volunteering In Texas, there are opportunities through
Volunteering is another way to acquire the American Red Cross, the Special
practical work experience. There are many Olympics, the March of Dimes, and Habitat
cReATe a career
volunteer opportunities that can provide for Humanity, among others. “Both the
PoRTFolio
leadership training, offer the responsibility Red Cross and Habitat sponsored huge
of dealing with real-life or crisis situations, contingencies from Texas to aid the
One valuable tool that can help you get
and, perhaps most significantly, allow ongoing clean up resulting from the
ready for college and beyond is a career
students to gain the maturity and wisdom to Hurricane Katrina disaster in the Gulf
portfolio—a collection of items that
deal with adversity. region,” says Thomas.
document your achievements both in
and out of school, assembled in one
convenient package.
S P o T L I G H T
A career portfolio is not simply
a resume, although it can certainly
include one. So what should go in a
career portfolio? A variety of things,
BuSINESS CoMPEtItIoN
depending on your own personal
experiences. It could include transcripts
BPA and FBLA Teach real-World
and grades; writing samples; letters
Skills to Students
of recommendation from teachers,
mentors, or employers; awards you’ve
received; and items that document
S
tudents interested in business careers can begin fBla holds spring
other activities, such as internships and
developing professional skills in high school state leadership
job shadowing experiences.
student organizations. Business professionals of conferences featuring
“You need to be specific—dates, how
america (Bpa) and future Business leaders of competitions in
many years, any awards, what they
america (fBla) have active chapters across Texas business knowledge
meant, and who you received them
that promote leadership, encourage teamwork and skills. Top
from,” says Grace Brauchle, who helps
with people with similar interests, and organize performers move
students put their portfolios together
competitions that showcase business skills. on to advanced competition at fBla’s national
as the career center coordinator for
Bpa aims to help prepare a world-class workforce leadership conference in the summer. malia
Lehman High School in Kyle.
by developing students’ leadership, citizenship, Hudson, a teacher and sponsor of fBla at plano
Brauchle says portfolios come in
academic, and technological skills. vickie Thomas, east senior High school in plano, says several of her
handy when students apply for jobs or
Bpa’s Texas state advisor, has seen many students students have excelled in competitions.
admission to college. “First impressions
develop into business professionals—Thomas says one of them, Hunter morris, was “barely
are a very big thing,” she says, “and
one student still in high school is a website designer. interested in school and only to appease his mother’s
you want to be the one whose papers
“He has really grown his company and has a huge wishes became involved in extended learning with
get passed around the office. You want
client base,” she says. fBla,” Hudson says. after excelling at an fBla
to be the one where the admissions
Bpa competitive events begin each fall at competition, morris wound up “discovering his true
counselors say, ‘Wow, look at this one!’”
local leadership conferences throughout Texas calling in the field of economics,” she says. since
And a portfolio doesn’t have to be
featuring competitions in business skills. students then, morris has attended the university of chicago
simply a collection of papers. Artists
with technical skills, for instance, might try to on scholarship, and is currently working in london’s
and photographers use their portfolios
create the best website or develop plans for an financial district.
to provide visual examples of their
e-commerce business. Both fBla and Bpa encourage community service
work, and so can you. Do you have
Then students advance to regional competitions through participation in projects such as special
photos of someone giving you an
and, if they win, advance to the state and national olympics. “we want students to be great leaders,”
award? Put them in. How about a video
levels. no matter how far they advance, Thomas Thomas says, “and part of being a great leader is
of a performance? Include it on a DVD.
says, students benefit from the experience. “They’re giving back to your community.”
Do you have experience in Web design?
getting that feel of working in teams and developing for more information, visit www.texasbpa.com or
Make an online portfolio to showcase
businesses,” she says. www.txfbla.org.
what you can do.
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