Ladies and Gentlemen,

Unfortunately I had a death in my family and will be out on Friday [and probably Monday]. As I instructed today, we are finishing our portfolio's this week. Please use your extra time (the weekend and Monday) to fine-tune your portfolio. You can correct errors, reformat essays, reprint corrected letters, etc. It may also be a good time to use the Internet to track down addresses of former employers, people you have volunteered for, parents you have babysat for etc. Use this time to get ready for the real world -- because it's coming at you at warp speed.

I will be collecting and grading all portfolios next Tuesday (June 15th). You will know what your grade for the course is going to be by next Friday (June 18th).

If your portfolio is completely ready for grading and you have everything done for this class, I suggest using your time to study for your finals in other classes.

If you have questions or concerns about your portfolio or your grade, please feel free to email me. I will be checking my email regularly over the next few days.

Please respect the substitute teacher.

Portfolios are due this Friday, June 4th. They should be in a nice binder [which you would feel comfortable bringing to an interview] and include sheet protectors.

Some of the things I will be looking for in your portfolio include:

• Title Page
• Résumé
• References List
• Cover Letters (Referral, Cold Contact, and Ad Response)
• Follow-Up Letter (to a job application)
• Thank You Letter (for an interview)
• Sample Application
• Summary of Skills and Experience
• Typing Certificate
• Letter of Recommendation
• Handshake Etiquette Handout
• Interview Types
• Interview Preparation (and dress code)
• Interviews: Questions to ask during an interview
• 25 Most Common Interview Questions
• 25 Most Common Interview Mistakes
• Awards / Certificates (any you have received)
• Extra copies of your résumé

Today we will be creating a portfolio cover page.  As I have said, you probably won't be leaving your portfolio with prospective employers [if you do, keep a backup of everything] but a cover page will keep your portfolio looking professional.

Requirements for the cover page:

• NAME (all caps)
• EMPLOYMENT PORTFOLIO (all caps)
• e-mail address (something appropriate... not underlined)
• Date (i.e. February 26th, 2010) -- You can update this as you update your portfolio
• Font and size may vary depending on your own personal style

I will be returning your résumé to you today.  Make needed corrections and put your updated copy in your portfolio.

Also, make sure you are uploading all of your documents (résumé, cover letters, etc.) to Google Documents and/or emailing them to yourself.  This makes it a LOT more convenient in the future when you need to apply for a position.

Finally, use extra time to complete any missing assignments (i.e. the 5 letters we did this week) and pick up any graded assignments from the basket on the counter.

As we have been discussing for several weeks now, your final project will be a portfolio.  I recommend a nice 3-hole binder with several sheet protectors to hold documents.  A solid-color binder (i.e. black) can also be used.

You will keep résumés, references, job search tips, typing certificates, awards, etc. in your portfolio.  Portfolios will be something you can use to assist you in filling out applications, provide you with a place to keep extra résumés, and help you prepare for interviews.

Some of the things I will be looking for in your portfolio include:

• Résumé
• Cover Letter
• Sample Application
• Typing Certificate
• Letter of Recommendation
• (More coming in the next few weeks)

If you have questions or concerns, please let me know ASAP.