Today’s Plan:
- What/Why a Web Presence?
- How to Build One
- Homework
What/Why a Web Presence?
For the final component of our Job Materials project, I want you to develop both an online web presence and a portfolio. What do I mean by web presence? What belongs in a portfolio?
No doubt many of you have encountered job advertisements that request writing samples. Those samples can serve a number of purposes: they can demonstrate your awareness/facility with professional genres, your ability to write concise, engaging, and grammatically correct prose, and/or your ability to design clean and contemporary documents. Between now and the time you graduate, you’ll want to assemble a portfolio of works (both print and multimedia/digital) that speak to the range of your talents.
Let’s comb through some relevant readings and carve out answers:
- How to Create Professional Online Profiles (Good barebones tips for sections/organization)
- How To Create a Killer Writing Portfolio for Freelancers (types of pieces, what to put in your about/bio)
- Clippings.me
- JournoPortfolio.com
- Website Examples / Portfolio examples
I’m saving this stuff on Linkedin for next week’s lesson:
My expectations for your web presence project:
- An “About Me” or personal description
- A resume
- A portfolio of at least four works with some level of textual splash/blurb/description and a relevant image
- Contact information, including links to professional social media
- Something else?
A Linkedin account that contains (we will work with Linkedin next Wednesday):
- Education
- Skills section
- Location
- Summary Statement / Elevator Pitch (40-50 words)
What Do I Mean by Graphic
I don’t want to take all day on this, but I could. Let’s look here.
- A bold image
- High level of contrast
- Balance/consideration of thick hyper-legible type with thin body type
We want an image that is striking, arresting, that captures/focuses attention. Powerful, but not busy.
Google Sites
Given that we have a short amount of time to assemble your portfolios, I am going to recommend using Google Sites. Google Sites is a free CMS/website development program. It is quite easy to use.
Homework
This week:
- Complete the ARC Postmortem form
- Revise your resume
- Work on this website. Take/locate copyleft images
- Select/copyedit portfolio pieces
- Remember to upload a draft of your cover letter to Canvas by Sunday at midnight
Class on Friday will be cancelled. I will have office hours from 9:00am to 1:00pm if you want me to examine a draft of your cover letter, look at a revision or your resume, or need help with your website. 1180D.
