A portfolio, whether traditional or digital (ePortfolio), compiles your top work and artifacts from academic and professional experiences. Academic artifacts highlight coursework achievements, while professional artifacts showcase career accomplishments. These portfolios demonstrate your expertise and suitability for new roles or career advancement. Include items that best highlight your strengths, qualifications, and competencies.

Selecting Artifacts

1. Define your purpose: Determine your portfolio’s goal – job application, learning progress showcase, or targeting a specific audience.
2. Select relevant artifacts: Include examples of your work that demonstrate the skills you want to highlight.
3. Assess quality and impact: Select artifacts demonstrating the results of academic or professional work.

Professional Artifacts

Most portfolios/ePortfolios contain standard content offering a foundational representation of your professional profile. This content typically outlines your skills, competencies, and experiences, providing a comprehensive overview of your qualifications. Examples of such content include:

1. Resume: A tailored document outlining your education, work experience, skills, certifications, and accomplishments in the field of IT. Within your resume, include:
   1. Technical skills and proficiencies: Showcase proficiency in platforms like AWS (EKS, RedShift, SageMaker) or Python (NumPy, Pandas).
   1. Specialized IT Training: Highlight experience in Network Engineering, Web Development, Data Science, Data Analytics, Digital Forensics, etc.
2. Cover Letter: A personalized letter highlighting your interest in a specific job or company, and how your skills and experience make you a strong candidate.
3. Certifications and Micro-certifications: Documentation of any industry-recognized certifications you have earned through WGU or employment, such as CompTIA, Cisco, AWS, Microsoft, Udacity, and (ISC)².
4. Recommendation Letters: Letters from supervisors, colleagues, or clients endorsing your skills, work ethic, and professionalism.
5. LinkedIn Profile: A well-maintained LinkedIn profile showcasing your experience, skills, recommendations, and connections within the IT industry.
6. Professional Portfolios, Websites and Repositories: An online portfolio or website showcasing your projects, skills, and accomplishments, providing a more interactive and visual representation of your work, examples include GitHub, GitLab, Juptyer Notebooks.
7. Professional Memberships: Documentation of memberships in relevant IT professional organizations or associations, demonstrating your commitment to the field.
8. Work Samples: Examples of projects, reports, or presentations from that demonstrate your expertise.
9. Publications or Articles: Any articles, blog posts, or publications you have authored or contributed to the IT field.
10. Professional Development: Records of any workshops, seminars, or training sessions attended to enhance your skills and knowledge in IT-related areas.

 Academic Artifacts

Academic artifacts from WGU reflect your efforts and knowledge gained, crucial for showcasing your skills and competencies. Choose pieces that align with your future goals, both professional and academic, while ensuring adherence to Academic Authenticity Guidelines. Types of academic artifacts include:

1. Projects and Assignments: These are practical tasks or projects completed as part of coursework, such as software development projects, network design assignments, database creation tasks, etc. They showcase your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios.
2. Research Papers and Reports: These documents demonstrate your research skills, critical thinking abilities, and proficiency in academic writing. They may cover topics such as emerging technologies, IT trends, cybersecurity challenges, etc.
3. Presentations and Demonstrations: Presentations or demonstrations of projects illustrate your communication skills, ability to convey complex technical concepts effectively, and confidence in public speaking.
4. Code Samples: Programming excerpts demonstrate proficiency and problem-solving skills in software development, drawn from assignments, personal projects, or collaborations. Emphasize sharing functional software applications or products over code snippets, utilizing platforms like Heroku, AWS, or Google Cloud.
5. Technical Documentation: Manuals, guides, or documentation created for software, databases, or systems showcase your clear and concise articulation of technical information.
6. Prototypes and Designs: Mock-ups, prototypes, or designs for software applications, websites, or hardware devices showcase your creativity, design skills, and understanding of user experience (UX) principles.
7. Academic Awards: Honors received during your academic journey validate your expertise and dedication, whether in specific IT skills or academic achievements.
8. Collaborative Projects: Contributions to group projects or team-based assignments highlight your ability to work effectively in a team, communicate and collaborate with peers, and contribute to shared goals.
9. Internship or Work Experience Documentation: Documents from internships, micro-internships, case studies, co-op experiences, or work placements demonstrate practical IT-related experience, highlighting industry-relevant skills and professional growth.

Please note: Students may utilize projects from their WGU coursework in their professional portfolio. Students are encouraged to generalize their project and share their GitLab repository with potential future employers to showcase their portfolio work. To deter plagiarism, however, students should not post their projects publicly on the web. Additionally, the project must comply with the guidelines outlined in the Student Handbook. 

 Utilizing Portfolios and ePortfolios in the Interview:

• Choose a method for presenting your portfolio that suits your accessibility needs and resources, whether it’s through a tablet, portable device, printed materials, or any other suitable format.
• Add a QR code to your resume or a separate handout directing interviewers to your ePortfolio, including a table of contents highlighting its contents for easy navigation.
• Ensure your ePortfolio is well-organized and visually appealing, using clear headings, visuals, and concise descriptions.
• Practice presenting your portfolio using the chosen method to ensure a smooth presentation during the interview.
• Prepare specific examples or case studies from your portfolio to discuss during the interview, demonstrating problem-solving abilities and accomplishments.
• Prepare to walk interviewers through your ePortfolio, highlighting key achievements and experiences relevant to the position.
• Remain open to questions or requests from interviewers regarding specific artifacts within your portfolio.
• Thank interviewers for their time and consideration at the end of the presentation, offering to provide additional information or clarification if needed.