Unit Title: Showcasing Mastery and Preparing for the Professional World
Level: Strategic Application and Career Development
Duration: 120–180 minutes (split over multiple sessions)
🎯 Learning Objectives
By the end of this week, you should be able to:
- Identify the key components of a compelling AI portfolio.
- Tailor your AI-enhanced outputs for different audiences (employers, collaborators, funders).
- Create evidence-based narratives showing how AI improved or enabled results.
- Explore academic or applied research routes using AI.
- Draft a personal statement, project brief, or pitch with AI at the centre.
🧭 Lesson Flow
| Segment | Duration | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Understanding the AI Portfolio | 25 min | Framework Exploration |
| 2. Curating Work Samples | 35 min | Demonstration Practice |
| 3. Positioning for Industry vs Research | 30 min | Strategic Comparison |
| 4. Writing and Presenting Yourself | 30 min | Messaging and Identity |
| 5. Exercises + Knowledge Check | 60–90 min | Portfolio Drafting and Review |
🧑🏫 1. Understanding the AI Portfolio
📖 Teaching Script:
In the same way designers show a visual portfolio or researchers submit a proposal, AI expert users need a mixed-format portfolio. It should demonstrate:
- AI tools used and why
- Clear before-and-after improvements
- Strategic reflection on ethics, privacy, and workflow
📘 Types of Portfolio Evidence:
| Evidence Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt and Result Pairings | Original input + output | “Turn legalese into plain English” case |
| Workflow Maps | Step-by-step use across tools | Weekly newsletter built with 3 AIs |
| Annotated Screenshots | Highlights of tool use or refinements | Midjourney images with versioning notes |
| Reflection Logs | Short write-ups on lessons learned | “What I changed after audit…” |
| Ethical Notes | Explanation of privacy or licensing choices | “Why I redacted this data…” |
🧪 Example Projects to Include:
- AI-enhanced article – Original vs AI-assisted version, with prompt sequence and source checking
- Policy or teaching aid – AI-generated visual, summary, and ethical disclaimer
- Workflow comparison – Manual vs AI-enabled version with time-saved estimate
🎯 2. Curating Work Samples
📘 What Makes a Strong AI Work Sample?
- Specific task – e.g., summarising legislation, creating personas
- Tool match – Why you used a certain AI
- Outcome – Measurable improvement, creative value, time efficiency
- Ethical integrity – No plagiarised or private content
🧠 Suggested Curation Categories:
| Category | Example |
|---|---|
| Communication | Executive brief rewritten in 3 tones |
| Visual Design | Brand visuals generated and edited |
| Education | Lesson plan + quiz + feedback created with AI |
| Writing | AI-enhanced essay with audit trail |
| Research | Article annotated with AI assistance highlights |
🏁 3. Positioning for Industry vs Research
📘 Audience Expectations:
| Audience | Wants To See | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Employers | Results, adaptability, communication | Portfolio site, PDF samples |
| Academia | Originality, ethics, theory-awareness | Research proposal, annotated workflows |
| Clients | Speed, polish, impact | Demo decks, testimonials, pitch summaries |
🧠 Positioning Examples:
- For Work “This workflow reduced a 3-day research task to 6 hours. AI was used for topic scoping, summary drafts, and citation clean-up.”
- For Academia “This research project explored how generative AI can reframe civic education policy. Includes prompt trees and ethical reflection.”
- For Public Engagement “Created a public awareness video on privacy ethics using 3 AI tools. Used Midjourney, ElevenLabs, and a GPT prompt.”
📝 4. Writing and Presenting Yourself
📘 Key Narrative Elements:
- Who you are (field, background)
- Why AI matters to your work
- How you use it responsibly
- What sets you apart (your method or focus)
- Where you’re heading (goals, interests, impact)
✏️ Sample Statement Prompt:
“Write a 300-word summary of how you use AI as a professional enhancement tool in [your field]. Include one project, one ethical concern, and your future vision.”
📘 Create a Portfolio Index Page:
Sections might include:
- Projects
- Prompt Systems
- Ethics and Privacy
- Lessons Learned
- Future Research Questions
- Tool Reviews
- Downloads or Demos
🧪 5. Exercises + Knowledge Check
✅ Exercise 1: AI Portfolio Builder
Choose 3 projects you’ve done with AI.
For each, list:
- Goal
- Tool used
- Prompt example
- Final output
- Ethical handling
- Reflection (what worked or changed)
✅ Exercise 2: Strategic Rewrite
Pick one AI use case and rewrite its summary:
- Version 1: For a job application
- Version 2: For a research application
- Version 3: For a public LinkedIn post
✅ Exercise 3: Ethics Review
Select one project.
Write a 150-word ethics note addressing:
- Prompt safety
- Data source
- Potential risk
- How you mitigated it
🧠 Knowledge Check (10 Questions)
- What makes a prompt-output pair useful in a portfolio?
- List 3 things employers look for in AI users.
- How should you present ethical considerations in your work?
- What are 2 ways to measure AI’s impact on a project?
- Why is tool choice important in a portfolio?
- What is one common mistake in presenting AI-generated work?
- How can you showcase privacy-safe practices?
- What should go in a “lessons learned” section?
- What’s the difference between a demo deck and a workflow map?
- Write a one-sentence pitch of your AI use case.
📝 Wrap-Up Assignment (Optional)
Title: “My AI Work Identity and Showcase”
Deliverables:
- A 3-sample portfolio PDF or Notion page
- Personal positioning summary (300 words)
- 1 project with full ethical audit
- Optional: 1-minute video walkthrough or narrated demo
📦 End-of-Week Deliverables
- ✅ 3 project samples prepared
- ✅ Portfolio index outlined
- ✅ Narrative statement written
- ✅ Ethics reflection completed
- ✅ Knowledge check passed