How can you create a targeted technical presentation portfolio?

1 Step 1: Define your purpose and audience

Before you start selecting and organizing your work samples, you need to clarify why you are creating a portfolio and who will be viewing it. Your purpose and audience will determine what kind of content, format, and style you should use for your portfolio. For example, if you are applying for a job as a technical trainer, you might want to include samples that demonstrate your ability to design, deliver, and evaluate training programs for different learners. If you are pitching a project to a potential client, you might want to include samples that highlight your expertise, creativity, and value proposition for their specific problem or need.

2 Step 2: Choose relevant and diverse work samples

Your work samples are the core of your portfolio. They should showcase your best work and your range of skills and competencies as a technical communicator. You should choose work samples that are relevant to your purpose and audience, that reflect your current or desired role and industry, and that highlight your achievements and impact. You should also include a variety of work samples that show different types of technical presentations, such as slides, videos, podcasts, webinars, manuals, reports, or infographics. However, you should not overload your portfolio with too many or too similar work samples. A good rule of thumb is to include 10-15 work samples that cover the most important aspects of your technical communication skills.

3 Step 3: Provide context and reflection for each work sample

Your work samples alone may not tell the whole story of your technical communication skills. You need to provide context and reflection for each work sample to explain what it is, why you created it, how you created it, and what you learned from it. You can use a brief introduction, a caption, or a summary to provide this information for each work sample. You should also highlight the key features, challenges, and outcomes of each work sample, and how they relate to your purpose and audience. This will help you showcase your critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-improvement skills as a technical communicator.

4 Step 4: Organize your work samples logically and visually

Your portfolio should be easy to navigate and understand for your audience. You should organize your work samples in a logical and visual way that makes sense for your purpose and audience. You can use different criteria to group your work samples, such as by topic, by type, by project, by client, by skill, or by date. You should also use a consistent and attractive layout, design, and color scheme for your portfolio that matches your personal or professional brand. You can use online tools, such as portfolio websites, blogs, or slideshows, to create and present your portfolio in a digital format.

5 Step 5: Include an introduction and a conclusion for your portfolio

Your portfolio should have a clear beginning and an end that introduce and summarize your technical communication skills and achievements. You should include an introduction and a conclusion for your portfolio that provide an overview of your portfolio, your purpose and audience, your main strengths and accomplishments, and your goals and aspirations as a technical communicator. You should also include your contact information and a call to action for your audience, such as inviting them to contact you, to view your resume, or to visit your website for more information.

6 Step 6: Review and update your portfolio regularly

Your portfolio is not a static document that you create once and forget. It is a dynamic and evolving reflection of your technical communication skills and experience. You should review and update your portfolio regularly to ensure that it is accurate, relevant, and current. You should also seek feedback from others, such as peers, mentors, or clients, to improve your portfolio and your technical communication skills. You should also customize your portfolio for different purposes and audiences, depending on your goals and opportunities as a technical communicator.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?