Reflection on Mahara

Over the last few days, I have immersed myself into a program called Mahara (which is an e.portfolio).  It took me quite some time to start getting my head around how it works and I am still unsure how my views will come together in the end (when considering a teaching portfolio).  I can't say that I am excited about this one, but perhaps in time, it's true value will unfold. 

With regard to using an e.portfolio in the classroom, I found it really difficult to come up with a way to use this program with young students (as my focus is in the primary setting).  However, I can see it being more suited to middle to late secondary students when students are considering their futures, making plans to enter university and, indeed, the workforce.  It would provide students a method of digitally displaying their work, achievements, resume etc for potential employers. 

I do question, however, if it is a method that is more suited to some industries than others (e.g. marketing/graphic design vs the trades), and how welcoming employers are of this mode of presentation (especially when some jobs attract hundreds to thousands of applications).  Employers probably tend to streamline the recruitment process in the name of time efficiency and perhaps the urgency of getting a position filled doesn't lend time to find the most suitable applicant.  That is not to say that I agree with how things operate at the present time.  I am simply considering the plausible barriers to using this program in the job seeking market.