Online Portfolio Legality/Ethics

[TheBourne]

Hi Folks,

Being a recent undergrad of engineering, I have been working on an online portfolio of my academic work and a few personal projects (but majorly academic). My hope is to draw prospective employers to see some more detailed examples of my work, and it would be a non-profit website. It would be an elaborated resume so-to-speak, with major project descriptions, my role in the project, skills/tools demonstrated, etc. All of the content would be my own work within the particular project, but my concern is whether this could possibly raise an issue with the university, professors, or my peers.

Also I'd like to mention that at this point I have no employment experience to show off, but as/if I continue to update the page I realize the importance of excluding any confidential information...but then again I hope that once I get my first relevant job the online portfolio will become less necessary. Any advice on this topic would be much obliged,

Cheers.

 

[rowingengineer]

photo's are nice,
but if you were applying for a job in my displine i would warn you that no-one has the time to review you work to an indepth detail, unless you are going for a jab as website developer. You would be better servered getting out there and meeting people, you would be supprised where your first job may come from, normally it is from a guy that knows a guy that went to school with a friend.

Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud. After a while you realize that they like it

 

[NomLaser]

I know that most discourage a portfolio of previous work at interviews, but I keep a copy of most of my projects in case someone wants to see some of the work that I have done in the past. I never give out copies and it's just to showcase my work, much like what most photographers do. You can describe what you have done all day long but a photo and a brief project overview can really show what you are capable of (no intellectual property though). I showed one in my last interview and was told that they were glad that I brought it along. I keep it to a small binder and 8-1/2 x 11 sheets so that it's portable and only bring it along on follow-up interviews.

 

[TheTick]

I don't think you'll run into ethical issues displaying academic projects. You won't be displaying anyone else's intellectual property.

You will probably get further with a nicely bound print edition that you can take to your interviews. Very few hiring managers will take the time to visit your website.

 

[TDAA]

I have done the paper copy. I had three pages attached sent with my PDF resume. Each page had two projects with one photo, and a quick description of what I did for the project, and what the highlights were.

I just did this since it was across the country, and they would otherwise not have known me, or the projects. When I interviewed, all three pages were stapled to the copies of the interviewers.

I agree that most will not take the time, or put out the extra effort, to go to a web page.

 

[TDAA]

Just thought of something though:

This would be a good way to document your experience and the different projects you work on. Could be great for personal use, or public, if the need arises.

 

[Eleceng01]

I would recommend ONLY keeping it personal if at all. What you don't "think" as confidential can hurt you - some companies are very protective of anything involving their 'process.'

I was recently in a situation where I couldn't confirm local news coverage to client A about client B's facility. I could acknowledge that 'yes, they had a transformer fire...." but I couldn't tell them the details as it was confidential (even though it was on the news).

 

[photoengineer]

Certainly nothing wrong with publishing your academic works online.

However, if you work at a private company, everything interesting you do will be proprietary or owned by the company. If it's not company owned, it probably is pretty boring work.

Showing off proprietary drawings to potential employers is a common practice, but highly looked down upon. If an employee is showing off proprietary drawings from his current company, he will likely treat your intellectual property in the same way.

Cedar Bluff Engineering

http://cedarbluffengineering.webs.com

 

[HgTX]

And if your academic work is funded by an outside party, that outside party may or may not have something to say about the matter.

Hg


Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[berkshire]

HgTX (Civil/Environme)
I have one of those going on right now.
I have a guy who worked for me, on a contract I had at a university, to modify an experimental aircraft.
In his resume he makes it look as though he was there as an independent consultant not an employee.
To put it mildly I am a little miffed.
B.E.

 

[TheBourne]

Thanks for the replies everyone,

I am pleased to hear that it would not be entirely out of the question to make up a website (of appropriate content of course), although I am having second thoughts about advertising it as planned at the moment.

My original intention was to produce a hard-copy version of my portfolio, as NomLaser suggested, that would be easily translated into an online format. I am now a bit reluctant, not to build the website, but simply to outright advertise it on my resume. I think if any employer DID call me in after seeing my website I would feel guilty of repeating to him/her information they've already seen on my site, making my somewhat rudimentary achievements over-blown and over-forced.

