he tangata, he tangata, he tangata

Acknowledge the past

Embrace the present

Advance the future

1. Why did you sign up for the joint ALIA/QUT project, and what benefits did you hope to receive from being part of the study?

I joined up after seeing Gilliam Hallam's presentation on ePortfolios at the 4th ALIA New Librarians Symposium. I was looking for work at the time and thought that an ePortfolio would be a great way to create an online portfolio that would really showcase the work that I had done and my achievements in a way that a traditional resume could not. I was uncertain about how to start creating an ePortfolio though and so joined the project in order to find out how to create one. I was also interested in networking with other enthusiastic librarians and hoped to learn from and be inspired by librarians who had more experience than I did. It also just seemed like it would be a fun project to be a part of (and it has been!).

2. Almost 8 months have passed, what features of your ePortfolio do you like the most and why? What about the least and why?

I think I still need to do a lot of work on my ePortfolio. Since creating my initial ePortfolio I started my first job in a library and so now need to update my resume and add new sections in my ePortfolio to reflect the new experience I have gained and projects that I have completed. I have also completed more work at university (as I am still studying) and so need to update sections on that too. I plan to update my ePortfolio when things are quieter over the summer (as I am currently working full time and studying, so do not have much free time).

The features that I like the most at the moment are the sections on my work experience at the State Library of Victoria and the sections on the subjects that I studied at university last year. I like those sections because they are presented nicely, as I have added screen-shots and photos, and I have uploaded evidence that backs up what I have written.

3. If you had to create an 'elevator pitch' aimed at fellow librarians re your ePortfolio and professional development, what would you say?

Do you find it difficult to market yourself to potential employers? Employers would like you to provide evidence that you will be able to perform well in job and it is very difficult to provide this evidence in a standard resume or response to key selection criteria. The solution is to create an ePortfolio, which will allow you to back-up the claims you make in a job application by linking to uploaded documents or web-pages that substantiate your claims and showcase the work you have completed in the past. Through the process of creating the portfolio you will also be able to reflect on your achievements and professional development thus far and identify areas for further development and also develop your IT skills.