Art students trying to share work with potential employers can benefit from being part of the digital age. A trend among students attempting to display their creations is using Web portfolios.

Arthur Croyle, associate professor of art and design, said students who are serious about getting into the job market typically take advantage of online portfolios.

Electronic portfolios and online resumes serve as “back up material,” Croyle said.

“A face-to-face contact should be made first, then employers can refer back to the potential employee’s Web site after the interview,” he said.

“It also helps prevent the employer from building false expectations in the person they’ve interviewed,” Croyle said. “They can go back and look at a person’s qualifications online on their own time and think more about their decision.”

Brian Eness, senior in biological and pre-medical illustration, displays a link to his portfolio from his Web site on the ISU network.

“When I saw other people doing it, I thought it was a good idea too,” Eness said.

Electronic portfolios are fast and easy for employers to look at, he said.

“If you have HTML or Web skills, it also shows those off while displaying your portfolio and resume,” Eness said.

Eness has directed several people to his site, and others have approached him after finding it on the Internet.

Other students approaching graduation can benefit from creating an electronic portfolio, said Warren Dolphin, professor of zoology and genetics.

“About one-third of the BPMI students are creating electronic portfolios,” he said. “We certainly encourage this because Web sites are easily accessible by prospective employers.”

Dolphin said designing and maintaining a site with a portfolio and resume allows students to “advertise themselves to the world.”

“This technology will allow someone who lives in small-town Iowa to communicate and exchange ideas with people all over,” he said.

Still, electronic portfolios are the “wave of the future,” Dolphin said.

“Not enough students are creating electronic portfolios,” he said. “More people need to be aware of how important this is in today’s world.”