How to Make a PM Portfolio?

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Danbone
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Hello,

I have about 5 months on the job now and have asked the question on professional bodies. More specifically how best to become a member and its been suggested to me that building up a portfolio of work experience and the likes would be very beneficial in many areas not just in this.

So where do I start? How best to go about making such a collection? This will be my first portfolio and so all tips and guidance welcome!

Thanks
begeland

Danbone-
Are you stating that you want to become a member of professional groups and they are asking you to provide them with a portfolio of your work experience? I'm not sure I've ever heard of that being asked of someone.

Or are you stating that people are suggesting you build up your work experience overall in order to advance your project management career? In 5 months on the job I would believe you wouldn't have lot to put in a work portfolio...though I'm not familiar with what that even is. I would think the suggestion may be that you need to build up your work 'experience' before trying to advance too quickly. That overall PM experience on a variety of projects will be what you need in order to keep progressing in the profession.
Brad
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kwalford
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Like Brad, I am also unclear on what you are asking exactly.

It would appear that you want to build up your own portfolio of project work; with the view of using this to advance in the projects domain. If my presumption is right, then I would say to document all projects that were a success and state how they delivered business benefit (aligned with Corporate strategy). This will show future employers (or managers) that not only that you have a proven record of delivering successgful projects, but the benefits were also realised by the organisation.
begeland

Yes, good strategy. Also, look for any emails from the project sponsor that might be usable as testimonial type statements for your performance or the overall performance of the project and team that put your work in a favorable light. We don't always think of those things early in our careers and work on saving those, but you are and you could start collecting those types of things now. Plus, the with much of this type of communication happening via email (as opposed to when I first started managing projects) you have it in writing. And if you feel bold enough, you can ask each sponsor (or possibly the sponsors on the projects that were the best of the best) for some sort of feedback or testimonial statement that could become part of this documentation you are collecting.
Brad
Danbone
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Yes, i3666 hit the nail on the head.

Of course its expeience that's needed, however my line manager has suggested that documentation to back this up is always impressive. So thank you. As the project is drawing to a close I will do as you suggest!

Maybe start up a file of hard copies to take to interviews.

Thanks, any more tips are welcome.
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kwalford
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begeland wrote:Yes, good strategy. Also, look for any emails from the project sponsor that might be usable as testimonial type statements for your performance or the overall performance of the project and team that put your work in a favorable light. We don't always think of those things early in our careers and work on saving those, but you are and you could start collecting those types of things now. Plus, the with much of this type of communication happening via email (as opposed to when I first started managing projects) you have it in writing. And if you feel bold enough, you can ask each sponsor (or possibly the sponsors on the projects that were the best of the best) for some sort of feedback or testimonial statement that could become part of this documentation you are collecting.
Brad

I already have done this and I think it is beneficial. I have an email folder on Outlook with saved emails where the customer/sponsor were giving me glowing feedback on my performance.
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