Websites usually include an About page to give the reader a sense of the purpose and to identify the author/owner of the site. Begin crafting (or shaping) your professional digital presence with your ePortfolio About page.
Where are you coming from? Where are you going?
Photo by Pari Karra on Unsplash
Not sure what to include? Think about the potential audience and the purpose of a general About page.
- Audience: At the beginning, your only audience may be your professor and classmates. What is something you want to share with this group? Try starting with your goals. What is your major or program? Is there a specific career goal that you would like to achieve? Why did you choose this program of study? Is there are part of your journey that inspired you to choose this path?
- Defining your audience: Did you complete setup of your site? Revisit the launch sequence to learn about limiting visibility to your site, updating your time zone, and selecting the format of your posts.
- Purpose: As you begin your ePortfolio, imagine the possibilities of building your site. You can customize it with images and design elements that you choose. Your primary purpose at the beginning may be to share content that is associated with a course (or several courses), but ultimately, you are building your site to highlight your growth, reflective practice, and interesting projects and experiences as you earn your degree. Your About page can be updated as your goals and experiences shape your choices.
- Multimodal approach: Your ePortfolio is a website, so use the visual elements to interest you when you visit a site. You could include a selfie or professional head shot, but you may want to be more casual. Consider including images such as a place you enjoy or perhaps an image that represents you or your goals on your About page. Be sure to use Creative Commons or royalty free images and fill in Alt text so that all your visitors are able to access your image. Don’t forget to give credit if you did not create the image.
- Acknowledge your digital skill by including a statement that you are constructing your site using WordPress software. Some ePortfolio sites follow a standardized format that does not require students to learn some basic web-building software. Your site is a good demonstration not only of content and experiential learning but also of your ability to build a website!
- What NOT to include: Do not include personally identifying information such as your home town, residence hall, or contact information. You may choose to share a description rather than a specific city or town, such as, “I was raised in a small town in upstate New York, so I am really enjoying living near the ocean now.” Do not include images of people who have not given you permission. You want your site to look professional and creative. As with citing sources in your writing, acknowledged content that you did not create by providing the source via a link or through a statement about using royalty free images.
- Still not sure where to start or looking for more guidance? Check out the open-access source Building a Professional Portfolio from Lynn Meade. Click here to review the chapter about creating the About page.
