Why You Need a Portfolio

While portfolios and cover letters are important, students often misinterpret their meaning and misunderstand how to complete them. The first thing that often pops into someone’s head when they have a writing assignment is to match whatever guidelines they need to meet to get a good grade, and some overachievers may write to impress a teacher or a peer. Because this is such a widely accepted concept writers often fall into routine when writing and believe this is the way to write everything, but in many scenarios, especially with portfolios and cover letters impressing people is not the goal. By actually reflecting on assignments and what they meant to you and what you received from them you can write a much more honest portfolio which will ultimately be more helpful to you and to your teacher. When making a portfolio one of the most important parts is a cover letter. The cover letter allows the writer to explain and summarize the portfolio and it acts as a concise way to explain whatever you are trying to convey. If you can accurately use these together you have a great and concise way to give feedback which can help not only you but future educators or employers that may need something similar to a portfolio in the future.