The purpose of this article is to share teaching strategies within business and professional communication that assisted students in developing a job portfolio, potentially enhancing students’ ability to secure an internship or job after course completion. This article details the application of these strategies over the course of three semesters in 2018 and 2019 at Monmouth University. Student comments suggested these strategies enhanced their chances of employment success. Using course curriculum to put students in position to secure employment should be a goal of the course and curriculum should be adjusted periodically to meet this goal.

Instructors and administrators in business and technical communication (BTC) programs argue that assessment eportfolios can play a vital role in the success of BTC graduates on the job market. This study explores the use of assessment eportfolios by students, alumni, and employers in BTC. Nineteen interviews were conducted and analyzed for common themes and issues in participants’ experiences. The author found that, while the participants did use assessment eportfolios in the job market, their experiences varied widely. These and other findings are discussed, as well as implications of this study for eportfolio pedagogy.

Although most students have learned to succeed academically, by the time they enter our business communication courses, their time as students is almost over. This article describes the challenges facing “students who will soon stop being students” and introduces the professional online portfolio as a project which enables them to develop the confidence, the capacity, and a concrete platform with which to communicate with the world outside the black box of school.