ePortfolio is a website where students can upload all of their achievements, academic papers, and anything else that makes them stand out amongst thousands when looking for employment.

However, more than a few might be wondering why would it be needed or why Pace even offers it. According to academic technology supervisor Samantha Egan, ePortfolio in unique in what it provides.

“ePortfolio is important be­cause it’s a place for students to gather their course work, co-cur­ricular activities, and personal ma­terials, all in one place,” Egan said. “The vast amount of data that the site can hold for you is far beyond what can be put on a resume.”

Resumes, a piece that can make or break one’s career goals, are limited to only one page, but that’s nothing ePortfolio cannot fix. It was created as an online database with the sole purpose of helping people stand out from an ever growing sea of competition. It does this by bringing the stan­dard one page resume into the 21st century.

On a personalized ePortfolio, users have the ability to down­load any assortment of material that defines who they are and why employers should chose them for the job. Lists of achievements, such as being an honors student or making the Dean’s list are simply one example. But listing accom­plishments are not all that can be done; if a student chooses to create a video, they can embed that on their page. Also, awards in non­academic regions are noteworthy to potential employers.

Those who are or have once been an athlete are able to post their position and achievements online as well. Since employers look for candidates who work in a team, this may further boost their opportunity. ePortfolio is by no means limited to anything. One could easily put down hobbies, community service, past jobs or internships, or anything else that they believe will make them stand out from the crowd.

Unlike most other professional websites, users are able to com­pletely customize their web page to fit their needs. If there isn’t a page for someone’s many inter­ests, it’s easy to create a new one. There is also an option to delete or hide pages that don’t have any needed content.

What makes this tool all the more interesting is that users are not limited to words like in a nor­mal resume. There is the ability to embed photos, slideshows, and presentations that give depth to the user’s mission. There are quite a few ways to arranged external me­dia to fit a variety of needs. And don’t forget that video; it could very well be one’s 30-second pitch.

“ePortfolio is a great tool for student to have,” senior interna­tional management and marketing major Diego Chalco said. “Due to increased competition in the job market, it is also a necessity.”

With that in mind, ePortfolio is far more than an online portfolio. It is a valuable resource to help stu­dents stand out from competition and is available for Pace students, for free, for life. Today’s job mar­ket has a shortage of quality jobs and a surplus of candidates trying to obtain the same job. During a job fair, employers are bound to receive up to hundreds of resumes for the same position.

According to the Huffington Post, employers spend an aver­age of six seconds reviewing each resume until they move on to the next. Such levels of competition for job positions require candi­dates to do something that make them stand out from everyone else. ePortfolio is one of the best ways of doing just this. But even today, like many career building resources, ePortfolio continues to advance with technology and the needs of its users.

“There are new features that Mahara (ePortfolio) will be adding over the summer,” Associate Pro­fessor in the Department of Media and Communications Visual Arts Dr. Michelle Pulaski Behling said. “One of the new features will be the ability to have a skin or back­ground for each page, allowing for a more customized look.”

For those who wish to learn how to use ePortfolio, there are several ways to get assistance.

“Workshops are held through­out the semester, usually in classes with an e-tern or by setting up an appointment,” Dr. Pulaski Behling said. “There are also online tutori­als which are available on the Pace website.”

Dr. Pulaski Behling went on to say that there is even an annual ePortfolio contest held on campus. To enter, simply log into ePortfo­lio and click the link provided.

For more information on how to use ePortfolio or to set up an ap­pointment, please e-mail eportfo­[email protected] or Samantha Egan at [email protected].