Portfolio: Who needs it and how to fold it correctly?
- gabrielakvisionfac
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Who needs a portfolio?
First of all, representatives of creative professions use the portfolio for successful employment: a designer, an actor, a musician, a journalist, model. Recently, all those whose work can be seen in reality (teachers, builders, etc.) have also begun to provide examples of their professional activities. Moreover, a portfolio gains significance if it showcases the development of something that is fundamentally innovative. For example, a university teacher who has created their own program, or when your work is of a project nature. If you are an accountant, civil servant, office worker, or pharmacist, you are unlikely to need to show samples of your work. As a rule, the employer themself makes it clear to the candidate for which position they expect examples of work. Therefore, in vacancies, you can often find: “In your resume, please provide a link to your portfolio.”
What constitutes a portfolio?
Samples of work can be provided to the employer in electronic format or in printed form. Basically, an online portfolio is sent along with a resume to make it easier for the employer to make a decision regarding your candidacy. The search engines take the printed format with them to the interview in order to clearly demonstrate their skills. However, some portfolios cannot be transferred on paper, so a USB drive becomes an ideal option for an interview. Thus, when creating a portfolio in any format, you need to follow a few simple rules so that a potential manager can consider your talent.
Structure of the Portfolio
The portfolio should not be a continuous document with an incomprehensible structure. Organize your tasks into categories. For instance, a photographer might use family, subjects, weddings, and street shots. For a journalist, think of analytics, reports, interviews, and functions. Such a separation will help the employer understand that you are not a narrow-profile specialist and are not afraid of new challenges. Also, think about the principle of sorting in rubrics: alphabetical order, direction, date, luck, etc. Experts advise placing work in a portfolio from oldest to newest – this way, you will show the employer your professional growth and experience.
Diversity
The portfolio posted on the job search site, along with your resume, should contain as many diverse works as possible. That is, if you are a designer, then add all your works: from booklets to serious scientific journals. If you’re applying as a journalist for a political commentator role, exclude unrelated show business or auto parts store experience from your portfolio.
Only better
In the portfolio, you need to select a small number of your best works – ideally 5-7, so that the employer can see them all and form a good opinion about you. Some search engines deliberately show their work that is not too brilliant so that management does not expect solid masterpieces from them. However, such a strategy is erroneous because the employer understands that the portfolio is a presentation of your achievements, and not daily tasks. Don’t include all of your work. No one will be able to see them anyway, and you will only be thought of as a narcissistic fanatic.
Description
Take the time to describe your work in detail. For example, you can tell the employer what goals you set, how much time you spent on the task, what difficulties you had to face, and how you overcame them. If you have testimonials from grateful customers, please attach them. Enter the date and your contact details.
Check your literacy
Minor stylistic or even punctuation errors can cross out all your merits. This is especially true for journalists, copywriters, and teachers. Therefore, before submitting a portfolio, be sure to read it and correct any errors. So, if you are unsure of your own knowledge, seek professional help.
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