4/20/2024
Tom McCutchen
 
0).  Don't forget the Save button at the button of the portfolio create and edit page
Your portfolio doesn't save automatically!   Be sure to hit the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page to save a new portfolio.
If you are editing an existing portfolio, you must hit 'Save' for the changes to take effect. 
 
1).  Thanks for sharing
Think of your portfolio as a public website of your English credentials.  It is viewable anywhere on the web, and the URL can be shared by your or anyone else an unlimited number of times.  The person that clicks on the link to your portfolio will not have to create an account for the site or login.
 

2). Why create an English Skills Portfolio (ESP)?

Use it as a complement to your resume when you apply for a job that requires English on any job board or company site.
You can use the portfolio to prove your English skills and move your resume to the top of the pile.  Link the URL of the ESP in your resume or in your cover letter.   
 

3). Your personal contact details 

Being easy to contact is a handy feature if you are looking to gain visibility in your job search, but not everybody wants their phone number to be public forever.  You may opt to hide your contact information, but that setting does not apply to any contact information that you include in your attached documents or linked social media accounts.   You may delete your portfolio at any time.   If you need help, just contact us.
 

4). Come back soon

Most candidates will not be able to complete a profile in a single settling. A portfolio with a resume and a summary is a good start, but plan on spending some extra time planning, recording and uploading video-resumes to YouTube.
 

5). Now about those videos ...

Do you really want to prove you can communicate in English? Do you want to show a little bit of your personality? The video resume gives you a chance to stand-out from the rest of the crowd and really show your skills. Keep it short, around forty seconds for more junior roles. Remember to use the “share” button to get the right YouTube URL.
 

6). Free forever 

Your portfolio is free to create, share, view and use in job applications. You may create multiple portfolios -- for example, a generic portfolio and another one directed at a specific industry or role.  These services will always be free. 
 

7). Use Portable Document Format (pdf) for attachments

For technical and compliance reasons, your attached documents (including resumes) must be in pdf format.  Any Word document can be saved in pdf format.   Many recruiters prefer Word resumes, which you may provide to them upon request. 
 

8). Premium Members: the summary section is searchable

Your resume document might be full of those keywords that recruiters love – but the recruiter portfolio search function will not find them unless you also put them in the summary section. We recommend that this summary be in both English and your native language, with English at the top. Do you speak more than two languages? After English, order the summaries in descending order of fluency.
 
9). Resumes and documents.
 A resume in English is not required to complete a portfolio, but many companies require or prefer one.  Also bear in mind that some recruiters who recruit English speakers may only have basic English ability themselves.  For these reasons, we recommend that job seekers have both a local-language and a English resume.  
 
As additional attachments choose up to four documents to attach that demonstrate your ability to communicate in English and your value as a potential employee. Suggestions: TOEFL or IELTS scores, an article, or a presentation that you gave in English, a list of references, letters of recommendation, academic transcripts.
 
10). Customize or your portfolio URL.

 You can create a version of your URL that embeds your portfolio title. Also keep in mind that in Word you can insert aclickable link – the text appears in blue to indicate that it is clickable, and the full URL is hidden until the blue text is clicked.

 

10). WhatsApp chat.

 If your phone number has a WhatsApp account, you can include a clickable link on your portfolio – just make sure to include the full number, with country code and without spaces or hyphens  If your contact phone number does not have WhatsApp, use the “other phone” field.