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4-H Portfolio Tip Sheet

ID

4H-749NP

Authors as Published

Kathy Sealander, 4-H Youth Development, Virginia Tech

Outline for setting up your portfolio

  1. Cover Page
    1. “The 4-H Resume and Portfolio of Ima Fourher”
    2. Address, Phone and email at bottom or right justified (Small Font)
  2. Table of Contents
    1. Cover Letter
    2. Resume
    3. Recommendations
    4. My Project Work or Experience (list each as a sub-header)
      1. Beef Cattle
      2. Entomology
      3. Public Speaking
      4. Health and Fitness
    5. Leadership
    6. citizenship & Service
    7. Achievements & Award
      1. 4-H
      2. Non 4-H
  3. Make headers and tabs for each of the items in your Table of Contents
    1. Separate your support material and group under each of the headers listed in your Table of Contents
    2. Put support materials within each heading area in sleeves so not to damage the items by hole-punching.
    3. Choose only the most important items that describe your project work and remaining headers, you don’t want to over-stuff your portfolio.

Interview

  1. Proper Attire
    1. Males – Sport Coat, dress shirt, tie, nice shoes (no sneakers, flip flops, or crocs), nice pants (dress pants or khakis in good condition), hair should be clean and neatly groomed. Please wear a belt that matches shoes and shirt tucked into pants.
    2. Females – Skirt (knee length or mid-calf), dress pants, dress shirt or blouse, blazer (no denim), closed toe shoes (no sneakers, flip flops, or crocs). If you wear heels, they should be less than 3 inches and you should be able to walk easily in them with confidence. Jewelry and makeup should be conservative; it shoudn't be the first thing the interview panel notice.
    3. All clothing should be neatly pressed and clean
  2. Preparation
    1. Review all of your materials (Portfolio and/or Power Point)
    2. Have additional copies of your resume ready (Panel may or may not ask, but best to be prepared)
    3. Practice your handshake (strong handshake with eye-contact)
    4.  Know your interview time and arrive 10 minutes before.
  3. Entering the Interview Room
    1. Greet each member of the panel with a handshake and your name.
    2. Take the designated seat
  4. Questions
    1. Take time in processing the questions. Think about what was asked.
    2. Answer questions completely and to the point. Do not get carried away from the main topic or get off subject.
    3. Speak clearly and maintain eye-contact with the panel members.
    4. Hand gestures-Avoid too many hand gestures. Keep hands in your lap or on the table with fingers interlocked lightly.
  5. Presentation (Portfolio and/or Power Point Presentation *PPP)
    1. You have the option to do a Power Point Presentation, but it is not required.
    2. Use the Portfolio outline for your presentation. Whether speaking about your experiences or showing slides.
      1. Introduction of You (Name, 4-H Club, County)
      2. Introduction of Experiences (Give 5-7 examples)
        1. Give an opening statement about how being a member of 4-H has made a difference in who you are today.
        2. Highlights from your resume that speak greatly of your experiences in 4-H (primarily) and other organizations (secondary)
        3. If you do a PPP, list them out on your slide
      3. Body - Take each of the major experiences or topics you listed/spoke about above and address them individually. 30 seconds to less than 1 minute for each
        1. One slide per topic (you can have pictures and short statements on your slides and they can be the same pictures from your portfolio)
      4. Conclusion – Give a closing statement of 2-3 sentences
        1. Include your growth and development of leadership skills, citizenship, and service through 4-H
        2. Why you want to be a Virginia 4-H delegate to National 4-H Congress
      5. Closing – “Thank you and are there any questions from the panel?”
      6. Take your seat.
  6. Exiting the room (once the interview is over)
    1. Thank the panel for their time and consideration
    2. Gather your portfolio and exit professionally and quietly.

Virginia Cooperative Extension materials are available for public use, reprint, or citation without further permission, provided the use includes credit to the author and to Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University.

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Publication Date

April 4, 2022

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