Christina Mayr on Why a Portfolio Is Essential in Technical Communication

Christina Mayr brings a wealth of experience and passion to the field of technical communication. She’s a seasoned technical writer, information architect, and user advocate currently leading a team of technical writers in an IT organization within the gaming industry. With a career spanning industries from pharmaceuticals to web development, Mayr combines deep expertise with a genuine commitment to mentoring the next generation of communicators. We spoke with Mayr about her Preparing Your Technical Communication Portfolio course, which reflects her belief that practical, polished deliverables, not just resumés, are what truly set job seekers apart.

Why is this course important for people interested in technical communication?

Not many students in technical communication know that they need a portfolio. They think that a resumé and a cover letter is going to do it, but unfortunately, that is not the truth. There are many reasons to have a portfolio, but the biggest reason is that it's not enough to say that you can do the job—you really do have to show it. A strong portfolio proves that you not only know how to write clearly, but also how to structure information, think about your users, and present information clearly and concisely. Hiring managers want to see how you think and how you approach projects and not just the final output. My course helps you fill the gap between classroom learning and real world expectations.

What makes this portfolio building course unique?

Other courses out there are highly theoretical whereas my course is practical. As someone who’s been on both sides of the hiring process, I designed this course as what I wish more applicants would have taken either in school or as part of their professional development.

My course isn't just about spinning up a GitHub site, which is a common piece of advice, it’s about how to present yourself professionally and complete the triumvirate of the hiring triangle, which is resumé, cover letter, and portfolio. In technical communication, you need that third leg to really stand up and differentiate yourself in a very competitive market.

Students will learn how to create new samples as well as how to redact samples to work within the constraints of NDAs and other contractual obligations. They’ll get hands-on help and feedback from me so they can not only walk away with something tangible to show that they've done the work that is expected of them in the marketplace, but also with the ability to explain their work.

What do you think are the main benefits students will get out of this course?

The main benefit they’ll gain is standing out. So many people apply to an open position without a portfolio to show their skills, and they either say they can’t share because of NDAs or I don't have anything to show you, but I know I can do the job. Because the market is so competitive, that is not going to cut it. A portfolio can be the difference between being interviewed and not being interviewed because many hiring managers will check out your portfolio before they even decide to talk to you. If you have that link to say, “look, these are the things I've done,” you're more likely to get into the yes pile, or at least the to-interview pile. A portfolio shows that you have the skills and not just the interest, aptitude, and potential. Students come away with writing samples if they didn’t previously have any and, more importantly, the confidence about how to talk about their work to hiring managers the way that they care about. 

What’s the most important piece of knowledge or skill students will walk away with?

I would say it's a tie between how to position yourself and frame your work so that it connects to hiring managers and how to actually approach a project like building a portfolio. So many people just have a really simple PDF that they can email around, but this course is about showing and demonstrating your skills in action. With a good portfolio, you can show that you know how to approach an information architecture project and how to present it in a way that is approachable, user friendly, accessible, and frankly easy to skim. Realistically, hiring managers spend about six seconds on your resumé and two minutes on your portfolio. So if you can recognize that, then you know how to build it backwards by taking into account how busy hiring managers are as well as the kind of documents and examples they want to see. In this course students will learn much more than just what samples to include, they’ll also learn how to showcase it in the right way.

What if students don’t have anything to put in a portfolio?

This is super common and absolutely fixable with my course. We’ll walk through how to build credible samples from scratch, how to rework class projects or past experiences, and how to fill in any gaps with low effort projects that can show off your skills. Even if you don’t come in with writing samples, you’ll leave with enough for your portfolio and the understanding of how to create more.

Do you think every technical communications student should take this course?

Absolutely, this is a course that no one should skip. The contents of my course are not addressed in a succinct, dedicated way in any of the other courses in our program, and as we’ve covered, building a credible, well-rounded portfolio is essential to standing out in the field of technical communications. There are other courses that talk about portfolios in passing, and the final projects in many technical communications courses can be added to your portfolio, but other courses don’t take a holistic approach to building a cohesive, comprehensive portfolio like mine.

In Conclusion

In an increasingly competitive job market, having a strong portfolio is a must. This course equips technical communication students with the essential tools to not only build a portfolio but build it right. By bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world expectations, students gain a tangible edge: they leave with not just samples of their work, but with the skills and confidence to present that work in a way that resonates with hiring managers. You can learn more about Preparing Your Technical Communication Portfolio here and explore our entire Technical Communications Mastery Certificate here.