Building a portfolio/CV as a community professional

Importance of Portfolios and CVs for Community Professionals

Summary: In a discussion about the importance of portfolios and CVs for community professionals, the author highlights common pitfalls, such as failing to document career achievements early on. Another participant, who has experience hiring Community Managers, emphasizes the value of tailoring CVs and cover letters to specific roles, showcasing relevant work examples, and providing metrics of success. This participant appreciates detailed accounts of past experiences that clearly link to job responsibilities, notably instances where quantitative success can be demonstrated. This conversation suggests that a well-crafted portfolio should go beyond the usual resume approach and effectively display one's achievements and relevant skills in the community industry.
AI Summary

Discussion Prompt:

As community professionals, building a substantial portfolio or CV can often be the golden key to unlocking new opportunities and growth in our field. But what makes a portfolio or CV truly invaluable in a career centered around community engagement?

✍️ We want to hear from you!

  • How have you used your portfolio or CV to progress in your community career?

  • What tips would you give to someone just starting to build their portfolio?

  • Can you share a specific instance where your portfolio or CV made a significant impact?

  • How do you think a well-crafted portfolio differs from a general resume?

  • In what ways do you believe showcasing your work can influence career opportunities in the community industry?

3 comments

I think one of the biggest mistakes I made at the start of my career journey was not documenting as this is a very vital part of building a cv or portfolio

Love this conversation! I've hired a few CMs in the past and something I really appreciate when I'm going through resumes is seeing a resume/CV and cover letter that has been tailored for the role. I want to see examples of work you have done that is relevant to what responsibilities have been listed in the Job Description. Is running an event program part of the responsibilities, then tell me specifically about the event program you have run or been a part of.

The other thing I like to see is proof of your success. Don't just say you run an event program, show me how successful that event program was because you ran it. Show me the metrics!

Really love this.

Thank you so much