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CAREER PORTFOLIO
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What is a Career Portfolio?
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A record of your 4-H career.
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Shows personal growth and development.

Most beneficial to start when you begin 4-H and
continue every year.
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Why do a Career Portfolio?
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Easy way to record activities and accomplishments.
Opportunity to win awards and trips.
 National 4-H Youth Congress
Records for job applications and scholarship
applications.
Conclusion of project.
Fun to go back and read and look at pictures when
you are older!
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Parts of Career Portfolio

Section 1: Project Accomplishments
 Identify projects you are taking
 List what was done / accomplished
 List what you learned through each project
Note:
 Any experience related to the projects you are
taking: workshops, judging contests,
presentations, speeches, camps specific
to curriculum areas, etc. should be listed in
Section 2.
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Parts of Career Portfolio

Section 2: 4-H Leadership, Community Service,
Volunteer, Citizenship, & Educational Experiences
 List each 4-H Activity in appropriate curriculum
area.
 YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE ENROLLED IN A
PROJECT THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE
CURRICULUM AREA.
 Activities can include camps, contests,
workshops, county events, educational
experiences, service projects, elected offices,
committees, judging, presentations, speeches,
etc.
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Section 2 Continued
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It is OK if you don’t have information for all the
sections.
It is important to show a progression of learning
activities and leadership responsibility from year to
year.
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Parts of Career Portfolio

Section 3: Non 4-H Experiences
 Do not include any items pertaining to 4-H in this
section.
 List most meaningful participation in school,
church and community organizations other than
4-H.
 Important to show a progression of learning
activities and leadership responsibility year to
year.
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Parts of Career Portfolio

Section 4: 4-H Curriculum Story
 Landscape, max. 6 pages, one side, double spaced,
1 ½” top and 1” side and bottom margins, True Type
Font, Times New Roman, 12 point.
 Introduction
 Growth in curriculum area and area you are
applying for an award.
 Other projects and Experiences
 Leadership / Community Service to the curriculum
area in which you are competing.
 Conclusion and summary of the impact of 4-H on
you.
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Parts of Career Portfolio

Section 5: Support Materials
 Materials must provide documentation to support
your 4-H Career Portfolio.
 Includes max. of 6 pages with materials fitting on
11”x 8 ½” landscaped paper.
 No more than 4 pages of photos.
 ACTION shots best.
 Up to 2 additional pages of supporting
materials other than photos.
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What are judges looking for?

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4-H Career Portfolio Accomplishments Review
(scoresheet)
Section 1 – Project Accomplishments, 35%
 Show income & expenses
 Ex: My five chickens cost me $50.00 and I
spent $45.00 in feed and supplies. I butchered
them and sold them for $12.00/ bird and made
$60.00.
 Ex: My art project supplies cost $12.00 and
framing cost me $25.00.
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What are judges looking for?

Section 2 – 4-H Leadership, Community Service,
Volunteer, Citizenship, and Educational Experiences,
35%
 Jr. Leader
 Club or Council Officer
 Committee member and / or officer
 Explain what you done and how many you helped.
 Size and scope.
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What are judges looking for?

Section 3 – Non 4-H Experience, 5%
 Diverse and variety key.
 School sports and summer leagues ok but
looking for variety of activities.
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Section 4 – 4-H Career Story, 15 %
 Follow format guidelines.
 Be sure and proof read and have someone else
proof it.
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4-H Curriculum Story Parts
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Suggested story format from
http://4h.unl.edu/web/4h/congresselectionprocess

Do not identify theses parts in your story!
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Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Describe your growth in your curriculum area. (In the
area you are applying for an award.)
Part 3: Other 4-H Projects & Experiences
Part 4: Leadership / Community service related to the
curriculum area in which you are competing.
Part 5: Conclusion – summary of the impact of 4-H on you.
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What are judges looking for?

Section 5 – Support Material, 5%
 If have access to digital pictures, makes it neater
but do not have to be digital.
 If have access to computer to type caption on
pictures is neater but neat hand written captions
are ok too.
 Make use of all the page.
 Action shots!!! Pictures of 4-Her working with or
on project.
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What are judges looking for?

General, 5%
 NO plastic sheet protectors!
 Follow formatting guidelines on each tab.
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Guidelines

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Follow the instructions on each tab and look at the
examples given on each tab.
Be sure to list an activity only once.
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Nemaha County Extension Office
1824 N St., Suite 102
Auburn, NE
www.nemaha.unl.edu
(402) 274-4755
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
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Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture
and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–
Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United
States Department of Agriculture.
The 4-H Youth Development program abides with the
nondiscrimination policies of the University of
Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of
Agriculture.
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