Internship Applications:

• Mass Communication (RTF) (DOC) (PDF)
• Communication Studies (RTF) (DOC) (PDF)

The Portfolio: What is it and why do I need it!

As a Communications student, you are preparing to enter an ever growing category of related fields that serve to connect all social institutions and individuals together by empowering them to exchange information. Naturally, your ability to shape effective messages is the key to your success in this field. In fact, it is the key to your entry into the communications field.

The USI Department of Communications, therefore, recommends its majors to maintain a portfolio of their educational, extracurricular, and professional achievements while they participate in the program. Furthermore, this portfolio shall be required of any student applying for the university's internship program through Communications.

"But do I have to have one?"

Whether or not you plan to participate in the internship program, you should maintain a portfolio throughout the program at USI. Since the portfolio serves as a documented record of all achievement relevant to a professional career, it may prove to be every bit as valuable an asset to you during your initial job search as the degree itself. Moreover, the Communications faculty at USI are ready to advise and help you assemble these portfolios. You can help guarantee future success by starting immediately on this project and by updating it every semester.

"But isn't a resume all I need?"

Resumes are excellent tools. They introduce job candidates by mail and they provide an excellent screening device for human resource managers as they review job applicants. However, resumes often only help you get an interview for a job. It is during the interview process that an your qualifications are truly measured. More and more personnel officers expect to see portfolios either immediately before or during important job interviews. New graduates seeking to enter the career need every possible advantage they can gain during the interview process. A portfolio can "certify" your qualifications in a way that a simple resume cannot.

"But what can I include in the portfolio? I have no job."

This pamphlet will help generate ideas about how a portfolio can draw from your entire spectrum of activities. Everything you do may add value to a portfolio.

"Who is going to help me with this?"

The Communications faculty advises its majors every time they register. It can take only a few additional minutes to comment on and make recommendations on portfolios every semester.

The Portfolio and its Contents

"What should it look like?"

A good portfolio has a professional look to it, but these days, with laser printers available to just about everyone, the creation of portfolio documents and the physical materials of a portfolio should not be very costly. Naturally, you will want to purchase attractive binders or cases for your materials and the cost of these will vary, just as briefcases and attaches vary in cost. However, a clean, well-kept binder and flawlessly produced documents enable any personnel director to view the contents without bias, while the best Morocco leather will not conceal the sloppiness of hastily assembled documents. All documents should be protected by acetate pages. Many hands will turn the pages of your portfolio over time.

"Does everything have to fit in a binder?"

Not everything that you bring to a job interview needs to fit into a binder. However, the easier it is to pass a portfolio around without worrying about losing parts of it, the better for everyone. Still, there may be portfolio materials that have to be removed to be examined (video or audio cassettes, for example). Students who will be producing portfolio work of this type will find that there are presentation portfolios available that are designed to secure such materials. In addition, there are specially designed portfolios to accommodate work that exceeds the 8 1/2" by 11" dimensions.

"OK, now what goes in it?"

In the next few pages, this pamphlet will list specific sections that your portfolio should contain when you present it in application for the USI internship program. It will also describe the sorts of materials or information that can go into each of these sections. Because Communications is comprised of numerous fields, portfolios will vary from student to student. But variety is good. The most important steps you take in your career are the ones that set you apart from the crowd.

"Will the Internship portfolio differ from a professional one?"

The Internship Portfolio will ask for some items that you may choose to delete from the portfolio you display to a potential employer. However, even these may prove useful in another section of the portfolio. You don't have to worry about spending time uselessly. The portfolio is a valuable tool. How valuable? If the resume is your hammer, the Portfolio is your sledgehammer. A good one will knock down lots of door between you and what you seek.

The Internship Portfolio

1. The Goal Statement

   Although this appears first in the portfolio, it is the last item to be prepared. When you apply for your internship, you must submit a goal statement with your portfolio describing the purpose behind your application. Tell in some detail what type of internship experience you seek and what you hope to accomplish during your internship. Your advisor may also ask that you extend your goal statement to include a writing sample in which you describe what you expect a single day of your internship to be like.
   
   

2. The Resume

   Every portfolio includes an up to date resume, and some include copies on good bond paper in a bound folder so that personnel representatives can distribute them as needed. Your resume should be designed with your field of study in mind. The library contains many books on resumes and your advisor will be able to show you samples as well. If you already have a lot of job experience, a chronological resume featuring work may be best. If you have non work-related experiences which reflect accomplishments relevant to your chosen field, an abilities-oriented resume may be best.

   However, no matter which type you use, your resume must be updated within the month of your application. Therefore, it is a good idea to create a basic resume early and save it as a document file on the computer system you are most comfortable with and which provides you access to a laser printer. Producing a resume early in your portfolio development will also make you aware of opportunities that you can seek out to strengthen your resume and portfolio both.
   
   

3. Writing Samples

   A Communications student must show good writing skills. Some Communications areas produce a lot of good writing samples in class. For example, RTV 354 generates good samples for the broadcasting student. The advertising major will create speculative copy for ads, and so forth. If you also produce writing samples that focus more on analysis and theoretical writing, such as survey work, you may include a term paper, possibly as an appendix to the portfolio. Your class work is ideal for this purpose, but you should include it only in fully revised, corrected form, as if for its original presentation or publication.
   
   

4. A Record of Performance

   Radio and television broadcasting, journalism, advertising--in fact, any of the Communications Department majors--may produce or perform work that can be captured on tape, in photographic records, or digitally in many forms.  Well-produced records of such work can give a strong look and even sound to a portfolio.
   
   

5. A Record of Achievement and Service; Evidence of Leadership

   Testimonials, letters of thanks, newspaper accounts of your community activities, certificates of merit, scholarship notice and other award notifications are highly valuable to your portfolio. Evidence of work in the community, volunteerism, and committee service of any kind will distinguish you and establish you as an asset to your community.
   
   

6. Letters of Recommendation

   It is a good idea to accumulate three to five good letters of recommendation by individuals who can speak about your professional qualities. Sometimes you can include a solid character reference when it comes from a person with high name recognition. This last sort can prove very valuable, especially if you haven't many professional recommendations to include.
   
   

7. Forms

Copies of midterm and final evaluations (provided by the USI Intern Office in Career Services in lower level of OC) must be included in all portfolios.  CMST interns must also include the Program's Self Evaluation and Site Supervisor Evaluation (found on the CMST 498 Blackboard site).