So, I think I'll go ahead on the site as planned, but will only mention it in interviews as a supplementary piece of work which organizes the hard copy portfolio. Thanks again!

Cheers!

 

[BigInch]

Berkshire, Maybe I don't understand the problem. As I see it, maybe there's more to it, you hired out the work to the uni. If the uni hires students, or independent consultants to do the work, doesn't seem to matter much.

When I consult on projects, even through one or a chain of other engineering companies, I take credit for the work I did as a consultant to that engineering company and on the project itself as well, such as, "STA Joint Venture Corp., Construction Engineer, British Petroleum's BTC Project".

I think its irrelevant as to what that employee chooses to call himself in the performance of that work he did for the uni. Is that what's bothering you, or is he managing to take credit for something you/your company actually did prior to farming out the work?


**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

 

[BigInch]

TheBourne,

I think its a great idea. Send out the customary, typically brief resumes, but if somebody's interest perks and they want more info about you, its there for their convenience and taking. If you're comfortable with publishing your details on the web, why not. Just be careful about those proprietary items and personal opinions. NO POLITICS OR RELIGION! Personally I would maintain some security, such as only providing the URL to prospective employers that contacted me first, or have a general intro page and then a more detailed page, etc. but I'm paranoid. Why make it too easy for the ID thieves out there.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

 

[JLSeagull]

I would not worry much about a work example port folio. Think about how the hiring process likely works for your ideal opportunity. In the contractor business we perform engineering to build process plants. We hire when we have new projects. This may include a mix of experienced and inexperienced engineers and designers. One thing that we would like to see from a new graduate would be some exposure to the construction business or an operating plant, even if it was performing menial tasks. During the hiring process we are really interested in your attititude as much as ability - looking to see how you communicate and if you can get along with people, etc. This is likely true for other areas of engineering too.

 

[berkshire]

Big inch,
My company was doing the work for the university.
We had the expertise, the university did not .
The guy was my employee. Several years later, puffing up his on line resume, he made it appear that he was there entirely on his own, not as my employee and part of a team.
This kind of puffery has a way of sorting itself out when people ask for references.
B.E.

 

[BigInch]

I see. I thought it worked the other way around.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

 

[plasgears]

I use an interview file, which includes examples of my work. One interviewer was taken aback that I showed what he thought were internal documents. These were work instructions that were quite generic - textbook stuff. Can't please everybody. I also bring tabletop samples. Nice to examine and discuss.

 

[casseopeia]

I like the idea of having an expanded resume on line. I don't see any problem listing key projects. And if a completed project can be photographed from a public road with your own camera, I don't see a problem using the photo as well. I highly doubt your professors are going to notice. Peers might be jealous, but really, what can they do?

And if someone who matters is going to get their panties in a twist over it, take it off and replace it with something else.

Don't get into too much detail about classwork. The idea is to make yourself look well-rounded, serious, diligent and smart. Get their attention with the on-line resume and close the deal in person. Don't overload them with microscopic descriptions of what you did in class.

Have professional headshot done. Be sure you have a good haircut and if you can, use a professional makeup artist for the photo shoot. Most professional photographers know a few if you don't. Action shots on site are nice. Bring a variety of wardrobe changes and shoot all then select the one that looks best.

Think of it not as an archive of your learning, but as a method or selling yourself. That's where the focus should be.





.

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[HgTX]

I don't like the idea of supplying a photo, though there's a lot to be said for tying the piece of paper in the file to your face, if the piece of paper is going to someone who's seen you before. But Cass is right, if you do have a head shot done, do it professionally. I was just reading a journal a few minutes ago in which some of the author photos looked like someone surprised them with the camera.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[TheBourne]

For the record, I'd never submit a "glamour-shot" photo of myself or post anything of the sort in an online portfolio...I'm not hideous by any means, but spending time looking good for the camera are something that should be omitted from an engineering portfolio, in my opinion. By the same irrelevance, of course, if I happen to be caught in the shot of a project or team I've been in I might still use it if it's appropriate.

By photos I meant mainly CAD screen shots and final design renderings etc. that would compliment the project descriptions and my role in them.