Creating a portfolio is always a challenge. Everyone wants to show their best qualities and skills. It is always a big question which works and projects to include and which are not worth mentioning. It is especially challenging if one does not have enough experience. Here are some tips that will help you.
First of all, yes, even in 2020 you need a portfolio. Some people ask why. Imagine a situation like that: a recruiter is scanning dozens of CVs every day. They are all different. Some of them are worth a detailed study, some of them are not. How can you make a recruiter choose YOU? Right, you need an astonishing portfolio! Besides, a portfolio is something that proves the skills that you claim in your CV.
What does it mean ‘an astonishing portfolio’? That is a short collection of works that demonstrate your brilliant skills. Pay attention to the word ‘short’. As a rule, recruiters and other people who have to check CVs and portfolios do not have enough time to read them carefully from the beginning to the end. They SCAN them. So, your portfolio should surprise them at first view.
As I have already mentioned, everyone has doubts about what to include in the portfolio. Of course, it goes without saying that you are to show your best projects. But they all are different. There are projects that you really enjoyed but they may be not as astonishing as the other ones. There are projects that are a great example of your professionalism but you do not like doing things like that. There are low-paid and high-paid projects. Ask yourself about your purpose. What kind of job you would like to get? What kind of projects you would like to work on? This is the answer. If you want to avoid a specific type of project — do not include similar projects in your portfolio. If you are aimed at something special — show the works alike. Even if you are a beginner, you can find something to show: your works that did during your studies or internship. Yes, they may seem to be less professional but it is natural for a newbie, isn`t it?
So, now you know what to show in your portfolio. How are you going to do that?
You may show your final version — a perfect design at its best. But isn`t it better to show the whole process? You can show a set of pictures discovering how you moved from the beginning to the end. That is more informative. That`s a real story. You show what difficulties you faced, how you coped with them, what alternatives you had, etc. That gives a better description of you as an expert in your sphere. It is a good idea to include videos in your portfolio.
If you work in a team, underline your specific role in the project and how you cooperated with your colleagues. That is an important aspect of your professional development to be able to successfully work in a team.
At the end of the post, I`d like to stress: what is done with passion cannot help attracting attention. Make a portfolio that YOU like and other people will like it as well. The same is true about all your projects. Enjoy what you do =)
Have a nice day!
Bradley Nice, Content Manager at ClickHelp.com — best online documentation tool for SaaS vendors
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