At the beginning of your college career, you may not initially know what you’re interested in or understand the significance of your experiences. As your interests develop and you experience more, you will get a clearer picture of how things fit together and where you want go. In the meantime, you should keep track of everything you create: research papers for your classes, poster board presentations, flyers or postcards for a club/organization, projects for work, personal blogs, etc. But don’t just save big projects and assignments. Record your thoughts and ideas: if you jot down a note on scrap paper, take a photo with your camera phone so you don’t lose it. If you see something interesting when you’re out and about, take a photo or record a voice memo to yourself. And, don’t forget to preserve all your work in a secure place such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud. Everything you collect along the way will help you reflect on your experiences and accomplishments, and that reflection will, in turn, help you tell your story to employers, graduate schools, and others beyond UCF.
As you build your portfolio, check in with advisors and mentors to talk about your goals and your progress. Schedule a visit with Career Services to speak with a career counselor about your experiences and the skills that you are acquiring (and hope to acquire). You can also seek advice on how to start building your resume. Take some time to speak with your professors about the skills they expect you to learn in your classes.