Portfolios are used to plan, organize, and demonstrate education and skills. People use career portfolios in various ways, including to get a job that is a good match with their training and capabilities.  A carefully developed portfolio is more in-depth than a resume, which summarizes education, training, and work experience in just one or two pages.  Also, an important aspect of developing a portfolio is reflecting on experiences that take place over time.

It is possible to develop a portfolio that is contained in a notebook or folder of some kind.  However, it is now more common to develop an electronic portfolio such as the one that Job Corps students can develop using eportfolio4u.com.