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A portfolio is a collection of work that represents the best efforts of an artist, writer marketing specialist or other professional. Portfolios help employers and clients see the type of work the potential employee, contractor or student is capable of. The portfolio is a type of "greatest hits" collection of work to date. Portfolios measure both the quantity and quality of work the person can produce.
Etymology
"Portfolio" is a compound word that begins with the root, port. In Latin, port means to carry, as in the words transport or portable. Folio is a word that means folder or file. A portfolio is a filed collection of portable work.
Benefits
Portfolios benefit potential clients and employers in being able to see examples of the person's work. Portfolios are the documented evidence of the skills the person claims to have.
Types
Portfolios can be professional collections of work. Other portfolios can be educational. Teachers may require students to collect their work for final evaluation in a portfolio to measure their growth and achievement.
Considerations
When a person builds her portfolio she must consider both the quality and the quantity of work to include. A beginning-level worker or artist may need to include pieces that are not professional-level quality in order to add to her perceived level of experience. A more accomplished writer, artist or other worker should weed out pieces that do not represent her best efforts.
Warning
Portfolios can be written documents or electronic records. Always save your work and have backups both online and in written copies. Frequently look at past pieces of work to revise and improve.
Source:
Project Management Resources: What is Project Portfolio Management?
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