Putting your student portfolio online is smart. It helps you get noticed. It shows your work to the world. But is it safe? Is it private? It’s normal to worry about online safety. You can have a great online portfolio AND stay safe. It’s all about knowing what to share – and what to keep private. Let’s learn how to be web-wise and make your online portfolio safe and smart.

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Online Portfolios: Cool, But Is it Safe?

Online portfolios are awesome. They show off your skills. They help you get into college or get a job. But putting your info online can feel a bit scary. Is my info safe? Who can see my work? These are good questions to ask. The good news? You can control your online portfolio privacy. You get to decide what to share. And what to keep private. It’s YOUR portfolio, YOUR rules. Platforms like Cirkled In help students manage their portfolios while keeping privacy in check.

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Your Info: You Decide What to Share (and What Not To!)

Think of your portfolio like your house. You get to decide who comes in. You get to lock the doors when you want. It’s the same with your online portfolio. You are in charge of your info. You get to pick what to show everyone. And you get to keep some things just for you. It’s all about making smart choices about what you share online.

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What’s Okay to Share Publicly? Show Off Your Best Stuff!

What CAN you share in your portfolio for everyone to see? Lots of great stuff! Focus on showing your best work and skills. Things that are good to share with the world:

• School Projects: Your best papers. Your coolest projects. Things that show your school smarts and hard work.
• Creative Work: Your art. Your writing. Your music. Your designs. Things that show your talents and style.
• Skills and Abilities: What are you good at? Coding? Leading teams? Writing? Share a list of your top skills.
• Wins and Awards: Did you win a prize? Get a good grade? Get an award? Share your wins to show you shine.

These are all great things to show publicly in your portfolio. They show off your pro side. They help you get noticed for the right reasons. Sites like Cirkled In make it easy to highlight your achievements and share them with the right audience.

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What to Keep Private? Keep Some Things Just for You

What should you NOT share in your online portfolio for everyone to see? Some things are better kept private. Think about:

• Home Address: No need to put your home address online. That’s private info for you only.
• Phone Number: Think twice about your phone number. Maybe just use email for your public portfolio.
• Super-Personal Stories: Your portfolio is pro. Keep super-personal stories out of it. Focus on your skills and work, not private life details.
• Passwords and Private Files: Never, ever put passwords or private files in your online portfolio (or anywhere online!). Keep those totally safe and offline.

Keep these private things private. Your portfolio is still awesome without them. And it’s way safer for you.

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Platform Privacy Tools: Use Them to Stay in Control

Good portfolio sites give you privacy tools. Use them! These tools let you control who sees what. Look for these privacy settings:

• “Public” or “Private” Options: Most sites let you pick if your whole portfolio is public (everyone can see it) or private (only people you pick can see it). Pick “public” to show your work to the world. Pick “private” if you want to share it only with certain people for now.
• Section-by-Section Control: Some sites let you make parts of your portfolio private, even if the rest is public. Cool! This means you can hide some sections and show others.
• Password Protect: Some sites let you put a password on your whole portfolio or parts of it. This means only people with the password can get in. Good for extra safety.

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Smart Tips for Portfolio Safety: Be Web-Wise!

Beyond website tools, here are smart tips to stay safe with your online portfolio:

• Use a Pro Email: Use a clean, pro email address on your portfolio. Not a funny or silly one. Use one with just your name if you can.
• Think Before You Link: Be careful what you link to from your portfolio. Don’t link to social media that’s not pro or safe. Link to your LinkedIn or pro art pages, not your personal stuff.
• Check It Now and Then: Look at your online portfolio every few months. Make sure everything still looks good and safe. Update info if you need to.

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Cirkled In Makes Privacy Easy: You’re in Charge

Cirkled In gets student privacy. Cirkled In gives YOU tools to stay safe and in control. With Cirkled In:

You Pick “Public” or “Private”: Make your whole Cirkled In profile public or private – your choice.
Section Privacy Too: Want some parts public and some just for you? Cirkled In lets you set privacy for each section. You are in charge of every part.
Safe and Secure: Cirkled In uses good tech to keep your info safe. They use security steps to protect your data.

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Action Steps: Get Your Recommendation Plan Going!

Ready to make your portfolio both awesome AND safe? Yes! Do these things now:

• Think “Public vs. Private”: For each part of your portfolio, ask “Is this okay for everyone to see?” Pick what to share and what to keep private.
• Check Platform Privacy Tools: Look at the privacy settings on your portfolio site (like Cirkled In!). Learn how to use them to stay in control.
• Be Web-Wise Always: Use smart online habits. Think before you share. Keep your pro and private info separate.

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Final Thought

Online portfolios are great for students. Just be smart about safety. You CAN show off your awesome work AND keep your private info safe. You’re in charge of your online story. Make it a safe and smart one!

Get free expert advice and tools for college admissions in the Cirkled In Library. Plus, build a standout student profile with a free portfolio on Cirkled In. Start showcasing your skills today!