Valerie Brayton
Staff Reporter

The real world is tough and getting your foot in the door of the job you want can be the biggest challenge you face right out of college.

Knowing you have an edge over someone will make the process of getting that job easier. An e-portfolio can give you the much-needed edge for getting the job where you are doing what you love and loving what you do.

An e-portfolio is an essential website designed by its owner.

E-portfolios contain different pages that focus on topics like education, work experience, leadership skills and community involvement.

An e-portfolio is equivalent to a traditional resume and putting an e-portfolio on a mini disk enables one to present themselves while reaching a wider audience.

"There are so many things you can demonstrate and use in an e-portfolio that you can't on paper," Kim Caponi of the Career Center said.

E-portfolios are helpful and can be used to your advantage, even if you aren't computer savvy. "Anyone can use e-portfolios," Norb Thomes, instructor of web design and development and the new e-portfolio course, said. "For example, an auto mechanic can put stuff about cars they've rebuilt in their gallery."

A gallery is a part of an e-portfolio that showcases a person's ability. "Include general education materials, papers and reports and websites you've created in your galleries," Thomes said. "Those skills will impress employers and are things they like to see."

Thomes said that if you have no previous experience with websites it is best to take the web page development course first, which will lead into the e-portfolio course.

Thomes said that he received input from many places and students concerning the need for knowing how to create e-portfolios. "It is a good tool for students that they can use to their advantage," Thomes said.

Having an advantage leads to more opportunities. "E-portfolios are a good opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and ability," Caponi said. "Having an e-portfolio shows that you have confidence in working with technology and that you know how to use it."

So when looking for another class to complete your schedule for next semester, keep the new e-portfolio course in mind.

This course will teach you how to create an e-portfolio, which can give you an edge to landing the job of your choice.

Keep in mind it is also the easiest type of business card to carry.

North Iowa Area Community College and the Mason City Noon Kiwanis will sponsor the Travel and Adventure Series.

In its fifth season, this series offers something for everyone with films from around the world.

The Travel and Adventure Film Series is an opportunity for world travelers and lecturers to take North Iowa residents on exciting and beautiful excursions.

Presentations will be held in the North Iowa Community Auditorium on the NIACC campus. The presentation of Sweden will present a unique opportunity to enjoy a Sunday afternoon matinee. The films run approximately 90 minutes in length with a 15-minute intermission during which time door prizes will be given away.

Tickets can be purchased individually at the door for $5 (adults) or $3 (students). They can also be purchased at NIACC or from any Mason City Noon Kiwanis member. All proceeds go toward area youth programs. For additional information, call NIACC Continuing Education at 641-422-4358 or 1-888-GO NIACC ext. 4358.

The program includes:

Nova Scotia
(Thursday, November 20, 2003, 7 p.m.)
See this eastern Canadian province in the Atlantic Maritimes, where the air is fine, the land is unspoiled and the people are as friendly as puppies.

As the tour begins, jump on the Cabot Trail and see the charm of Nova Scotia. The Cabot Trail is a 184-mile drive where several varieties of wildlife are observed and Cape Breton Highland National Park is highlighted. Next, the film takes the Lighthouse Route to Peggy's Cove. It's a curving country road that begins in Halifax and meanders through seaside villages and charming towns along Nova Scotia's southern coast. There will be many more stops along the way throughout Nova Scotia. There is charm in every corner of this country.

Iceland
(Tuesday, January 6, 2004, 7 p.m.)
Iceland: it's so much more than ice. Spectacular fjords, cascading waterfalls, millions of seabirds, thousands of ducks, volcanic activity and formations, as well as rivers of glacial ice, are all part of what make Iceland such a treasure.

Wildlife cinematographer John Wilson and his naturalist wife Denice Wilkins chose this remote northern island as their location for two wildlife adventure shows.

Their film features the rugged and dramatic coast of Iceland, which is home to an incredible multitude of seabirds. It tells the story of an area in northeast Iceland, one of the most volcanically active regions on earth, and host to the largest concentration of breeding ducks in the world.

Sweden
(Sunday, January 25, 2004, 2 p.m.)
Return to Sweden with Dale Johnson, an American of Swedish descent, as he journeys to Sweden hoping to see the land of his ancestors, where unexpectedly he found much more. Thousands of Americans of European descent will personally connect to the quest in this journey of discovery, Johnson's search for 'roots.' The people of Sweden make up perhaps one of the most civilized nations on EarthÉone of the most advanced and humane social systems of the Western World.

Sweden is also a country of sheer physical beauty. One quarter of Sweden's population came to America in the last century; these people were pioneers, bringing values that are still an influence in modern Sweden today. These values also touch modern Americans, and for thousands of them, as it was for Dale Johnson, a journey to Sweden may seem like a 'return to home.'

Hong Kong & Western China
(Tuesday, February 24, 2004, 7 p.m.)
Where is Shangri-la? Shangri-la has been a mysterious word that has stirred countless traveler's minds for centuries.

Buddy Hatton follows the path of James Hilton's inspiration for his novel, "Lost Horizon," and in return he joins a relentless pursuit for a destination of unspoiled scenery, unraveled secrets and untouched beauty. Uncover a dreamland at the foot of the snow-capped Tibetan Plateau; packed with unspoiled spectacular scenery and people who live a simple, but colorful life.

This Yunnan province, which means, "South of the Clouds," was only open to outsiders recently and many experienced travelers dared not to even dream of its existence merely 5 years ago.

Costa Rica
(Thursday, March 11, 2004, 7 p.m.)
Located in the center of Central America, Costa Rica nurtures some of the last remaining natural treasures of the world. Emerald rainforests abound with rainbow-colored wildlife, moun-tain ranges with milky cloud forests, spectacular volcano environments and sandy tropical beaches. All together these wonders create the "colors" that have lured visitors to Costa Rica's shores and interior again and again. Filmmaker Sandy Mortimer explores both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, with almost everything in between, as she captures the essence and ecological richness that is Costa Rica.