Expert Portfolio Template
Use this template to document your Expert-level portfolio items: architecture leadership, technical presentations, and mentorship.
Part 1: Architecture Leadership
Project: [Name]
Timeline: [Start - End dates]
Role: [Lead Architect / Technical Lead / etc.]
Team Size: [Number of people involved]
Complexity Level: [Why this qualifies as "complex"]
1.1 Project Overview
Business Context:
[What business problem was being solved? Why did it need AI?]
Technical Complexity:
[What made this architecturally challenging?]
- Multiple integrations?
- Scale requirements?
- Novel patterns?
- Conflicting constraints?
My Role:
[What architectural decisions were you responsible for?]
1.2 Architecture
High-Level Design:
[ASCII diagram or detailed description of the system architecture]
Example:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ API Gateway │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────┼───────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ Agent │ │ RAG Service │ │ Direct │
│ Router │ │ │ │ LLM │
└─────────┘ └─────────────┘ └──────────┘
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
[Tool APIs] [Vector DB] [Response]
Periodic Table Elements:
| Element | Role in Architecture | Why This Element |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g., Ma] | [Multi-agent orchestration] | [Needed specialized agents for different domains] |
| [e.g., Ft] | [Fine-tuned model for X] | [Domain knowledge couldn't be retrieved effectively] |
| [e.g., Rt] | [Red team testing] | [High-stakes decisions required security validation] |
1.3 Key Architectural Decisions
Decision 1: [Title]
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Context | [What situation required this decision?] |
| Options | [What alternatives did you consider?] |
| Decision | [What did you choose?] |
| Rationale | [Why?] |
| Tradeoffs | [What did you give up?] |
| Outcome | [How did it work out?] |
Decision 2: [Title] Repeat pattern
Decision 3: [Title] Repeat pattern
1.4 Challenges and Navigation
Challenge 1: [Title]
Situation: [What was the problem?]
Impact: [What was at stake?]
Approach: [How did you navigate it?]
Resolution: [What happened?]
Learning: [What did this teach you?]
Challenge 2: [Title] Repeat pattern
1.5 Results and Impact
Technical Outcomes:
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| [e.g., System reliability] | [e.g., 99.9% uptime achieved] |
| [e.g., Response latency] | [e.g., p95 < 3s under load] |
| [e.g., Cost per query] | [e.g., $0.02 average, 40% below budget] |
Business Outcomes:
| Outcome | Impact |
|---|---|
| [e.g., User adoption] | [e.g., 500+ daily active users] |
| [e.g., Time saved] | [e.g., 10 hours/week per analyst] |
Team Outcomes:
| Outcome | Impact |
|---|---|
| [e.g., Knowledge transfer] | [e.g., 3 team members now independent on AI systems] |
| [e.g., Reusable patterns] | [e.g., Created RAG template used by 2 other projects] |
Part 2: Technical Deep-Dive Presentation
Presentation: [Title]
Date Presented: [When]
Audience: [Who attended]
Duration: [How long]
2.1 Topic Selection
Why this topic?
[What made this worth presenting? What unique insight did you offer?]
Learning objectives:
- [What should attendees understand after?]
- [Skill or concept #2]
- [Skill or concept #3]
2.2 Content Summary
Key Points:
-
[Point 1 Title]
[Summary of this section] -
[Point 2 Title]
[Summary of this section] -
[Point 3 Title]
[Summary of this section]
Original Insights:
[What did you contribute that wasn't just summarizing existing knowledge?]
2.3 Materials
- Slides: [link or "available on request"]
- Recording: [link or "available on request"]
- Demo code: [link or "available on request"]
- Follow-up resources shared: [list]
2.4 Feedback
Attendee feedback:
[Summarize or quote feedback received]
Self-assessment:
[What went well? What would you improve?]
Part 3: Mentorship
Mentee: [Name or Anonymous Identifier]
Duration: [Start - End]
Starting Point: [Where were they in their journey?]
Goal: [What were you helping them achieve?]
3.1 Mentorship Approach
How did you structure the mentorship?
[Describe your approach: regular meetings, project-based, etc.]
What resources did you provide?
- [Resource 1]
- [Resource 2]
- [Resource 3]
How did you adapt to their needs?
[Describe how you adjusted your approach based on their learning style]
3.2 Mentee Progress
Milestones Achieved:
| Milestone | Date | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g., Completed Foundation elements] | [Date] | [How demonstrated] |
| [e.g., Built first RAG system] | [Date] | [Project/demo] |
| [e.g., Shipped production feature] | [Date] | [What was deployed] |
| [e.g., Passed Practitioner assessment] | [Date] | [Assessment complete] |
3.3 Reflection on Mentorship
What worked well?
[Describe effective aspects of your mentorship]
What was challenging?
[Describe difficulties and how you addressed them]
What did you learn?
[How did mentoring change your own understanding?]
Mentee's feedback (if available):
[Quote or summarize their perspective]
Expert Self-Assessment
Before submitting, confirm:
Architecture Leadership
- Project demonstrates genuine complexity (not just scale)
- Decisions show strategic thinking, not just implementation
- Challenges required judgment, not just problem-solving
- Impact is measurable and significant
Technical Presentation
- Topic advances collective knowledge
- Includes original insight or analysis
- Delivered to peers (not just beginners)
- Feedback was substantive
Mentorship
- Mentee progressed measurably
- Adapted approach to mentee's needs
- Mentee reached Practitioner level
- Reflected on what you learned
Overall Expert Qualities
- Demonstrated strategic AI thinking
- Elevated others' capabilities
- Contributed to organizational knowledge
- Showed humility about limitations
Expert isn't about knowing everything—it's about leading effectively, learning continuously, and lifting others.