portfolios--survey report

[Cheryl Towler <cherylt -at- PANDORA -dot- MICRO -dot- UMN -dot- EDU -dot- >]

Enclosed is my long-overdue survey report on portfolios.  Last May I
asked those on the list who hire technical communicators to complete a
survey.  I included the survey results in a paper I wrote for my senior
seminar class.  You'll find the paper below my signature.

Please feel free to send me any comments at <cherylt -at- pandora -dot- micro -dot- umn -dot- edu>.
You can also learn more about me via the Web at
<http://www-dmc.tc.umn.edu/service/cheryl.html>.

-Cheryl Towler
--------------
Scientific & Technical Communication senior, U of MN Department of Rhetoric
(Web URL: http://Rhetoric.agoff.umn.edu)
Multimedia Learning Assistant, U of MN Digital Media Center
(Web URL: http://www-dmc.tc.umn.edu)
Multimedia Intern, Century Design
(Web URL: in progress)
--------------

Portfolios:  What should seniors prepare for their job hunt?
Survey Group:  TECHWR-L Listserv


BY
CHERYL TOWLER <cherylt -at- pandora -dot- micro -dot- umn -dot- edu>
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION UNDERGRADUATE
MAY 30, 1995


PREPARED FOR
RHETORIC 3582:  SENIOR SEMINAR

OVERVIEW
        As exemplified in the April 24th discussion in Senior Seminar
class, the professor's expectations for a marketing portfolio and
presumably those of the department do not match those of the students.
The students believe they must prepare an elaborate document, complete
with plastic sheet protectors for each page and a nice carrying case, for
their job and internship interviews.  The students expect to bring this
portfolio to interviews and to show it to the interviewer or let the
interviewer review it during the meeting.
        However, the professor pointed out that such a document does not
allow the hiring manager to read the students' writing examples.  The
students concur.  Many students cited examples of hiring managers not
even looking at their portfolios.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
        Why should students create an elaborate portfolio if hiring
managers don't care to look at them?  The portfolios students have
prepared for the Senior Seminar class may not meet the needs of their
audience, i.e. hiring managers.  The Department of Rhetoric needs to know
what hiring managers expect in a portfolio so that it can instruct
students on how to create and improve their portfolios.  However, the
students are ultimately responsible for their own interviews, so this
paper is addressed to my classmates.

LITERATURE REVIEW
        My review of research on preparing technical communication
portfolios includes articles written since January 1990.  I searched
Technical Communication, the Journal of Technical Writing and
Communication, and the Journal of Business and Technical Communication.
I searched Tech Talk, the newsletter of the Society for Technical
Communication (STC) Twin Cities chapter, and Intercom, the STC
newsletter, back to May 1994.  I checked the 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994
STC Proceedings.  I also requested articles from the TECHWR-L Listserv.
My search resulted in two articles.

_"The Communicator's Portfolio:  The Ideal Saleskit"_
        Barbara McDaniel and Roberta Sheng-Taylor describe the portfolio
creation process in their 1992 Technical Communication article.

Portfolios Defined
        McDaniel and Sheng-Taylor say that your resume identifies your
skills, talents and experience.  Your literature (brochures and
advertisements typical for consultants) describes what you can do.  Your
portfolio demonstrates what you can do.  The portfolio presents your work
in an impressive format in a large leather case or a handsome loose-leaf
binder. (215)
        McDaniel and Sheng-Taylor describe the portfolio as a showcase, a
setting or framework used to exhibit communication skills.  The portfolio
can also be a sample-box, a presentation of the variety of your skills.
The portfolio may serve as a track record that gives you credibility by
demonstrating your continual activity and success.  The portfolio may be
a kaleidoscope in tough markets.  The kaleidoscope portfolio shows your
flexibility with examples of many different kinds of documents. (216)

