Published: November 17, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding

Whether you’ve recently completed your eport or are planning to soon, I have a few ideas about giving your hard work a longer shelf life.

For anyone doing their eportfolio this semester, November 20 is a date imprinted on their brains. That’s the day everything must be completed and approved in order to pass and, therefore, graduate. It’s kind of a big deal.

November 20 is this Monday, so if you’re done, congratulations! If you’re not, well, keep this tab open to read for later and get back to work!

Whether you’ve recently completed your eport or are planning to soon, I have a few ideas about giving your hard work a longer shelf life:

1. Use your evidence. The process forces you to go through your past assignments, so take the opportunity to showcase a few of your best on your LinkedIn page and/or personal website. Not everything will work well, obviously, but that infographic, website, or LibGuide you created are worth bragging about.
2. Update your resume. All the self-reflection may shake loose some forgotten experience or unrealized skills. Maybe you thought you were just good at Facebook, but, in fact, you actually have marketing skills. That’s not something everyone has!
3. Mind the gap. If your eport makes you realize you’re much weaker in one area or another (see: MLIS Competencies or MARA Competencies), this is an excellent opportunity! Volunteer with a professional association or an institution in a capacity that will help you develop skills that will ultimately make you a stronger job candidate. Or, consider the staffing agency strategy from Tuesday.

I’d also like to point out this is a good time for everyone to read:

• Graduating in May? 11 Things to Do Now – if you’re graduating in December, don’t despair! This list works for you, too. And if you’re not finished for a while yet, this list can be worked on anytime.
• You Need a Personal Website – LinkedIn has a lot going for it, but you don’t have as much control as you could.
• All About LibGig – Because it turns out that staffing agencies can be a pretty great option.