"Creating a World Wide Web-based Multimedia Portfolio"
Copyright 1999 by Brian Wasson
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Chapter I-Problem
Introduction
The employment market in the late 1990s places many demands upon a job seeker. One must be well-educated and have a breadth of skills and achievements in order to woo a potential employer.
The field of journalism is no different. In fact, journalism and its related occupations (communications, public relations, marketing, visual communication, etc.) traditionally require not only academic preparation, but real-life experience to prove an applicant's prowess. Whereas in the past a single, well-developed skill (like writing or design) would almost assure one of a job, the modern-day job applicant in communication-related fields must have a diverse set of skills from which to draw. In the not-so-distant future, "While some journalists, just as now, may be able to focus on writing, they will have to display a richer appreciation of how photos, charts, graphs and maps -- and even full-motion video -- can complement their articles. That's because the journalist of the future will have to be literate in all forms of communication, visual as well as verbal" (Brooks et al. 22).
Media are converging, that much is evident.
Many pundits, in fact, expect an eventual melding of newspapers, magazines, radio and television into a new information medium of the future [. . .] . That means you face a challenge as you plan your media career. Not only must you prepare for a job in one of today's media, you also must be ready to work in the information media of the future [. . .] . Regardless of the medium, there will continue to be a demand for news practitioners who report well, write well, edit well and communicate well visually. (17)
Job postings in the Society of Professional Journalists' (SPJ) "Jobs for Journalists" electronic newsletter illustrate the many skills required in today's competitive job market:
(1) As a one-person art staff you also will be expected to help or coordinate page design and be an integral part of redesign efforts. And you'll assist in maintaining the graphics system. Should be well-versed in Mac drawing programs, including illustrator or freehand, QuarkXPress, Pagemaker and Photoshop. Page design skills are important, as is the ability to write concisely, spell correctly and use figures for calculations.
(2) Page designer/copy editor to complete our transformation to a full presentation desk-putting page design in the hands of designers. Have a solid command of grammar, spelling and be able to write headlines that keep readers coming back.
In the above examples, the journalist must have not only excellent writing skills, but skills in editing and design as well. Help-wanted advertisements for non-news jobs in The Philadelphia Inquirer tell a similar story:
(1) Public Relations Corporate Communications Specialist. Full Time corporate communications position available immediately for nationally recognized architecture firm [. . .] . Background should include press release/article writing, media placement, events planning, community involvement. Excellent written, verbal abilities. Computer skills, Internet-savvy. Knowledge of design environment a plus.
(2) Sr. Communications Coordinator for our Marketing & Communications Dept. Responsibilities include writing, editing, & coordinating the production of internal & external publications, managing the corporate Web site, handling communications and logistics for conferences, & coordinating all aspects of market research.
As the above examples show, diverse traditional skills are not enough. Even journalists with strong Luddite tendencies have no choice but to have their work interact with computers at some point. The world is moving to computer-based media; even traditionally-printed materials are most likely produced on a computer, as "composition on computer terminals is replacing older forms of typographic composition, so that soon virtually all printing will be done in one way or another with the aid of electronic equipment" (Ong 136). Computers are used for everything from word processing to accounting. They are "not an alien high end product; they are now among the most common technologies in America" (Gilder 119).
The communicator of the future must be conversant with new technologies, of which the most common and pervasive is the Internet. "The wise journalist is in touch with what's possible today while waiting for the full potential of this powerful new medium to develop" (Brooks et al. 155).
The Internet is now utilized for everything from background research to electronic-mail (e-mail) communication. Journalists increasingly find their work making its way online even though they may have originally intended it for the medium of print. Those who have a knowledge of the Internet have an advantage over the competition. Quite simply, "Internet skills are a hot commodity. Web-savvy [. . .] professionals can find new opportunities [. . .] because of their Internet interest and experience" (Gotcher 107). Lynda Weinmann sees Internet skill as more than a commodity for communication professionals; she sees it as a necessity: "If you don't know how to do Web publishing, they [employers] will look elsewhere, because having a Web site is quickly becoming as necessary as any other component in a visual identity system" (3).
Into this competitive and demanding world steps the recent journalism school graduate. He or she may have worked on a school newspaper and/or completed an internship, with work samples to prove it ("clips" in journalism parlance). These clips are what an employer is interested in seeing. A review of help-wanted ads in the SPJ "Jobs for Journalists" newsletter shows that employers want not only a resume, but samples of an applicant's work as well: "Send resume, three references and at least six clips [. . .] . Send resume and writing/editing clips [. . .] . Send cover letter, resume and three work samples."
