How do I present a work sample when I cannot share the original file?

Separate the skill you want to demonstrate from the file itself. Is the evidence your writing, analysis, design choices, organization, or problem-solving? Then check the rules that apply and ask an appropriate person what you may disclose. Do not assume that removing a logo, changing names, or cropping a page makes a restricted file shareable.

If permitted, options include a project description, an approved partial sample, or a fresh example made for your portfolio. CareerOneStop recommends describing each portfolio project, your role, and results, and notes that portfolios may include partial samples. That guidance does not establish permission to share any particular employer’s material. [S1]

If you cannot confirm permission, offer a process summary or create a new example that does not reproduce the original’s content or disclose sensitive details.

Make the distinction visible in the title and first sentence. Say that it is a self-created illustrative example, not the original employer project. Then name the skill it demonstrates and describe what you personally did. Avoid borrowed text, distinctive layouts, real customer information, internal figures, or identifying details.

For example, if you are allowed to discuss the general skill but not the employer’s work, you might write:

“SELF-CREATED ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE — NOT AN EMPLOYER WORK SAMPLE. This fictional one-page project brief demonstrates how I organize a goal, audience, and review steps. I created it independently; it does not reproduce a company document or report actual project results.”

Use this wording only if it is true. If the example uses approved material or is based on a permitted public brief, describe that accurately. A label can clarify what the example is; it does not grant permission to use restricted content.

Choose the least revealing option that still shows your contribution. A process summary can describe the type of task, your responsibilities, your decisions, and what you learned, without sharing the underlying file. Keep it within what you are allowed to discuss; if unsure, ask the relevant employer contact or follow the applicable review process first.

A wording pattern might be: “I coordinated revisions to a recurring internal report, gathered input from several contributors, and organized the draft for review. I can discuss my approach, but cannot share the report or its underlying information.” Use it only if it accurately describes your work and is permitted.

CareerOneStop advises job seekers to remove confidential information about previous employers from social-media profiles. That supports caution when publishing work material, but does not establish that modifying a file makes it safe or give permission to share it. [S2]

Match the option to both permission and purpose: share an original or partial sample only when authorized; use a fresh, clearly labeled example to demonstrate a skill; or use a process summary when the content must stay private. If none is appropriate, say you cannot share the material and offer to discuss your approach instead.

You could write: “I can’t share the original file. I can provide [permitted description / approved partial sample / self-created illustrative example] to show [skill]. It is [what it is], not [what it is not]. My role was [accurate description]. Would that be useful?” Include results only when you are allowed to share them and can describe them accurately. The goal is to show your contribution without presenting a substitute as original work.