How to Build a College Portfolio on Epic Hire
Perhaps the biggest question facing college seniors is “now what?” The week of graduation is arguably the most fun week in your college career, filled with celebrations and a sense of accomplishment but when it ends…hello real world. One of the best ways to mitigate that jarring feeling of sudden adulthood is to already have a job locked up by the time you graduate.
Standing out amongst your peers is no easy feat. One way of looking like a more intriguing candidate is to make a college portfolio. More and more, early career recruiters are looking at graduates like colleges look at high school students. They want more than a GPA or resume, they want to know how well rounded of a person they are.
Taking your profile beyond just a resume is a key. Epic Hire provides a space for students to easily design a college portfolio, or digital resume. Here are some key things to include and consider.
1) Resume
Ok, let’s get this one out of the way. Resumes are boring, and are increasingly becoming outdated—especially in the post-college job and internship marketplaces—but many recruiters are still going to want a reference sheet to review all of your experience in black and white.
On Epic Hire, including your resume in your profile is one of the easiest ways to boost your profile score. And with a higher profile score, you are much more likely to have your profile appear in front of our clients looking for applicants.
2) Club Participation
Active participation in on-campus clubs and organizations immediately triggers an understanding that “this student is committed.” It is very easy, especially at a large university, to go to class, get your grades, and call it a day. A student that takes their development an extra step by working and participating in a club proves they are passionate and committed to their growth.
Certain clubs can also help recruiters understand what sort of specialized knowledge a student may have. For example, a recruiter for a staffing agency might be looking for students wanting a sales job but many universities don’t offer a major specifically for sales, so imagine the value added to a college portfolio when a student says they’ve been a part of the school’s Sales Club for the last four years.
Also, don’t think this advice is limited only to business and engineering clubs. Showing off participation in extracurricular organizations like Greek Life, club sports, or something like a hiking club shows a willingness to pursue passions. It could also be a great indicator to recruiters about how a student might contribute positively to office culture.
3) Awards, Honors, and Scholarships
This one may seem like a no-brainer. But if there is ever a time NOT to be modest, it’s when you’re building a digital resume or college portfolio. Any opportunity that a student has to highlight an achievement should be taken.
Epic Hire’s college portfolio builder has a number of badge options that can be added to a profile to showcase accomplishments like Dean’s List, Honor Roll, winner of certain competitions, among others.
With competition among college students at an all time high, even just highlighting participation in something like the National Collegiate Sports Sales Competition (NCSSC) or a hackathon is worth sharing, regardless of outcome.
4) Photos with Captions
Visuals are one of the most noticeable features that set Epic Hire’s digital resumes apart from other hiring platforms. We combine social media with professional networking, so posting pictures is a big piece of demonstrating a student is well-rounded or a good person to work with.
The decade long anxiety around hiding social media from hiring companies should be put to bed. That just seems like a great way to bury your personality and portray yourself as a wannabe corporate robot. Epic Hire allows students to take social media and turn it into professional media. Photos allow them to show both their personality and their career hopes and accomplishments.
Captions can be important in this scenario. Really love baking in your spare time? Great! Post that photo of the croissant you made last weekend! But think of the difference a caption can make. Letting a recruiter understand there’s a picture of a croissant because that’s how a student enjoys unwinding and something they’re passionate about. Without a caption that picture goes from a cool insight into someone’s personality to just straight confusion.
Finally, a clear profile photo can be critical in getting an Epic Hire profile viewed by hiring managers. Profiles with profile photos get nearly 75% more clicks than those that don’t.
5) Creative Work
“Portfolio” often carries a heavy creative association. That association doesn’t need to be broken on Epic Hire. For students looking for a career in design, art, or even writing, Epic Hire is a great place to highlight visuals of a graphic they designed or a screenshot of an article they have had published.
Captions can also link to fully published or launched versions of these creative projects.
6) Statement of Purpose
Epic Hire eliminates the need for a cover letter. By posting photos, badges, and a resume students can SHOW why they’d be a great hire rather than TELLING recruiters why in a cover letter.
Additionally, students can use the job preferences section of their college portfolio or digital resume to express what they are looking for in a career. Students can share location preferences, job title aims, and when they’re looking to begin a new role. Students can also add custom sections to speak to things like company culture preferences.
7) Academic Work Samples
Photos also allow students to showcase school projects, grades, or classes that they have enjoyed or excelled at. Epic Hire loves seeing how students do this. From robotic battle bots from mechanical engineering majors to wireframes from software engineers to logos designed by graphic design students, there are endless epic examples on display on our platform.
Build a College Portfolio with Epic Hire
Epic Hire is in the business of helping students portray themselves as more than a resume. The design of our digital resumes can additionally be thought of as a college portfolio that works as a perfect place to showcase personality, accomplishments, and career goals.
Start sharing your story today!