However, providing samples can be time-consuming and expensive. Samples must be duplicated, collated, and mailed in a suitable package to potential employers. This might not be a problem if one is applying to only a few employers, but could be potentially cost-prohibitive if application is being made to numerous organizations. Writing samples are the easiest to duplicate, generally requiring only a high-quality copier. But visual communication samples (photography, design, etc.) tend to be much more difficult and expensive to duplicate. Photographs or slides must be duplicated-a potentially expensive process. If design samples are to be sent, originals make a better impression, yet they are rarely returned, quickly depleting an applicant's stock of samples.
Adding even more difficulty is the fact that journalism jobs, especially entry-level ones, may be far-flung. An applicant in Virginia, for example, may be applying for jobs in California, Colorado, and England. In the past an applicant would take his or her portfolio to a first interview. With the advent of multi-state and multi-national job hunting, however, employers are doing more and more first and second interviews via the telephone, making it difficult for an applicant to present his or her work for review.
Research Question
How can a job applicant use the World Wide Web to best portray his or her writing, design, photography, and technology skills to potential employers in remote locations?
Solution
The solution is a multimedia portfolio (sometimes also referred to as a "multimedia resume") on the World Wide Web ("Web"). "Multimedia resumes are the perfect place to showcase skills that are better seen (or heard) in all their glory [. . .] if you are [. . .] anyone who would benefit by the photographs, graphics, animation, sound, color, or movement inherent in a multimedia resume, then a multimedia resume could be to your benefit" (Criscito 251).
A multimedia portfolio allows a designer or photographer to make full-color representations of his or her work available to anyone with Internet access, at any time of the day or night. "Creating and distributing a digital portfolio allows your work to speak for itself, while you're off creating more projects to put in the portfolio. You can distribute a digital portfolio via e-mail or floppy disk; you can post it on your Web site; you can even use a bigger, splashier version for in-person [. . .] presentations" (Binder, "The Electronic Portfolio" 20).
It should be noted, however, that a digital portfolio is meant to supplement, not supplant, a traditional portfolio and resume. A digital portfolio "becomes just another networking tool to add to your repertoire" (Criscito 251). It is a way to make a job applicant stand out from a throng of job hopefuls. A Web-based portfolio not only shows an employer samples of an applicant's past work, but by its very nature shows the employer that the applicant has skills in Web design and content. If the applicant has broad-based skills, including writing, design, photography, and even video, the multimedia, Web-based portfolio portrays those skills in a cutting-edge manner which is bound to make an impact.
Not only does a Web-based multimedia resume showcase skills well, but it does so in an inexpensive format. There are no artwork duplication costs, no mailing costs, and no faxing costs (McKenna 46). Once the multimedia portfolio is created there is very little time involvement needed to maintain it. The only real cost is to the Internet service provider ("ISP") which hosts the digital files. For most people who have Internet access, space for their Web site is probably already provided free of charge by their ISP.
The Internet also provides nearly unlimited access to anyone who may want to view one's portfolio. A Web site is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round, from virtually any location in the world. "The Internet, after all, is a communication medium of unparalleled scope. Its speed, geographic size, and information volume are all greater than anything comparable in human history [. . .] " (Albertson et al. 11).
But it is about more than access. It is about involving the viewer. At its heart, the Internet is interactive. It requires the viewer to interact with the page in order to get what he or she wants. By doing so, a relationship is built with the Web site "based on information, not place, whose roots are in shared ideas and experiences. Call it a virtual community. The connection is a digital one, but the relationships formed can be quite substantial" (12).
A Web site allows the viewer to access as much or as little information as he or she desires. "On the [Inter]Net, information isn't tumbling down a hierarchy; it is flowing collaboratively" (Black 20). A well-conceived Web portfolio should make "the viewer the producer, the director, the editor. It is a collaboration" (25). In short, the Web site should have the information the viewer wants, but allow him or her to interact with the content in such a way as to obtain the desired information in a timely fashion.
An intelligently designed, interactive, Web-based multimedia portfolio is an excellent way to showcase one's skills and past work to a potentially international audience. It is a job-hunting device which will be used on a much larger scale in the years to come and is something which every student and working professional should consider producing. "Where else could you reach a potential audience of millions of people without spending a fortune in time, money, and research to mail your work to them?" (Weinmann 3).