When looking for the right employee, client, the head of the company or the customer is first interested in his portfolio and work experience. A beautiful, thoroughly compiled portfolio is the key to the future success of a specialist. After all, you can first evaluate the professionalism of an employee only by examples of his work.
Portfolio - a well-executed list of work of a specialist. According to the level of his training, the performer is judged, therefore, it is worth paying close attention to him. Start by choosing your areas of specialization. A copywriter has these: texts written for websites, commercial offers, slogans. At the photographer: portrait photos, landscapes, wedding photography, reports from the scene. Whatever direction you choose, it must be backed up with examples. Find the best ones. For each of the directions, the most optimal option is 10-20 works. This is quite enough to make an initial impression of your level.Sample portfolio structure:
- title page (name of the project);
- portfolio goals;
- autobiography;
- working materials;
- achievements;
- external reviews.
- the newest and best works are selected;
- in each direction several projects (2-6);
- screenshots illustrate articles;
- projects are described correctly, correctly titled;
- the whole page looks harmonious, beautifully structured;
- the presence of an avatar in the form of a photo of the author.
- too little work;
- the work has been done for a long time, there are no fresh ideas;
- no screenshots, preview;
- Not all works have been added;
- few directions (no work with texts).
For placement in the portfolio, select the most worthy, interesting work. If you are a freelancer, then indicate everything, the quality is not lower than the level of the guru. The quantity and quality of work will confirm your experience, show that you are not a beginner, you have hundreds of articles or promoted sites behind you. No need to exaggerate, put a few average works. To show how you work steadily, not during a "creative burst".
Strokes to the portrait of the applicant
“Portfolio” sounds nice, but in translation from a foreign language it means just “portfolio with documents”. But in the business world, this word means: “a list of completed works”, which gives an idea of the applicant as a professional, a specialist in a particular field.
The task of the portfolio and its contents: photos, publications, video and audio clips is to add touches to your portrait, to show the employer what you are capable of. Sometimes it is enough to attach a couple of links to the site where your work is available to the resume. That's what a portfolio is on a resume!
Portfolio in resume. Do you need it?
Do all professionals need a portfolio for successful employment? No, not everyone! But only in cases where:
- you are a representative of a creative profession (designer, fashion model, photographer, teacher, architect, PR manager, etc.);
- your work is the creation of something fundamentally new (drawings, design projects, articles, codes, photography samples);
- The employer asks to attach a portfolio to the resume.
But for those whose work is connected with clear instructions, laws, circulars, a portfolio is not required. Secretaries, accountants, waiters, personnel specialists, system administrators can successfully get a desired job without a portfolio, with only one resume.
In what order should the portfolio be presented?
It is better to place the work in chronological order - so the recruiter will see all the stages of your development as a professional. Placement of works by style, genres or directions is allowed. By choosing this placement option, place the most successful examples at the beginning and at the end of the portfolio, taking into account the psychology of perception. In a word, it is possible and so, and so.
What to put in a portfolio?
The domestic labor market does not yet have strict rules for the design and content of the portfolio. Therefore, the size of the "business portfolio", its content, appearance- at your discretion. For example, designers and artists prefer albums with work layouts or CDs, web designers and programmers “put links to websites and screenshots into their portfolios”, representatives of “pen and words” “put binders with articles from various publications into their portfolios”.
IMPORTANT!
In no case should a business portfolio contain family photos. The recommendation may seem ridiculous if recruiters did not observe pictures with captions in the "portfolios" of applicants: "Me and my Barsik in the country." Agree, such a picture is unlikely to contribute to a business career.
You give meticulousness!
Undoubtedly, the main thing in a portfolio is its content. And the form is nothing more than an effective addition. But nevertheless, the appearance of your "business portfolio" can tell a lot to the employer. For example, about your organization, perseverance, accuracy. Don't forget about it.
No plagiarism!
The worst thing that can be found is the desire to produce on the employer good impression using other people's work.
For example, a designer has changed only the slogan about the product in a popular package, but all the main creative part was done by another specialist. It is very wrong to pass off such a “creation” as your own, in any case, they will find out the truth, because the world of professionals is small.
