Using the Beijing experience as a Career Enhancer
2008-01-26
As some of you might know, I am an expat spouse who reinvented myself after moving to Beijing with my husband and my two children.
I used to be working as a chartered management accountant and I am now involved in a venture that requires a range of very different skills: entrepreneurial skills, sales and marketing skills, event management skills.
Assuming that we will ever leave China and assuming that I will ever have the desire to go back to the corporate world, how will I able to boost my CV with my newly acquired abilities? To be fully honest with you, CFOs won't headhunt me for my great event management skills and my ability to provide INSPIRED workshop attendees with delicious croissants.

Ever heard about the concept of "Career portolios"?

The information I would like to share with you here is particularly useful for anybody who has significantly reshaped their career while being in Beijing and also for anybody currently out of employment but planning to go back to employment at a later stage.
Example: if you are currently doing a great job in your "Parent Representative" position, this is the tool you can use to enhance your CV and demonstrate your organisation skills and time-management skills.

A "career portfolio" is a job-hunting tool that you develop that gives employers a complete picture of who you are -– your experience, your education, your accomplishments, your skill sets -– and what you have the potential to become.

Author Martin Kimeldorf explains in his book "Portofolio Power" that career portolios should be made of course of your graduation certificates and resume BUT ALSO of:
- brochures describing training events you attended,
- samples of your work,
- thank you notes,
- photos, maybe a photograph of you at a podium to give evidence of your public speaking abilities,
- newspaper clippings...
For the full list of work samples or artifacts which could be included in a general career portfolio, go to http://www.amby.com/kimeldorf/portfolio/p_mk-02.html

As very clearly summarised by Expat Expert Robin Pascoe, "Kimeldorf suggests you compile all these pieces using clear A4 wallets inside a ring binder, categorising sections using headings such as Learning, Communication and Persuasion Abilities, Managerial or Leaderhsip Skills, and Information Gathering. Triy to limit the portfolio to 20 items if possible."

I guess, I'd better start collecting photos of me mastering the connection between the projector and the laptop! ... for the Presentation skills section of course.