Zeegen, L. (2008) ‘Design graduate’s survival guide’, Computer Arts 151, 2008, p.37

Zeegen (2008)

Zeegen, L. (2008 ) ‘Design graduate’s survival guide’, Computer Arts 151, 2008, p.37

A section of the article on post-graduate employment for creative arts practitioners focuses on portfolios. The author comments on a the need for students to represent a range of skill dimensions through the portfolio, reflecting its complexity and scope for purpose. Zeegen states, “Anyone viewing your body of work should be able to comprehend your take on design, visualise your aspirations as a designer and get a real flavour of what motivates and interests you.” These three facets alone illustrate the challenge of visually articulating abstract skill types in a tangible form.

Edwards, G. (2005) Connecting PDP to Employer Needs and the World of Work, The Higher Education Academy

Edwards, G. (2005) Connecting PDP to Employer Needs and the World of Work, The Higher Education Academy

The author summarises research undertaken in 2000 and refers to the research question, “In what ways can personal development planning be implemented in HEIs to be of maximum benefit in recruitment processes and later career mangement?”

Indications reported are that employers are interested in seeing the documented process that has been facilitated by PDP, not the outputs, suggesting that this mode (PDP) is not an intrinsic desirable. Nonetheless, the report begins to define competencies based on responses from graduate employers. These are generic, and at the top of the list come flexibility, adaptability and capacity to cope with change; self-motivation and drive; analytical ability and decision making; and communication and interpersonal skills.

Drew, S., Stevens, A. & Haughton, P. (2007) Electronic PDPs for Art, Design and Media: Their Use and their Assessment, Sheffield Hallam University

Drew, S., Stevens, A. & Haughton, P. (2007) Electronic PDPs for Art, Design and Media: Their Use and their Assessment, Sheffield Hallam University [Online report] Available at: www.shu.ac.uk/research/cre/Electronic%20PDP/Website/base%20model/CasestudyD&T%20amended.doc (accessed July 20 2007)

The focus on electronic personal development portfolios is made clear from the outset, and the case studies that have driven the research findings acknowledge this. The work identified some key findings from consultation with employers in relevant fields. This included the emergence that there was an increasing trend for applicants to make first contact via email, but that employers do not view a portfolio until interview.

It also emerged from the employer perspective that portfolios needed to be focussed in order for them to stand out from the crowd, show individuality and emphasise originality and creativity. It was also suggested that PDP content was, although not expected by employers, generally found to be occurring in employees and was seen as a personal activity. A tension also emerged between worked presented being of potential commercial value.

There is some ambiguity about the role of PDP for employability, and although the report does discuss PDP with employers, it highlights the gap between PDP in education and for employment purposes, stating, “E-PDP tends to be located on professional practice modules.”

Spendlove, D. & Hopper, M. (2006) ‘Using ‘Electronic Portfolios’ to Challenge Current Orthodoxies in the Presentation of an Initial Teacher Training Design and Technology Activity’ International Journal of Technology & Design Education

Spendlove, D. & Hopper, M. (2006) ‘Using ‘Electronic Portfolios’ to Challenge Current Orthodoxies in the Presentation of an Initial Teacher Training Design and Technology Activity’ International Journal of Technology & Design Education, [online] 16 (2), pp177-191 Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=101&sid=2bdd4244-5c85-48ae-9785-f6e19a7cfad4%40SRCSM2 (accessed 24 July 2007)

Spendlover and Hopper’s article describes the way that they see the use of e-portfolios for presenting an initial teacher training design and technology activity. As such, the content has a significant emphasis on presentation of a design process. In this context, the authors state that the primary use for an e-portfolio is for “reflective, design practice within a structured educational design challenge.”

Additionally, there is recognition of this output being of use in terms of employability, so it’s significance related to our wider context is of presentation of capabilities for employability. Interestingly, the findings report that “The majority of undergraduates within the group had completed courses at Advanced level in their chosen discipline and arrived at university with a firmly established perception of the ‘legitimised’ purpose, content and mode of presentation of the ‘design portfolio’.” (p.181) This adds substance to the understanding that practitioners are heavily influenced by their subject culture, and here, as to what they see as culturally (subject) valid for their peer and employer networks.

Gardner, H. (2006) Five Minds for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press

Gardner, H. (2006) Five Minds for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press

The author reflects on five discrete ‘minds’ that equate to skills for life. Each of the skills is discussed as a grounded concept and distilled into an anticipated requirement for survival in the future of learning and employment.

“- The disciplined mind has mastered at least one way of thinking – a distinctive modes of cognition that characterizes a specific scholarly discipline, craft, or profession.

- The synthesizing mind takes information from disparate sources, understands and evaluates that information objectively, and puts it together in ways that make sense to the synthesizer and to other persons.

- The creating mind breaks new ground. It puts forth new ideas, poses unfamiliar questions, conjures up Fresh ways of thinking, arrives at unexpected answers.

- The respectful mind notes and welcomes differences between human individuals and between human groups, tries to understand these ‘others’, and seeks to work effectively with them.

