ABOUT.md

What is a portfolio?

A personal page or portfolio is a public document that you create to showcase your achievements, projects, and thoughts. This can be useful for:

• when you're meeting someone and want to give them a quick way to see your best or ongoing work,
• helping potential employeers or collaborators discover specific talents of people working on specific problems they are facing,
• building your audience: people who are interested in things you are working on, or things you say about a topic/topics.

A few examples (out of many):

• https://isaak.net/about/ This personal page lists a few ways that Isaak stands out, his interests, recent awards, and supporters.
• https://github.com/pradyuprasad This portfolio briefly lists Pradyu's educational background, ongoing projects, and other achievements.
• https://ngjunsiang.github.io/about/ My About page quickly briefs potential collaborators about my ongoing interests, influences, and ongoing projects.

Types of portfolios

If you have trouble getting started on your own personal portfolio, here are some examples of common portfolio types, and the sections they contain.

Feel free to adapt any of the templates, choosing only the headers you need.

1. Academic ePortfolio

Headings and Descriptors:

1. Introduction/About Me – A brief overview of who you are, your academic goals, and interests.
   Example: “I am a third-year undergraduate student in Psychology, passionate about cognitive neuroscience.”
2. Education – Details about your academic background, including degrees, majors, minors, and key courses.
   Example: Bachelor of Arts in English, Minor in History (Expected Graduation: 2026)
3. Coursework and Projects – Highlights of key assignments or projects that demonstrate learning.
   Example: “A literary analysis of 20th-century American novels focusing on themes of identity.”
4. Reflections on Learning – Written reflections on personal and academic growth over time.
   Example: “This semester’s project on sustainable urban design deepened my understanding of environmental challenges.”
5. Skills and Competencies – A list of key skills acquired, such as research methods or public speaking.
   Example: Research Methods (Qualitative & Quantitative), Academic Writing
6. Contact Information – An email address or LinkedIn profile for networking purposes.

2. Creative/Arts ePortfolio

Headings and Descriptors:

1. Artist/Designer Statement – A personal statement about your creative philosophy and approach.
   Example: “I aim to explore themes of cultural identity and memory through abstract painting.”
2. Portfolio of Works – A collection of artworks, each with a brief description and medium.
   Example: "Digital Illustration Series – A five-piece collection on modern urban life.”
3. Exhibitions/Performances – Information on art shows or performances where your work was featured.
   Example: “Participated in the Spring Arts Exhibition at XYZ Gallery, 2024.”
4. Skills – Key artistic or technical skills such as illustration, animation, or sculpture.
   Example: Adobe Photoshop, Oil Painting, 3D Modeling (Blender)
5. Process Journals – Documentation of your creative process, including sketches and drafts.
   Example: A scanned sketchbook showing the evolution of a digital art project.
6. Contact Information – Professional email, website, or social media for inquiries.

3. STEM ePortfolio

Headings and Descriptors:

1. Introduction/About Me – A summary of your academic background, interests, and career goals in STEM.
   Example: “I am a computer science major with a focus on machine learning and data science.”
2. Research and Publications – Details of any research projects or papers you have worked on.
   Example: “Co-authored a research paper on renewable energy systems presented at XYZ Conference.”
3. Key Projects – Showcase STEM-related projects, including descriptions and outcomes.
   Example: “Developed a Python-based tool for analyzing large datasets on climate change trends.”
4. Technical Skills – A list of programming languages, lab techniques, or engineering tools.
   Example: Python, MATLAB, Circuit Design, R, Data Analysis
5. Certifications and Awards – List relevant certifications or recognitions.
   Example: “Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, Dean’s List (2023)”
6. Contact Information – Professional email or GitHub profile for further collaboration.

4. IT/Technology Portfolio

Headings and Descriptors:

1. Introduction/About Me – An overview of your background, technical expertise, and areas of interest.
   Example: “A software engineering student with a keen interest in developing scalable web applications.”
2. IT/Software Projects – Descriptions of IT projects, including technologies used and results.
   Example: “Created a task management app using React and Node.js with user authentication.”
3. Technical Skills – A list of IT-related skills, such as programming languages, frameworks, and tools.
   Example: Java, JavaScript, UIPath, Power BI, SQL, REST APIs
4. Case Studies – Detailed write-ups on solving specific IT problems or building solutions.
   Example: “Developed a chatbot for customer support that reduced response time by 30%.”
5. Certifications – Relevant IT certifications and courses completed.
   Example: “AWS Cloud Practitioner, UIPath RPA Developer Foundation”
6. Contact Information – Include your LinkedIn, GitHub, or professional website.