Collect Your Work
        McDaniel and Sheng-Taylor advise collecting at least three copies
of all your work, even if you think you may never use them.  If you're
still a student, include your essays.  Remember speeches, articles, and
any volunteer work. (216)  Collect photographs of the products you wrote
about.  Develop a filing system for these samples and protect them with
acetate sheets. (218)
        Use company logos as "captions" beside your samples.  You can
trim logos from business cards, brochures, or letterhead stationery.
Remember to get your employer's permission before using their logos in
your own promotional materials. (217)

Organize Your Samples
        McDaniel and Sheng-Taylor suggest organizing your materials in
"families" of pieces, according to your target audience.  Choose the top
three pieces in each of your specialties.  Arrange your portfolio to
highlight the significant pieces for your audience, then arrange the rest
into families that support those pieces. (217) Customize your portfolio
for the requirements of each employer.  Show at least two pieces of any
type of communication.  If you know the employer will be interested in
your 500-page manual, then bring it.  Organize your pages with the weaker
pieces first building to the strongest piece, which will leave the ideal
final impression.(218)

Create a Visual Theme
        Create a unifying visual theme or pattern that reflects your
personality.  Be creative, but aim for consistency.  Consider working
with a graphic artist to design your portfolio.  You can make an exchange
by doing some writing for the artist. Be sure you are comfortable
handling and speaking about the finished portfolio. Here are some designs
that have been effective for McDaniel and Sheng-Taylor:
        *       a card that describes the type of work on that page
        *       a synopsis that describes the client's company
        *       a before and after comparison

        McDaniel and Sheng-Taylor say that dynamic portfolios make use of
        *       graphical backgrounds;
        *       graphics, photographs, and charts to break the monotony
of text;
        *       acetate sheet protectors;
        *       35mm slides in a sleeve;
        *       shrunken (8-1/2" x 11") pages;
        *       drop shadows behind sample pages;
        *       tabs and labels to divide sections;
        *       various types of binders, cases, or other packaging. (217)
"You don't have to spend much money.  In fact, your ingenuity with
inexpensive materials could even work in your favor when you are starting
your career." (217-18)

Keep Showing Your Portfolio
        Use your portfolio even after getting the job by raising
awareness about what communicators do.  It may result in future jobs. (218)

_"Getting to Checkmate:  Creating a Winning Portfolio"_
        Cheryl Lockett Zubak addresses the presentation and leave-behind
portfolio in her November 1994 article for the STC Philadelphia Metro
chapter's newsletter.

Portfolios Defined
        Zubak defines portfolios as thematic books, not collections of
samples. "Forget the idea of a collection of writing samples and a resume
stuffed in a folder."  Zubak suggests a "book" similar to a graphic
designer's portfolio.  "For a designer, a portfolio isn't a folder; it's
as serious an undertaking as a paid project.  And it requires just as
much time and creativity as a project completed for money." (1)

Audience Analyses
        As all technical communicators should, Zubak analyzes the
audience.  She says that the "audience consists of both the potential
employer and you."  You are important because this portfolio will help
you find a job that makes you happy for the next couple of years.  The
potential employer "needs a person who will get the job done right with a
minimum of training for as long as it can keep you."  To better
understand the potential employers' needs,  develop a profile of the
people for whom you want to work.  This profile includes the types of
problems the potential employer typically encounters, how you can solve
those problems, and how you've handled similar problems. (6)

Choosing an Approach
        Next, Zubak suggests choosing an approach:  "Consider the
problems of your prospective employer as you decide how to approach the
portfolio."  You may choose to emphasize the types of products you've
written about.  Perhaps you should showcase the kinds of documents you've
created.  A problem-solving emphasis may demonstrate your ability to
solve specific problems.  A work-experience emphasis shows samples based
on the positions you've held.  Zubak suggests that this may be a good
approach "for an entry-level person, who might be drawing solely from
classroom projects and internships." (6) She adds, "My experience is that
the most effective portfolio combines the document and problem-solving
approaches" by first emphasizing documents and then mixing in problem
solving. (6-7)

