The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow
Join your host Sonia Cacique on a transformative journey preparing high school and college students for real world careers, equipping them with practical skills, professional experiences, and career guidance.
As a dedicated career guidance counselor, career coach, and education leader, Sonia has spent her entire career empowering the next generation for the future workforce. With her expertise, she helps students develop self-awareness, motivation, and career guidance, building the essential skills needed for success in both their educational and future professional journeys.
Coach Sonia is ready to shift the focus from GPA, class rank, and grades to career connections, self-identity, character development, and real-world skills. She aims to challenge the traditional narratives and provide students with a comprehensive approach to education and career readiness. Changing lives for our next gens, one student at a time.
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The College and Career Ready Podcast | empowering students for the careers of tomorrow
79. Stand Out with a Portfolio (for College Admissions, Internships and Job Interviews): A Guide for Students
- What is a portfolio
- How to create a portfolio for college and career readiness
- Examples of what to include in a portfolio for high school and college students
- Benefits of having a portfolio during interviews and applications
- Tips on strategically creating a compelling portfolio narrative
- Resources available for portfolio creation
- Importance of self-reflection and growth through portfolio development
- How a portfolio can help during interviews and showcase accomplishments and your success journey
- Reminder to start building a portfolio early on for college application, internships and job interviews
Episode #78: Timely Episode: The Importance of Letters of Recommendation
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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"
/Welcome. I'm excited to have you join us today. Parents, this is an episode especially important for your adolescent because in this episode I will be talking to them about the importance of having or compiling their portfolio. So make sure you share this episode with them. We will be exploring what a portfolio is. How to create one and how they can use it on their next interview. But before we start on today's episode, I'm curious, where are you listening to us from? Are you listening to us from the car, at work, at home, while exercising, or maybe while you're taking a leisurely walk? Well, wherever it is that you're listening to us from today, I want to say thank you for being here with me. Last week I shared with you the importance of letters of recommendation and even added a timely reminder as to why you need to be asking for them today. If you have not listened to that episode, make sure you check it out. It's episode number 78. You can listen to that episode after you listen to this one, and guess what, I've included a link directly to the episode in the show notes. So all you have to do after you listen to this episode is go to your show notes, click the link, and you'll get to listen to last week's episode where I specifically talk about the importance of letters of recommendation. In today's episode, we will dive into a topic that's often underestimated but incredibly crucial for students. It's the importance of portfolios. Let me put it simply. Let's step out of our daily responsibilities of doing our best in high school and college. What is the ultimate goal of going to high school and going to college? Well, it should be graduating from college and being offered that first professional job, right? Well, guess what? Being in high school and college is part of that journey and you will have multiple opportunities to start compiling a record of your growth, of your own personal growth. And you know for what? Well, for when you're sitting in front of someone on that first interview, whether it is an interview to get into college or that first job. Portfolios are crucial. And guess what? A lot of interviewees walk in without one. Alright, let me say that one more time. A lot of interviewees will walk in without one. So what does that mean for you? That if you listen to this episode and you follow the step by step process that I'm about to share with you, then you will be the best. The one and only that's unique and different. And guess what? That is the purpose of an interview. Your interview is to be different, unique, stand out, so they can say, Ooh, I really like Mary. I am going to hire her because not only is she different, she came prepared and she was able to answer the questions in the interview without hesitation. So you are in luck because I will be walking with you step by step on how to start compiling one. And you can do this as early as high school. And if you're a college student, no worries. You can start one today. But first I'm sure you're asking what exactly is a portfolio Sonia? Well, whether you're a high schooler with aspirations for college or a college student on the brink of. Entering the workforce, having a portfolio can make all the difference. Think of portfolio as your professional scrapbook. Pretty simple, right? It's a collection of your best work accomplishments and experiences. For high school students, this could include academic achievements, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and even personal projects. For college students, it might include internships, research papers, presentations, and relevant. coursework. Now, why does this matter? Well, let me tell you a story. Imagine two students applying for the same college or job. Both have stellar grades, but one has a portfolio showcasing their leadership roles in a student organization that they were in, their community service projects, and a passion project where they developed an app. Who do you think will stand out more? I think you know the answer already. That's right. The student with the portfolio. Because beyond just grades, and I talk about this all the time on this podcast, beyond grades, you need to think about what else you can offer a company or that college that you want to apply for. A portfolio demonstrates initiative, creativity, and it's real world skills. It's tangible evidence of your capabilities and potential. But creating a portfolio isn't just about throwing together a bunch of random stuff. It's about strategically. Creating a story. Each item in your portfolio should serve a purpose, contributing to the narrative you want to convey about yourself. For example, if you're interested in computer science, your portfolio might showcase coding projects you've worked on, maybe a website you built from scratch, or a mobile app you developed. Each project tells a story of your journey, your skills, and your passion in the field. So think about what career goal you ultimately want to aspire to have And how you can start creating that story today. A portfolio isn't static. It evolves with you as you gain new experiences and skills. You update your portfolio accordingly. This process of reflection and refinement is invaluable. It's helping you track your growth and development over time. Now, let me address the elephant in the room. Creating a portfolio can be daunting, especially if you're just starting out. But don't fear, because there are plenty of resources available to help you along the way. One of them is my Self Discovery to Your Ideal Career Path signature course, where we spend a full lesson teaching you how to create your portfolio. There are also a ton of other online resources that you can use as well. Start by gathering your existing work and achievements. Then, think about what story you want your portfolio to tell. What are your strengths? What makes you unique? You might even want to search your future job description to see what words stand out in that job posting. These are the things you want to start looking at and thinking about as you're going through high school or college. From there, you can begin to organize and present your materials in a clear and compelling way. You can include letters of recommendation, as I mentioned last week on episode number 78. It can be award letters and other documents that showcase your work and how others have viewed you in the past. remember, someone else's words can be significant. in a portfolio. Because now, you're not just talking about yourself, you're sharing what others say and think about you. Start collecting all of these items, moving forward. And pretty soon, you will have plenty to add to your portfolio. And remember, your portfolio doesn't have to be perfect. What matters most is that it reflects who you are, and what you have been capable of doing. So don't be afraid to showcase your personality, your passions, and even your failures. After all, it's all part of your journey. Your portfolio creates a story. And guess what? When you're sitting in front of someone on an interview, whether it's for an internship, college admission, or your first job, you will have plenty to reference during the interview. When you are asked to give examples during an interview, you can quickly reference your portfolio and this will help you show clear examples of your work and answer those tough interview questions in a breeze. Plus, you will be less stressed. Stress thinking. You have to remember all the dates and details because you will have it all within your portfolio at an arm's reach to wrap up today's episode, I want to remind you that a portfolio is more than just a collection of papers or digital files. It's a powerful tool for self expression, self reflection, and self promotion. So whether you're a high school student dreaming of college or a college student preparing for the workforce or graduate school, start building your portfolio today because your future self will thank you for it. If you have any questions along the way, you know how to reach me. If we are connected on Instagram or LinkedIn, then feel free to DM me. Those are my two favorite social platforms. That's all for today's episode, my friend of the College and Career Ready podcast. Thank you for tuning in and remember to subscribe for more insights and inspiration on your journey to success. And if you love this episode, make sure to rate and review it on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Until next time, my sweet friends, stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey.
Thank you for listening in. If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much to me if you share it with a friend, a colleague, or your own community. If you share it on social media and tag me, I'll make sure to personally thank you. My two favorite places to hang out are Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out our show notes for a direct link. I'm so thankful for each and every one of you. And as always stay well, be present and enjoy the journey. I'll talk to you next week. Adios.
