't this way too much information for an employer to look at?"  Thankfully, she was patient with all my questions and stated that she learned about ePortfolios from a previous colleague at another school.  When she saw the benefits of her colleagues' hard work, she decided to give it a go.  Once completed, she graciously sent me a link to her ePortfoilo so I could browse her pages and better understand the intentionality behind the ePortfolio.

I was intrigued, so naturally, more questions were prompted, not only about the ePortfolio but also regarding Instructional Design.  I'd heard about this corporate position but didn't know how teachers were changing career paths to achieve this.  An employer quickly picked her up within weeks, and I immediately realized that I needed to pursue this.  After the school year ended, I could finally pull up the programs she shared with me.  After sitting down and focusing on the content, I realized I had no clue how to start.  Eventually, after several internet searches, YouTube videos, and one mediocre attempt, I decided this was not for me.  I went down a path of pessimistic thoughts; I didn't have anything interesting to put in it; it's too much work for an educational position; how would you send this to employers when applying for a position? And finally, I don't have the time to make it.

Several days went by, and my thoughts went back to its creation.  My thinking started going in new directions, revolving around my professional career.  I knew I was ready for a change; after eleven years of being in the classroom, my career felt stagnant.  This year will be the last in the school by changing roles to a curriculum and instruction role, working from home as an online educator, or finally changing careers and pursuing Instructional Design.  But how could I be motivated to do all this within a year's time frame for when the school year is over?  I started looking at online Master's programs and discovered that what I wanted was right there!  The classes were what I needed for the extra push into this new digital territory.  

Now that I've started courses, I've gained more knowledge in just a few short weeks than over the summer.  I'm seeing the benefits of creating an ePortfolio as a professional hub for all my work, and yes, I have more work to highlight than I initially thought.  As mentioned in, Why Use a Career ePortfolio, "A career e-Portfolio does not replace a resume or cover letter, rather it enhances them by serving as a way to supplement, support, and extend your resume."  Consequently, it increases your chances of succeeding in a competitive job market.  Potential employers can easily access current projects that you are working on. For example, your ePortfolio will have direct links imbedded within to showcase your work https://csilkin.wixsite.com/eportfolio/projects or it can take them directly back to your home page https://csilkin.wixsite.com/eportfolio.

I'm excited to see the finished ePortfolio at the end of my courses and share it with colleagues.  Many teachers want to transition from the classroom to a different role within the district.  However, this is a very competitive process, and with so many qualified candidates, the ePortfolio is a sure way to stand out among so many.   I would never have pursued this course if a fellow teacher hadn't introduced me to a digital portfolio.

Sharing with my colleagues builds solid relationships and keeps our professional careers growing.  If I had not been introduced to ePortfolios earlier this year, I would have felt stagnant in my career.  However, knowing that I’m working to create an authentic representation of who I am to send to future potential employers is exciting!  I’m forever thankful to Miranda for inadvertently sending me on this fantastic journey.  My first action plan after creating my ePortfolio will be to apply for the Digital Learning Coach position within Curriculum and Instruction.  I’ve tried several times to become part of the team; the ePortfolio will allow me to stand out among other qualified applicants.

References

School of Information. (2024).  Why use a career e-portfolio.

  https://ischool.sjsu.edu/why-use-career-e-portfolio#:~:text.