Portfolio Contents
        Zubak suggests putting a resume or summary of qualifications
first thing in the book as an introduction. After the resume, include a
contents page with page numbers, if possible.  "Write a brief, one- or
two-sentence description of the sample beside the title." (7) Now choose
your writing samples.  "Make sure every piece in your portfolio is
impeccably written and produced."  Don't try to include long documents;
include representative pages instead.  If you don't have the right work
then develop spec pieces, documents you create on your own rather than
for class or for work.  Zubak suggests putting the spec document through
a review:  "The more eyes (and minds), the better." (15)
        Zubak also suggests justifying your work with a one-page summary
of each piece.  "A summary may describe the type of product, its function
and audience, some notes on organization, and what sorts of problems this
type of document can solve."  You may also want to include a user
testimony and notes on the tools used to produce the document. (15)

Portfolio Production
        Zubak says that "how you produce your portfolio depends upon
whether it's a presentation tool or a 'leave-behind.'"  She recommends
having both types at the interview.  The presentation portfolio is more
expensive to produce.  Zubak recommends investing in a table-top
portfolio easel that holds 11" x 17" sheets.  This lets you show your
summary and the front page of the sample on a single sheet as a two-page
spread.  Zubak reminds you to be sure that samples can be easily removed
so the potential employer can see more than just the opening page. (15)
        Leave-behind portfolios typically aren't returned.  Zubak defines
two types of leave-behind portfolios:  the one you take to the interview
and leave with the employer in place of the more expensive presentation
portfolio; and the mail-in style that includes just enough work to
interest employers so they call you for interviews.  You may put either
of these in a folder, but if the order is important, consider binding it.
(15)

Presentation
        Zubak concludes:  "In the end, your presentation skills during
the interview are your strongest promotional aids.  It ultimately comes
down to whether the employer believes you can do what you say.  And it's
up to you to convince him or her that you know what you're doing." (15)

THE SURVEY
Purpose
        When creating any document, technical communicators must analyze
their audience.  I surveyed the audience for portfolios, those involved
in hiring technical communicators.

Scope, Method, Sample Size
        Since the purpose of this project is to find out what hiring
managers in general expect in a portfolio, I chose to survey anyone
involved in hiring technical communicators.  Due to my time constraint, I
surveyed only the TECHWR-L Listserv. The TECHWR-L Listserv includes
people from around the world.  The respondents may or may not include
professionals working in the Twin Cities metro area.  The 19 respondents
provided a small sampling of the employers' expectations. The small scope
makes this project a pilot study.

The Survey and Responses
        The survey I distributed follows, indicating the number of
responses received in italics.

Seven Questions For Hiring Managers
19 responses total

Please choose each response that applies and elaborate whenever you want.

1.      How do you review an applicant's writing, editing, and document
design skills?
        5       A.      Request samples with resume
        4       B.      Request samples after reviewing resume
        16      C.      Expect to see the applicant's portfolio at the interview
        1       generate at interview

2.      If you request samples, how many do you request?
        1       1 sample
        1       1-2 samples
        2       3 samples
        1       3-5 samples
        1       5-8 samples
        7       open

3.      If you request samples, how do you expect to receive them?
        5       A.      Mail
                B.      Fax
                C.      E-mail
        1       digital
        3       open

4.      If you expect to see the portfolio, what type of document do you expect?
                A.      Nice paper, plastic binding
        3       B.      Plastic sheet covers
        2       C.      Leather carrying case
        4       no wrapping, complete manuals
        1       digital
        8       open

5.      If you expect to see the portfolio, do you
        2       A.      expect the applicant to present the portfolio?
        6       B.      plan to look through it yourself?
        10      both

6.      If you expect to see the portfolio, do you expect to have time to
read the samples during the interview?
        9       A.      Yes
        4       yes and leave it behind
        5       B.      No
        1       no, but leave it behind

