Redlands Edge: Portfolio Building Guide

A guide to help students complete the Personal Branding Activity (Portfolio Building) Edge Program Elective

How This Guide Helps You Complete the Edge Requirement

To complete the Personal Branding Activity (Portfolio Building) component, you will use this guide to understand what a portfolio is, identify work you already have, and begin organizing and reflecting on your experiences in a professional way.

After completing your portfolio, submit the following information in the Personal Branding Activity Navigate Journey (300-word minimum):

  • Provide the web URL of your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or digital portfolio
  • What does your online presence say about your values and goals?
  • Create 1-3 bullet point you could later use on a resume or LinkedIn profile to describe this experience. Use OCPD’s bullet point resource (below) to strengthen your bullet.

This guide is designed to help you confidently complete these requirements by recognizing your existing experiences, organizing them into a clear structure, and translating your work into career-ready materials.

What Is a Portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of work that highlights your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Portfolios can be digital or physical, and they help employers, graduate programs, or other professionals better understand who you are, what you’ve done, and what you’re capable of.

A portfolio can:

  • Support conversations during interviews
  • Showcase work that may not fit on a resume
  • Help you tell your story beyond job titles

Your portfolio should grow over time as you complete new classes, projects, and experiences.

Who Should Have a Portfolio?

Portfolios are not just for artists or designers. Many students can benefit from having one, including those in:

  • Liberal arts and humanities
  • Sciences and health-related fields
  • Social sciences
  • Education and helping professions
  • Business, communication, and marketing

If you have completed class projects, research, presentations, leadership roles, or meaningful experiences, you already have portfolio material.

Choosing a Portfolio Platform

You may use any platform that allows you to clearly showcase your work. All options below are free and acceptable for Edge.

  • Google Sites – Best if you want a simple, easy-to-use website with no cost.
  • Wix – Good for visual portfolios, though ads will appear. Free with Adobe account (Adobe accounts are free to create)
  • Behance – Best for creative work-like design, photography, or media.
  • GitHub – Best for coding, data, GIS, or technical projects.
  • Notion – Best for organized, project-based or reflective portfolios. Free for students with .edu email.
  • Canva – Best for visually designed portfolios. Canva can be used to create a shareable webpage or a downloadable PDF portfolio.
  • Microsoft Word – Best for a simple, document-based portfolio that focuses on content and reflection rather than design.

If you’re unsure which to choose, Google Sites, Canva, or a Word document are good places to start.

Portfolio Requirements (What Your Portfolio Must Include)

To meet the Personal Branding Activity (Portfolio Building) Edge requirement, your portfolio must include the following minimum components. These elements ensure your portfolio is usable, understandable, and ready to share with others.

1. Introduction / About You

Your portfolio must begin with a brief introduction that helps someone unfamiliar with you understand who you are.

At minimum, include:

  • Your name
  • Your major, academic focus, or area you are exploring
  • A short paragraph (3–5 sentences) describing your interests and goals

This section should answer the question: Who are you, and what are you interested in?

2. Work Samples

Your portfolio must include at least 3 work samples that demonstrate your experiences, skills, or learning.

Work samples may come from:

  • Academic coursework or major projects
  • Research, labs, or presentations
  • Internships, jobs, or practicum experiences
  • Leadership, service, or campus involvement
  • Creative or independent projects

Each work sample must include:

  • A title or label
  • Context (course name, organization, role, or timeframe)
  • A brief description of what the work involved

3. Reflection for Each Work Sample

Each work sample must include a short reflection that explains its value.

Your reflection should briefly address:

  • What you did or created
  • What skills, knowledge, or abilities you developed
  • Why this experience is meaningful or relevant to your interests or goals

Reflections may be written as short paragraphs or bullet points.

4. Organization & Accessibility

Your portfolio must be easy for someone else to read and understand.

At minimum:

  • Content is clearly organized with headings or sections
  • Writing is professional and free from major errors
  • Links, files, or attachments open correctly

Visual design is not a primary evaluation factor; however, portfolios should be clearly organized, readable, and easy to navigate.

5. Electronic Format

Your portfolio must be submitted in an electronic format, such as:

  • A website (Google Sites, Wix, WordPress, etc.)
  • Via Google Doc upload link
  • Unfortunately, we cannot accept Word doc or PDF attachments or uploads; it’s a limitation in the Navigate Journey submission process

Choose the format that best allows you to clearly present your work.

Completing the Edge Requirement

Once you have created your portfolio:

  • Submit your portfolio, reflection, and bullet points in the Personal Branding Activity Edge Navigate Journey
  • Staff will review and approve your submission and update your Edge progress