Forum Discussion
Your Portfolio IN 2023!
Happy 10-month Anniversary of the elimination of my Department. While I've been leaning into data analysis on Coursera, I've also been inventorying for a revamped portfolio. Thing is, the 'How To.." articles are mostly for newbies! So of COURSE "less is more" and of course: "focus on what you want to specialize in".
However...(for us old farts)
There are many "Senior Instructional Designer" jobs on the big sites. (There also tend to be 100s of applicants for them as well.) Thing about them though, is they want EVERYTHING- Be able to do every letter of ADDIE, oh, and, while you're at it, throw in some Project Management deliverables since you're in there. They are tomes (SR ID for 3M), with vague wording (my fave being "innovative!").. Strong emotional intelligence and relationship manager. ...Strong written, oral communication, facilitation, interpersonal and collaborative skills. - for a SRLXD. How do you show any of those things in a portfolio??
If YOU know, please share. Otherwise, thanks much for listening.
That's a really good point about most portfolio articles being about making one when you're early in your instructional design career! And yes, trying to figure out how to highlight ALL the things an employer says they're looking for when all you have to work with is a resume, cover letter, and curated portfolio is a significant juggling act.
Some of the skills you mentioned (like your emotional intelligence and relationship management skills) might be tough to directly weave into a portfolio. You'll likely have an easier time showcasing those skills in an interview. That said, I wonder if there are ways to indirectly make nods to these more senior skills in the descriptions for each project that you include in your portfolio?
For more junior instructional design roles, portfolio project descriptions are a good way for people to showcase that they how to put a project together and use different e-learning design and development techniques. But a senior instructional designer's portfolio might describe the exact same project a bit differently by also including a deeper dive into the strategy of the project and interpersonal skills and teamwork that helped it come to life.