RAPPORT
Volume 3 Issue 1 (2018)
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What challenges did you overcome
when completing this project?
What skills did you acquire after
completing this project?
How does this project connect to other
areas of your life?
Why would this project/experience
make you an ideal candidate for a
position or career?
Why is this project relevant to other
people?
After making it this far, what is next?
Articulation and Showcasing of Work
Research has demonstrated the value of
eportfolios for students to improve their
articulation and interviewing skills (Ring,
Waugaman & Brackett, 2017). Applicants
should use the career eportfolio to
articulate the quality and significance of
their projects in a brief period of time and
in a precise way (Chatham-Carpenter et
al., 2010). Furthermore, using a career
eportfolio during an interview requires
students to practise showcasing skills,
making sure the eportfolio adds value to
the interview without disrupting it (Graves
& Epstein, 2011). Faculty members can
foster this in learners through student
showcases where students are required to
present the content of their eportfolios to a
wide variety of audiences, some of whom
might not be familiar with their work, in a
specific amount of time. Student
showcases, especially when judged by
experts from different fields, give students
an opportunity to network, to talk about
their projects and learning to others and to
externalize the reflective process they
went through (Samardzija & Balaban,
2014).
Faculty members are encouraged to coach
students in the creation of an elevator
speech, the selection of a professional
attire, and using a computers or other
devices when communicating with others,
as part of the preparation process for the
showcase. These aspects of a showcase
are an effective preparatory tool for job
interviews as well.
Digital Networking and Use of Social
Media
The popularity of social media and the use
of electronic platforms for job application
and recruitment has definitely changed the
job-seeking game. Besides revamping an
assessment eportfolio into a career one,
faculty members should train students to
use their social media to disseminate their
career eportfolios, connect with others,
follow companies, and engage in
meaningful discussions and trends that
can help them present themselves as
qualified and well-grounded professionals.
The creation of LinkedIn profiles, the use
of Twitter to follow organisations and
experts and the use of hashtags in an
eportfolio and social media are some of
the strategies that should be fostered by
instructors to ensure students build a
strong, healthy online presence that
makes them attractive to potential
employers (Jones & Leverenz, 2017).
Professional development
A successful transformation of assessment
eportfolios cannot happen without sound
professional development for faculty and
students, which has been a necessity in
the eportfolio world (Harrington & Luo,
2016). Universities and colleges should
build professional development programs
for students, so they take their authentic
learning experiences and eportfolios to the
next level and use them for their ultimate
goal upon graduation: landing a job where
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