7.      If you expect to see the portfolio, what types of samples do you
want to see?
        A.      Writing:
                1.      Proposals
                2.      Feasibility reports
                3.      Press releases
        1       4.      Brochures
        1       5.      Newsletters
        6       6.      Small manuals
        4       online
        1       video script
        1       large manuals
        5       open

                B.      Graphic Design:
        2               1.      Charts and graphs
                        2.      Maps
        2               3.      Disks with multimedia presentations
        1       general page design
        4       open

                C.      Information About Experience:
        8               1.      Resume(s)
        1               2.      Transcripts
        5               3.      References
        3               4.      Letters of recommendation

        2       anything in categories A, B, and C
        1       everything

ANALYSIS OF SURVEY
        Sixteen of the 19 respondents expect to see the applicant's
portfolio at the interview.  Most want to see two to eight samples that
are representative of the applicant's writing.  Of the nine people
wanting samples before the interview, five prefer that applicants send
samples by mail and another three will accommodate the applicant's situation.
        Most of the respondents are open to any portfolio that's neat and
organized.  Ten respondents expect the applicant to present the portfolio
and plan to look through it themselves during the interview.  Thirteen
expect to have time to read the samples during the interview.  Five
expect the applicant to leave the portfolio behind.
        Most respondents want to see instructional materials, including
manuals, step-by-step procedures, reference materials, and introductory
material.  Many hiring managers are interested in general page design.
        Eight of the respondents expect resumes and five expect
references in the portfolio.

Summary
        This pilot study represents only 19 people involved in hiring
technical communicators.  The respondents expect a neat and organized
portfolio with up to eight writing examples illustrating their
instructional writing and document design abilities.

Conclusion
        This survey identifies Zubak's presentation portfolio as the most
commonly expected portfolio for the hiring process.  However, the scope
of this survey is too small and the responses too varied to assume that
the presentation portfolio is the only version applicants should prepare.

RECOMMENDATIONS
        The two articles by Zubak and McDaniel and Sheng-Taylor give good
tips on creating a portfolio that the survey respondents want to see.  As
a synthesis of the articles, the survey, and my experience in this
program, I make the following recommendations to my classmates.
        Look at each class assignment as a portfolio piece.  After
receiving a grade, revise your assignment according to your teachers'
comments and get additional feedback from a classmate or another
professor, then keep 3 copies of each sample.
        Since our program offers only three instructional writing
assignments [see note before works consulted] outside of the internship,
consider creating spec pieces to further illustrate your instructional
writing abilities.Take Zubak's advice and develop a profile of the people
for whom you want to work.  This profile includes the types of problems
the potential employer typically encounters, how you can solve those
problems, and how you've handled similar problems (Zubak 1994).
        Decide which writing and design samples best show your ability as
a communicator.  Since you're probably applying for your first
professional job, include a variety of communication types, i.e.
feasibility reports, proposals, brochures, procedural manuals.  Choose an
order that best suits your interview situation.
        Create a unifying visual theme for the presentation portfolio and
the leave-behind portfolio.  If you use the same visual theme for both,
the employer will remember a visual connection between the presentation
portfolio you showed during the interview and the portfolio you left for
them to read thoroughly.  Using the same design will also save you time.
Make your design flexible to save money and time in preparing for each
interview.
        The key is to find out what your audience wants to see and to be
prepared.  Employers will be impressed if you ask them questions when you
set up the interview time.  They will also be impressed if you plan ahead
and can quickly gather your materials for their review.

NOTE:  Writing in Your Profession (Rhetoric 3562) requires one short
procedure.  Procedures and Policies Manual (Rhetoric 3572) requires one
procedure or policy manual.  Document Design (Rhetoric 5581) requires one
user manual.

WORKS CONSULTED
McDaniel, Barbara, and Roberta Sheng-Taylor.  1992.  The communicator's
        portfolio:  The ideal saleskit.  Technical Communication 39:
        215-218.

Zubak, Cheryl Lockett.  1994.  Getting to checkmate:  Creating a winning
        portfolio.  News & Views 30, no. 3:  1, 6-7, 15.