Graphic artists, writers and other "creative" types have long used portfolios to showcase their work. Now the idea is catching on for all types of job seekers, including healthcare professionals.
A career portfolio offers tangible evidence of professional skills, knowledge, education, expertise and contributions. "Past performance is the best predictor of future performance, and a portfolio documents performance," says Kristi Granacher, senior career counselor at Fairview Health Services.
Review Your Kudos
Creating an effective career portfolio takes time. Begin by reviewing your "kudos folder." That's where you file letters of commendation, e-mails praising your work or notes of appreciation.
The folder should also include tangible examples of your achievements, like the charter for the process improvement team you led or the brochure for a professional conference you helped organize.
Assess Yourself
Next review your work history, volunteer activities, expertise and education. Can you come up with eight to 10 accomplishments? What did you do to get these results? What was satisfying about them? How can you show these achievements in a tangible form?
Then think about your goals. Do you want to deepen your knowledge in your current clinical area? Enter a different area? Move into administration?