What is an Electronic portfolio
An electronic portfolio is a website that provides evidence of your work from college or career related. The aim is to reach potential employers. It may include video evidence, text, pictures, graphics, and hyperlinks.
Purpose
I am a firm believer of the saying, “seeing is believing.” I like to think of myself as a visual person. Won’t it be easier to send a digital and visual evidence of your work to a potential employer, than carrying around only a resume that doesn’t really detail out your skills and experience? I think it would. It would also be easier for potential employers to find you online. You may have your electronic portfolio linked to your LinkedIn page, can share on various social media platforms such as Facebook and on job sites such as Indeed. Plus, a digital portfolio looks good on you, wouldn’t you agree? It screams, “I know how to use a computer and create a website. Yay you!!!
Step by Step guide to creating a WordPress Portfolio
1. Launch WordPress on your browser and select “Get Started” on the top right corner.
2. Follow set up steps 1-4, fill out the form, then click “Continue”. Be sure to choose the Free account except you are a business and want to own your own account.
3. Make sure the user name you choose fit into the purpose of your site. Please do not name it- “My site or My page.”
4. Once your account is set up and you have the congratulatory message, go to your email and confirm account.
5. You would be ushered into the customizer page. At the end of the URL for your site, add wp-admin. It should look like this- studentportfolio922127519.wordpress.com/wp-admin
6. You should be at the back end where you can customize your page. Your back end should look like this.
7. Move your mouse over “Posts” on the left side bar and select “Categories.” Create categories- e.g. Classes. This category would house your pages for each class. Make sure to add good description of the category content.
8. Move your mouse over “Pages” and create pages for each of your classes or whatever you want to have in a category and of course, create a page for your Resume. If you want your pages to have snippets of all your entries as against having it all displayed, please create your classes as categories instead of pages. For single entry areas, I create pages and for multiple entry areas, I go for categories.
9. Move your mouse to “Appearance” on the left side bar and select “Themes.” Choose a free theme and activate. Note that you can also purchase a premium theme which you have to pay for.
10. Under “Appearance,” select “Customize.” Again, make sure that your account has been confirmed in your email to allow menu access.
11. Familiarize yourself with the side bar menu on the Customizer page to see what they all do.
12. Select “Menu” and “Add items.” Make sure that “Header” is checked on the menu setting so that your items would be at the top of your website.
13. First add “Categories.” Add “Classes” and any other category you created. (You add by clicking on the + sign by the side of the item. Same method for pages).
14. Now add pages (Home page, Contact page (these two are often customized for you, if not, follow the process above for creating pages and create them), add all your classes e.g. MCO 1302- Mass Media and Society).
15. Rearrange and create a drop down menu for your classes by reordering your pages. Move all your classes one step to the right under “Classes.” You can move them by having your mouse on each page and moving them or use the order tab at the bottom of the items.
16. You should have a drop down menu at this time. See image below.
17. Save and Publish.
18. Go to pages and edit/ customize each class page- add text and add featured image. Add class content. Also customize your Home page (this could have information about you) and Contact page (you may want to add your contact information). Make sure to always save and publish.
19. Select Widgets on the left side bar and follow prompts to add widgets on site.
20. Congratulations. Now you have an electronic portfolio. Your URL should look like this- studentportfolio922127519.wordpress.com
Ngozi Akinro 