Portfolio preparation for residency candidates.

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As the residency and job markets become increasingly competitive for pharmacy students and new practitioners, the need to stand out becomes essential. A portfolio is a personalized collection of materials that is designed to document professional experiences, evaluations, reflections, and accomplishments; it can be either displayed to a prospective employer or copied and provided to that person. A portfolio is meant to be unique and reflect the student’s professional development. A portfolio is a dynamic assortment of documents that evolves over time and changes to reflect the individual’s interests. The creation of a portfolio can seem to be a daunting process but is rewarding, and the final product is an effective tool to showcase knowledge and skills for future employers. Portfolios are used in a variety of professions to act as a supplement to the résumé or curriculum vitae (CV). Therefore, before the creation of a portfolio, a well-developed and up-to-date CV should be assembled. This will help to organize and identify items that should be included in the portfolio. Several pharmacy schools throughout the country currently require or have courses on making portfolios. However, every student should start preparing early for creating a portfolio to help ease the burden of having to locate and organize documents later. Many students use portfolios at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting during the Personnel Placement Service recruiting event or onsite residency interviews. This supplement to application materials allows residency directors and preceptors to quickly view projects, presentations, posters, and other examples of a student’s work throughout pharmacy school.1 Portfolios help candidates market their capabilities and demonstrate the quality and quantity of their professional development. Portfolios also show residency directors which applicants went above and beyond the basic requirements by taking the time to develop this additional resource. Portfolios can range in scope, size, design, and content in order to reflect the student’s accomplishments and work quality.