Whether you want to be a freelancer or a full-time web designer, your portfolio plays a vital role in your application as it provides your potential employer an overview of your professional profile and quality of outputs. Merriam-Webster defines a portfolio as “a selection of a student's work [as papers and tests] compiled over time and used for assessing performance or progress” or “a collection of art [as paintings] presented together in a folder.” It is also an effective tool to negotiate your position and expected salary with your future employer.
On that note, having a portfolio can give you leverage in applying for positions that focus on design and layout, such as web designer, graphic designer/artist, layout artist, etc. These positions may lead you to work in lucrative industries: web development company, advertising agency, publishing houses, and more. Thus, it is essential that you come up with an awesome portfolio that showcases your skill and other things that you can offer. Make sure that it creates a good impression on your prospective employers or clients and it highlights how you can accomplish their requirements or provide for their needs (e.g., web design services, book design services, advertising, etc.).
1. Educational and professional backgrounds and affiliations – Provide a brief overview about yourself and your affiliations at the beginning of your portfolio.
Dos:
· List your educational attainment starting from the most recent. You may also include workshops/seminars attended. As much as possible, include only those which you have finished.
· Include organizations you are or were a member of. Provide a brief description of what your organization does.
· List your employers starting from the current or most recent. Provide a brief description of your tasks.
Don’ts:
· Avoid exaggerating information or providing false details. Companies nowadays conduct a background check on its prospective employees.
· Avoid using general descriptions. For instance, do not just state that you are a designer. Specify your field of expertise, services you provide or tasks you perform. (e.g., “I previously worked in a web development company which also provides web design services. I also perform coordination and monitoring tasks.”) Employers examine information related to the job they require.
· Avoid providing incomplete details. For instance, make sure that you indicate the inclusive dates of every educational institution you attended or every company you worked for. You may also indicate the address and contact details. This makes it easier for employers to validate your background.
2. Designs – Your designs are the heart of your portfolio. They showcase your artistic prowess; they reflect how skilled you are at what you do. Employers assess these designs, whether they are fit for their company’s standards and clients they want to tap.
Dos:
· Include descriptions for each design, such as theme, purpose, inspiration and other details to give your prospective employer an idea on how you conceptualize your designs.
· Present designs in an organized manner. For instance, group similar designs under one category or motif. Another example is if you are applying in a web development company that offers web design services, the designs included in your portfolio should focus on web templates, hues, layouts, etc.
· Feature sample works that showcase various industries. Doing so shows your flexibility as a designer.
Don’ts:
· Avoid including all your works in your portfolio. Leave only the best designs. Keep in mind that your portfolio is your key to great opportunities. You do not want to spoil it by including a mediocre design.
· Refrain from including commissioned designs. Bear in mind that, depending on your agreement with previous clients or employers, some companies or clients restrict designers from using outputs they commissioned them to do.
· Avoid including designs that are not solely yours. For example, you collaborated with another designer. Ask for the designer’s permission first to use a particular work before putting it in your portfolio.
3. Client feedback – Client testimonials can effectively win clients or employers over. They serve as a proof of the quality of your work.
Dos:
· Ensure that feedback is relevant to the design you want to include. Avoid including feedback for the sake of including one.
· Include testimonials that showcase you as a team player to show potential employers that you can work with a team or group.
· Highlight feedback from well-known corporations. Their positive comments may serve as recommendations.
Don’ts:
· Avoid “recycling” testimonials. Make sure that each feedback is relevant to the design.
· Refrain from adding details or revising the client’s or company’s original feedback. Leave the comment or testimony as it is.
Creating a portfolio has many advantages, yet its most important function is to serve as your key to a lot of opportunities, may it be in web design services, advertising services, publishing services, among others. In addition, do not forget to include your contact information so employers or clients know where to reach you.
Professionals who would like to embark on the creatives industry must keep a portfolio since this is an output-driven field. Potential employers hire employees based on the quality of their outputs, including design conception and execution. Thus, start organizing your portfolio and do not forget to bring it during interviews, as it can help you effectively market yourself.
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