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The Growing Importance of Engineering Portfolios

As an engineering job candidate, you are up against dozens of others with the same or better credentials that you have for any job you apply for. Right out of school, it is even worse. The competition can be intense. To ensure you are getting the best possible chance at breaking the ice and getting your foot in the door, create an engineering portfolio. Like any artist that wants a job, you need to show prospective employers exactly what you have to offer.

What Can You Create?

In any situation, engineering candidates need to show off their skills but without experience that may seem difficult to do. The best route to take around this is to create some type of portfolio of what you have to offer. For example, a civil engineering student may wish to invest time in creating a website where he or she can showcase projects. This way, the employer is able to click on a link, see exactly what the student can do and become far more impressed than what any resume can offer.

Resumes Are Not Enough

Like reading one textbook to the next, the resume of any engineering student just entering the employment field is going to be limited. The best way around this is to find a way to offer something more. Resumes are too inner focused and they serve only the employee. Some employers and HR professionals are not even reading the flood of resumes they get and instead are focusing on those prospective candidates with more to offer.

What’s In Your Portfolio?

Now that you know the value of it, it is time to consider what a portfolio really is to you. In short, this is a tool that is available in some type of digital format or another medium that you can easily show to prospective employers. You want a way to show off your skills.

An online portfolio is often the best option. It can provide a simple-to-access resource that provides plenty of information in one place. It is easy to share and provides you with numerous ways to showcase your material. On the other hand, digital products are only so good. You may wish to create something that is in paper form that you can hand in to any job position you are applying for.

Be sure that your portfolio contains important information and collected items. They should be examples of your work that you are confident in. Be sure to focus on items that showcase your deep love of a project or your extensive skills. Make them specific and make sure they are authentic. Offering something like this could be just what you need to do to get prospective employers to pick up the phone and call you for an interview.

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