Professional Portfolio

[randomly]

I'm a new nurse that will be soon having my first interview.

I have a professional portfolio in a 3 ring binder, but I realized that I have no idea how to use it.

When I take it with me, how do I present it? Am I supposed to give a "copy" of the whole thing to the interviewer to keep? Highlight points of it as it comes up?

I've been doing online searches, but I'm not finding much.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Sorry hun, but most hiring managers aren't going to spend a lot of time in a new grad interview. They already know what clinical experience you have (none) so they will just be trying to get a sense of your intelligence, motivation and commitment. Don't be surprised if the interview is less than 30 minutes.

Portfolios are a great way to showcase your accomplishments - but they are far more applicable for more advanced positions in which experience and know-how are key factors in the selection criteria. A modern trend is to create an electronic portfolio - either online or on disc so that the hiring person can review it when they have the time. There are some great software applications out there - just Google to find them.

Another very important consideration... make sure your social 'footprint' online is suitable for viewing by potential employers. If you don't want it seen, get rid of it or wall it off with privacy settings.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Don't take the whole thing to the interview ... with a fancy cover and all that. However, you might want to pull out 1 or 2 things that are particularly relevant to the job you are seeking and make a copy to give the hiring manager if the opportunity comes up. For example, if she asks you about your school experiences or about anything that relates to those items. But don't push a bunch of extra papers to read if he/she does not seem to want them.

[melizerd, ASN, RN]

I was never asked for mine. My interview was an hour long and consisted of "tell me about a time" behavioral questions. They also asked me several questions about what I knew about the hospital and company so I'm glad I'd done decent research.