In conclusion…
Do not intentionally reduce the level of your work, for fear that later the employer will always expect from you only "masterpiece work". Employers are not stupid people, they are well aware that people put their achievements in a business portfolio. And not reports from everyday creative searches.
Many people, especially those whose professional activities are related to some kind of creativity, should have a portfolio. What is included in the portfolio depends on what exactly the person does and for what purposes it was created.
Portfolio is created in order to want to work with you
Portfolio (English portfolio) was originally defined as a folder for documents.
Currently, the concept has changed somewhat and is interpreted as a package of examples of work, achievements of a particular specialist, which are used to demonstrate his knowledge and skills.
The main purpose of creating a portfolio is to demonstrate your own knowledge, skills, experience, achievements to potential employers, clients, customers, students, etc.
Portfolio is an integral part of the image in the modeling business, among photographers, writers and other representatives of creative professions.
Today everyone can carry their portfolio in their pocket.
Viewing a portfolio gives an idea of the style of the photographer, the richness of the language of a journalist or writer, and how the model looks from different angles.
This greatly facilitates the selection of applicants for one or another already at the initial stage.
It is worth noting that today portfolios are being created in in electronic format.
They can be sent to e-mail and with the help of instant messengers, carry with you on electronic media.
In addition, this makes it possible to create a more colorful and extensive folder in which all the important points of your professional activity.
Applicants also have a portfolio, which we will discuss in more detail below.
An applicant will need a portfolio if he enters a university for any creative specialty.
It should include 20 of any completed achievements: certificates for winning competitions, creating a creative project.
If we are talking about drawing, photography, then the portfolio must have high-quality and completed work.
This is a self-presentation that will allow not only to enter the desired university, but also to find Good work, so you need to start your portfolio with the most the best works, with the most significant achievements.
Feel free to show off your accomplishments
Each work must have a short description.
For successful admission to the technical presence of a portfolio will not be superfluous.
All diplomas scientific work and articles, victories in olympiads are a huge plus for any graduate.
The portfolio must include documents that are proof of completion of any courses.
Any portfolio of an applicant should include a block where basic information “about yourself” will be concisely stated. Then comes the block of creative works/own achievements.
The final block is the passage of any courses.
A portfolio is a great way to showcase your achievements, skills, and abilities acquired in school or a secondary specialized educational institution, so it is important to think carefully about what should be included in it.
A properly and beautifully composed portfolio will help you make a good impression on the admissions committee.
Consider the standard scheme for compiling an applicant's portfolio:
- title page;
- section in which general information about the graduate, his personal data;
- a section that contains information about the future plans of the graduate, his life goals;
- creative work. Here it is necessary to present the available results from scientific conferences, excerpts from research papers, creative works;
- achievements. Diplomas, certificates of participation in Olympiads, scientific conferences, commendable sheets;
- reviews. This is a characteristic of the applicant from his teachers, supervisors, school director, possibly the leaders of any additional courses;
- a short essay on the topic of further defining one's own life path. Here the graduate must indicate where he wants to go, why he chooses this particular profession, where he would like to start his professional career in the future, etc.;
- conclusion.
This is a standard portfolio that every applicant who wants to declare himself with positive side to show what he has already been able to achieve in his life.
When applying to the leading universities of our country, the presence of a portfolio plays a big role in admission and further education, so do not be shy to demonstrate your knowledge and achievements.
Proper portfolio compilation
The effectiveness of a portfolio both when entering a university and developing in one's professional field depends on how well the portfolio is compiled.
The portfolio should reflect the talents and capabilities of its owner as fully as possible.
The main rules that should be followed when compiling a personal portfolio:
- It is necessary to provide high-quality examples of your work on the service provided. It is desirable that this be as expanded as possible, that is, if you are a photographer, then as many high-quality images as possible in various genres.
- The portfolio should not only consist of your high quality work, but also the work of the average level. This is necessary so that the client does not require you to work with ten points out of five, since it is always impossible to create masterpieces.
- The portfolio should be concise, even if the designer who designs it works in some unusual genre. Portfolio is working presentation, which should not distract the client's attention from your work. Information must be presented clearly and to the point.
