E-Portfolios as a Hiring Tool: Do Employers Really Care?

Abstract

College students looking for that first job after graduation scan job postings, create profiles on career websites, and send out resumes. On the employer side, human resource managers advertise entry-level jobs and review the applications submitted for those jobs. They often narrow the candidate pool based on cover letters, resumes, and possibly reference lists. Job-hunting students would benefit, however, from having e-portfolios to share with the HR managers, who could review artifacts relating specifically to job expectations (such as presentations or written work). But would employers even look at the e-portfolios? What information would they want to see in candidates’ e-portfolios to assist them in the selection process?