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Institute of Advanced Technological and Commercial Studies

Resources

Building a professional portfolio

A portfolio shows what you can carry out, with the evidence attached. Every workshop in the catalogue produces a deliverable commissioned by a real organisation: the material exists from the first block onward, and what remains is to present it.

One piece, four pieces of information

A portfolio piece becomes convincing when it carries four pieces of information and not one more: the original brief, the constraint that made the work hard, the decision you took, and the effect observed. A dashboard presented that way takes half a page and beats an annotated screenshot. The reader sees a professional making trade-offs, not a learner following steps — and that is exactly the distinction an employer wants to draw.

  • The brief: who asked for what, and for which decision
  • The constraint: the deadline, the missing data, the budget held
  • The decision: what you chose, and the option you set aside
  • The effect: what changed, measured with the client's own indicator
  • The trace: the deliverable itself, readable in one page

Five moves to assemble the file

  1. 01

    Select three pieces

    Three well-described works carry further than ten listed. Choose the ones that resemble the target job.

  2. 02

    Rebuild the context

    Write the brief as you received it, with the real constraint. That is what gives the rest its relief.

  3. 03

    Make the decisions legible

    Name the option you kept and the one you set aside. An explicit trade-off is memorable and discussable.

  4. 04

    Quantify the effect

    Use the indicator the client already tracked. A figure they recognise beats a flattering one.

  5. 05

    Publish and keep current

    One online page, a stable address, an update date. The verifiable certificate sits naturally alongside it.

The material workshops already produce

Every programme ends with a commissioned piece of work. These deliverables belong to your record and form the first items in your file: they are real, dated, and a client can speak about them.

ProgrammeFinal blockWhat it producesHours
Web and Mobile DevelopmentProject and placementAn application delivered to a real client · ten-week placement · defended before a joint panel120 h
Digital MarketingCommissioned campaign and placementA real campaign run for an organisation, with measured results · ten-week placement · publicly defended60 h
International TradeSimulation, project and placementA full export operation simulated on a real file · ten-week placement · dissertation100 h
Human Resources ManagementWorkshop and placementCompliance audit of personnel files · ten-week placement · publicly defended120 h
Industrial Maintenance and EnergyWorkshop and placementComplete maintenance plan for a real machine · ten-week placement · publicly defended120 h

Questions about the portfolio

How do I present work done for an organisation?

By describing the situation and your contribution, and by asking the client to approve what is published. Written agreement obtained when the deliverable is handed over simplifies everything: the wording is prepared with the teaching team during the workshop.

Do I need a website to host a portfolio?

A single page is enough, and the catalogue offers a short format that builds it: the « Website Creation » programme covers structure, publication and audience measurement in 3 months.

Does a portfolio replace the CV?

The two complement each other: the CV situates the path, the portfolio proves it. A portfolio address placed at the top of the CV hands the recruiter the evidence they want within the first minute.

Building a professional portfolio — Resources | IHETC — IHETC