The main reason for the development of the work portfolio is the changing conditions of work that most would recognise as taking place over the past decades. Jobs are no longer for life - even in areas which were traditionally secure. More people are experiencing more redundancies and changes of job. More people approaching middle age are on the job market and facing a more uncertain future.

This pushes us into a new way of approaching the job market to secure this income. You can't be reliant on just your qualifications and job experience as embodied in a traditional CV. So you in turn have to look to your skills, analyse them to see what you have to offer, and find ways of laying out those skills for all to see.

A portfolio is the ideal way to do this. Just as artists base theirs round pieces of their work, yours could include: Samples of successful work that illustrates your skills - reports produced, events organised, letters of thanks or appreciation for tasks done. If no documentary evidence of the event is available, write your own account of it or ask others involved for their input. Impress people not just with evidence of your past achievements, but with statements of your vision of future achievements - your current projects and skills developments, your future plans and vision. Some experts even suggest a Q & A section in which you anticipate interview questions and lay out your answers clearly. If you can put some of your evidence up on the web, links to a website will give an even wider platform for your skills. [Portfolio Contents]

Though a portfolio contains some of the elements of a CV, it obviously goes further. It is more flexible, changeable and more of a continuous work in progress. It makes you think more about your intangible skills and how you can present evidence of them. Starting to gather a portfolio of your successes now can help most immediately with appraisals, but may be even more valuable in the future employment market. [Creating a Portfolio]