Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
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Unit 1 Health Informatics Career Pathway
A quality portfolio highlights your knowledge, experiences, skills,
and abilities (Figure 2.18). Your portfolio should contain the following
information:
• an introductory letter or essay
• your résumé (REH-zuh-may)
• letters of recommendation
• records of paid and volunteer work experiences
• samples of projects and presentations that illustrate your skills
• health certifi cations you have earned
• a list of school and community activities in which you have
participated
• scholastic and professional awards you have received
An introductory letter or essay refl ects your personality, passions, and
goals for your career and your life. This letter should answer some basic
questions about you, your life, and your career goals. What experiences
and interests have led you to this career? Why is this work important to
you, and what do you think you can contribute to this career? What goals
have you set for yourself in this career? Include an example of one of your
positive characteristics. You may use information from this introductory
letter as you fi ll out job applications and prepare for interviews. This is
not a letter you send out to potential employers. This letter exists to help
you consider your priorities as you begin your career journey.
A résumé is a short, one-page document that contains your
accomplishments and experiences and explains how these relate to a job
in which you are interested. A computer template can make it easy to
create and revise your résumé. You should take care to adjust the
document to fi t the requirements of a specifi c job. List your name and
contact information at the top of your résumé. Include your educational
background, employment history, extracurricular activities, employment
certifi cations, and special awards or honors. Keep a separate list of
references to include when specifi cally requested.
Your résumé must be easy to read, so use the same font throughout
the document. Use phrases separated into bullet points rather than
complete sentences. Since you may be applying online, format your
résumé so that it can be posted easily to a website; sent by e-mail; or
printed, mailed, and then scanned by a potential employer (Figure 2.19).
You should also keep the results of your career assessments in your
portfolio so you can review them when considering a new job. These
results will help you determine if a job is a good fi t for you. Your portfolio
is a tool you will use throughout your work life.
HOSA Connections
HOSA–Future Health Professionals is a career and technical student
organization (CTSO). Through CTSOs such as HOSA for health science
students, FBLA for business students, and SkillsUSA for a variety of
industries, students can develop leadership skills, learn more about career
training programs, and participate in service-learning and other volunteer
opportunities.
Build
Portfolio
HOSA–Future Health
Professionals
a career and technical
student organization for
future healthcare workers
Figure 2.18 Keep your
career portfolio on hand
when applying for jobs. Your
portfolio should contain all
the information you might
need for a job application.