A writing portfolio is essential for writers and those in writing-related jobs. It should include a variety of writing samples, be customized for the purpose, and can be digital or hard copy. The portfolio should showcase the writer’s best work and include publishing credits.
A writing portfolio is a critical tool for everyone from writers looking for jobs to students looking to graduate from creative writing programs at colleges and universities. Film and television writers, technical writers, newspaper workers, magazine workers, and almost anyone with a job that requires writing must maintain a writing portfolio. There are several ways to approach building a writing portfolio so that the finished product has a high impact.
Ideally, a writer will have a mix of writing that can be included in a portfolio, such as short stories, poems, personal essays, research papers, clips of work showcasing published work, such as newspaper articles, etc. Writers should get into the habit of keeping copies of all their work, both in paper and digital format, so that they can have the necessary materials readily available and to keep a general record of the work. It helps index the samples a writer keeps on hand so writers can quickly find the samples they need.
The first step in putting together a writing portfolio is to determine what it will be used for, so that the writing samples in the portfolio can be selected and organized accordingly. Someone applying for a job at a magazine, for example, might include personal essays, clips from published newspapers, and a sample of a research paper, but not poetry and short stories. On the other hand, someone who has applied to a higher level creative writing program would want to show poetry and fiction, including examples of longer works such as novels. It’s a good idea to customize the portfolio for the job rather than creating a generic portfolio that may not be suitable for all jobs.
Thanks to the advent of the digital age, many writers maintain digital portfolios, sometimes on their websites for easy access. A writer can also create a custom portfolio for a specific purpose, such as a job application, by providing the potential employer with a link that will take them directly to the portfolio the writer wants the employer to see. Some writers also use their sites as generic portfolios, with links to specific types of writing, so potential employers can read a variety of samples. Digital portfolios can also be saved to disk or as single files that can be emailed to prospective employers.
If recording samples are required in hard copy, the engraver should carefully organize them and pack them in a folder or document folder, selecting the best samples and creating an index. Samples should be formatted so that they look and feel consistent, and should be in large print for easy reading. If some of the samples consist of clips, they can be scanned or photocopied for inclusion so the writer can keep the original, and they should be reproduced neatly so they look clean and are easy to read.
The purpose of a portfolio is for a writer to showcase their best work to potential employers. Portfolios can include excerpts and full excerpts, but they must be chosen with great care, as few people who review a portfolio of writings are going to read everything, and therefore each piece must have immense impact. At the end of a portfolio, a writer may want to include a list of full publishing credits, which will allow a prospective employer to get an idea of the writer’s experience and credentials.
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