In can be very hard for students to land a good paying job in their career field after graduating from college. It can be even harder for students that do not have any previous job experience when applying for these jobs. Most employers like to hire employees that have previous experience because it shows them that the employee has taken the time to learn the career field and that they will be more likely to jump into their new position without needing too extensive of training.
One way that employers are able to see what students have done in their previous work experience is to view their college internship portfolios. An internship portfolio can give an employer a great deal of insight into the skills that the student has and what areas they need to work on. It can also give the employer a good idea of whether or not the student would be a good fit for the position.
The college internship portfolio is also a great way to spark conversations during the interview process and can help students remember points that they wanted to bring up during the interview that they may have otherwise overlooked. The student will be able to not just give details from their internship college but to provide examples of what they are describing. Employers usually like to get a feel for the work style of potential employees and a detailed portfolio can show the student's style and work process on their college internship projects from start to finish.
Not only will a full college internship portfolio impress a potential employer, it will give them a good idea of how the student will fit into their company. A student that they may have otherwise written off as inexperienced may be viewed in a very different way when that student exhibits a thick, well organized portfolio of their previous work from both in the classroom, during their internship college and during any other previous relevant jobs.
Portfolios are not relevant to all career fields and those career fields where a portfolio is not relevant probably have their own measures of a student's ability to succeed at a job. Portfolios can be applied to many career fields however. Many examples of projects that a student worked on during their college internship that they are particularly proud of can be included in the portfolio. Recommendation letters and a review from the student's internship college employer can even be included in the portfolio. Basically anything that will showcase the student's skills and abilities are great items to include.
Depending on the student's career field, different portfolios can be organized in different ways. Some are organized chronologically, while others are organized with the projects that the student is most proud of being placed in the front. As long as the way it is organized makes sense and is explained to the interviewer, the portfolio can be a great asset in the interview process and can do a great deal to complement the student's skills and knowledge in their career field.