Electronic Portfolios: Impact on Career Development or Academic Studies

In various areas such as academic studies and career development, electronic portfolios have been used in place of the old collections that were paper-based. An electronic portfolio is a collection of resources in digital form and stores or captures in an online fashion the progress, achievements and activities of persons throughout distinct activities. The activities may include career development, experimental learning and educational programs. According to mun.ca (n.d.) of Memorial University on their Career Development and Experimental Learning article, the portfolios are commonly referred to as ePortfolios. The presentations are made on specified audiences and at times have a reflective component (mun.ca, n.d.).

Findings indicate that electronic portfolios are useful in a variety of ways. Firstly, ePortfolios act as a vital tool in marketing oneself professionally which will be helpful in finding employment opportunities. As advised by Perrine (2011), the portfolios can be used in recruiting candidates even before interviews are made, thus setting one in a better position to land a job. Secondly, creating an electronic portfolio distinguishes a person from other candidates eyeing a particular job. The ePortfolios reinforce the essentials in one’s resume such as abilities and skills in an innovative and creative fashion (electronicportfolios.org, n.d.), therefore giving persons a competitive edge. Perrine (2011) agrees with that fact and also points out that the creation of electronic portfolios as a building tool for self-confidence.

Variety of qualities can be testedin developing careers or potential job interviews through the use of portfolios. Skills such as web development, creativity, innovation and honesty are mostly evaluated by employers through accessing a candidate’s custom-made electronic portfolio (Perrine, 2011). As remarked by Jafari and Kaufman (2006) in their handbook of research conducted on ePortfolios, electronic portfolios have become a requirement in the area of higher education where stakeholders evaluate fundamental skills of graduates before employing them. The authors present an example of UK’s Higher Education (HE) sector requirements where job seekers should possess ePortfolios used in assessments of skills they possess such as creativity and innovativeness (Jafari & Kaufman, 2006).

In conclusion, electronic portfolios add value to one’s resume and act as a beneficial tool in the assessment of careers and academic studies. The portfolios created should be precise, exact and observe brevity.

References

Electronicportfolios.org (n.d.). Frequently-Asked Questions about Electronic Portfolios. Retrieved from http://electronicportfolios.org/faq.html

Jafari, A., & Kaufman, C. (2006). Handbook of Research on EPortfolios. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference.

Mun.ca (n.d.). Career Development and Experimental Learning, ePortfolio. Retrieved from http://www.mun.ca/cdel/eportfolio/

Perrine, J. (2011). Creating Your Electronic Professional Portfolio. Retrieved from http://allthingsadmin.com/administrative-professionals/creating-electronic-portfolio/