Grad15: How to create your digital portfolio

In our most recent Grad15 webinar, Academic Affairs Program Manager Shannon Lujan discussed how to cultivate a digital research presence with a digital portfolio, an important career readiness tool for graduate students. 

What is a digital portfolio?

A digital portfolio is an assemblage of your reflective learning and allows you to record, explore and reflect on your academic-professional journey. It presents employers with a curated presentation of your research and can contain pages on your academic development, professional development, research and teaching alongside reflections related to skills and knowledge gained, goals achieved, and plans for reaching future milestones.

Lujan recommends graduate students update their profiles at least once a year. 

Why should graduate students create a digital portfolio?

A digital portfolio makes your research visible and helps you create and manage your professional brand, making your research accessible and applicable to your audience. More than a résumé or curriculum vita, a digital portfolio can be a forward-facing platform allowing you to present yourself as a scholar.

Research indicates graduate students who create and maintain digital portfolios are more adept at discussing the nuances and ramifications of their research. 

Creating your digital portfolio

For students creating digital portfolios, ASU maintains a software license for the Digication platform. Free blog software such as Edublogs, Wix, WordPress or Google Sites is an alternative, too. 

Lujan recommends Digication for its robust support and the pre-made templates the Graduate College has created within the platform. Accessible through My ASU, Digication portfolios will remain accessible to you free of charge so long as you have an ASURITE and ASU email account.

ASU maintains a digital portfolio resource website. Lujan recommends using the Graduate College professional development template, as this template's pre-designed page layouts include subpages with place-holder content, tips, and guiding text. 

If you missed this Grad15 webinar, you can view the recording on the GradConnect Canvas page.

To view the schedule of upcoming Grad15 mini-webinars, visit the Graduate College professional development webpage.