- The ethical mind ponders the nature of one’s work and the needs and desires of the society in which one lives. The mind conceptualizes how workers can serve purposes beyond self-interest and how citizens can work unselfishly to improve the lot of all.” (p.3)

Higher Education Academy (2006b) Student Employabiliy Profile Template – Art and Design Generic Employability Competencies, The Higher Education Academy.

Higher Education Academy (2006b) Student Employabiliy Profile Template – Art and Design Generic Employability Competencies, The Higher Education Academy. [Online] Available at http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Main_menu___Research/Student_employability/p!efbLLca (accessed 24 July 07)

The employability profile for art and design has been extracted from the HEA’s Student Employability Profiles: A guide for Higher Education Practitioners. The profile template maps subject benchmark indicators developed by the Quality Assurance Agency to six skill sets:

• Cognitive Skills; The ability to identify, and solve problems, work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions.
• Generic Competencies; High level and transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, communicate, persuade and interpersonal sensitivity.
• Personal Capabilities; The ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve ones self-awareness, emotional intelligence and performance. To be a self-starter (creativity, decisiveness, initiative) and to finish the job (flexibility, adaptability, tolerance to stress).
• Technical Ability; For example, having the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology.
• Business and/or Organisation Awareness; An appreciation of how businesses operate through having had (preferably relevant) work experience. Appreciation of organisational culture, policies and processes.
• Practical and Professional Elements; Critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice, reflect and review own practice, participate in and review quality control processes and risk management.

Creative Review (2004) ‘How to get a Job’ Creative Review, Nov 2004, p37

Creative Review (2004) ‘How to get a Job’ Creative Review, Nov 2004, p37

Significantly, the article talks extensively about the use of traditional paper-based portfolios during interviews for jobs in the design sector. This goes against the other emerging idea of digital portfolios being used by graduates and employers aside of the interview period. The implication is that the physical portfolio is still seen as important; “…it is always good to include hard copies for the ‘feel factor’.”

The article also focuses on the need for graduates to tailor their portfolio for the individual company that they are aiming to gain employment with one interviewee stating that they are including information about how to do this on their website. “Candidates themselves can prepare by tailoring their portfolio to suit the job which they are up for.”

Burgoyne, P. (2004) ‘Experience Necessary’ Creative Review, March 2004, p10

Burgoyne, P. (2004) ‘Experience Necessary’ Creative Review, March 2004, p10

This short editorial from the popular art and design publication, Creative Review, describes the magazine’s focus for the month, work placement. It highlights the importance of placement in enabling graduates to get work in art and design, but also acknowledges the other elements of employability. “Placements, along with the right personality and a portfolio that demonstrates the ability to think conceptually as well as handle type and images competently, are the essential ingredients for any graduate CV.”

Butler, P. (2006) A Review of the Literature on Portfolios and Electronic Portfolios

Butler, P. (2006) A Review of the Literature on Portfolios and Electronic Portfolios [Online] Available at: https://eduforge.org/docman/view.php/ 176/1111/ePortfolio%20Project%20Research%20Report.pdf (accessed 23 July 2007)

2006 review of literature on e-portfolio research with some focus on art and design specific e-portfolio use. The most significant points emerging relate to the purpose and use of e-portfolios and from where these are driven. (Purposes: what an e-portfolio is designed for. Uses: What e-portfolios are actually used for.) Although there are several interpretations of the purposes of e-portfolios, they essentially range from, at one end of the scale, a process / learning portfolio to, at the other, representational / showcase.

Art and design specific analysis is based on a relatively small sample of literature but indicates a subject-oriented preconception that is also evident in other fields. For art and design this is that the portfolio is fundamentally a collection of visual work, often supported with reflective / explanatory information.” (Blaikie et al., 2004)

The review highlights benefits associated with electronic portfolios: skill development; evidence of learning; feedback; reflection; psychological benefits; assessment; artefacts; maintenance; portability and sharing. (p11)

Perry, M. & Medler, A. (2004) Marketing your Creativity: New Approaches for a Changing Industry, Lausanne: AVA Publishing

Perry, M. & Medler, A. (2004) Marketing your Creativity: New Approaches for a Changing Industry, Lausanne: AVA Publishing

The authors have written the book for graduates who are readying themselves for employment in the design sector. They talk about the changing face of employment in the sector describing, “client spending on marketing activity is undoubtedly down and permanent jobs in the industry have suffered, freelance is more buoyant.” (p38) The authors offer an alternative ethos for enhancement employment opportunities, suggesting interdisciplinary awareness and diversity of skill-base being key elements.

The book describes ways that graduates can market themselves for employment. Digital portfolios – CD or web based – are first on the agenda and assert a need for easy to access and readily compatible content the key. A number of other approaches are listed; digital direct mail, email, multimedia, but the portfolio is seen as a fundamental tool. “Turning your traditional portfolio into a digital portfolio opens up all kinds of doors or you.” (p54) And the authors re-state the need for individuality and asserting the “brand of you.”