You must have a portfolio in two presentation options - an electronic form and a real folder in which your achievements are collected.
When demonstrating your services, you must know the price level of each work in order to give the customer a specific price for your service.
If you really are an experienced professional, and your portfolio includes a lot of interesting and well-executed work, then you should not reduce the cost of orders at the first request of the client.
Representatives of what professions are required to have a portfolio in their arsenal
There are professions that today require a good portfolio for successful professional activity.
The ability to make a portfolio is especially useful for those who are going to devote themselves to creative activity.
These professions include the following:
- Photographer - demonstration of their work.
- Copywriter, journalist, writer - a portfolio is a collection of texts, essays, poems that show the creative potential and degree of professionalism of a given person.
- Musician - the presence of sound files, songs, texts, melodies. In this case, the portfolio must be made in electronic form with the presence of media files.
- Teacher - lessons, programs, master classes, development of teaching materials.
- Model - photographs in different styles, genres, poses in order to demonstrate the versatility of her appearance and the ability to work with various images.
Portfolio currently for creative people is an obligatory attribute of their professional activity. Just looking at the portfolio, you can immediately see the level of professionalism and potential of a person.
A portfolio for an applicant is a good addition to his certificate and USE results.
This is also an opportunity to demonstrate the presence of certain knowledge, skills, achievements that a graduate of a school or vocational school already possesses.
It is necessary to approach the creation of a portfolio with particular seriousness, since its main goal is to demonstrate the best professional and personal qualities that will help you move up the career ladder, find new clients, and increase your earnings.
In this video, you will learn more about how to create a portfolio for admission to a university:
The best way to sell yourself well is to create the perfect portfolio. A portfolio is a reflection of the results of your work, your work. A good portfolio is very important to attract clients. A designer simply must have a portfolio.
And, if you agree with that, ask yourself a few questions. How much time are you willing to spend improving your portfolio? Are you sure you are using your best work? One thing I can say for sure.
It doesn't matter if your portfolio is digital or paper. The main thing is to keep improving it.
As your career progresses, you will realize that nothing is more important than presenting the best of your work in a clear and compelling way. This article will help you do just that.
Here are 20 tips and examples for creating the perfect designer portfolio. These tips are divided into tips for paper and online portfolios. If you want to be a leader in this business, keep these tips in mind.
And yes. Your opinion is important to us. Your comments are welcome.
Paper portfolios
20. Volume
When working on a design portfolio, the first question to answer is the amount of work it should contain.
For a comprehensive portfolio, you'll need at least 20 of your best work to make the right impression.
19. Suitable examples
If you are applying for a full-time position, it is best to include suitable examples of work in your portfolio. You must be sure that the examples are relevant to the position you are applying for.
If you are applying for a digital artist position, you must submit digital drawings. Sketches made with a pencil will not work here:
18. Context
Whether you are a designer or an artist, it doesn't matter. Because in any case, you will have to create graphics based on briefs from creatives. You will need to be able to interpret the brief carefully.
If your portfolio has scattered images, this is not enough. You need to provide them in context. Where did these paintings come from? How was the idea formed? What is the chain of thought?
Anything that can help unlock the concept of the images should be included in the portfolio.
17. Work for pleasure
Even if you are in the process of creating a portfolio for a specific contract or position, include more than just commissioned work. After all, a designer is not only a job, but also a hobby, right?
You can include any work in your portfolio. If, for example, you're an illustrator looking for freelance work, having projects you've done not commissioned will definitely help.
16. Expiry date
Because over time you get new experience then your work will also change. This does not mean that it is worth putting new works on top of old ones.
Depending on how much new work you're doing, it's worth cleaning up and updating your portfolio from time to time.
A portfolio is not just a collection of your design work. It is worth highlighting some recommendations in bold. Insert them directly on top of the work. Moreover, recommendations in real life will help even more.
All this shows your capabilities. It doesn't matter where or when you left your job. Make sure you get on great terms with your colleagues and ask them for recommendations. Recommendations always help.
14. Step back
You can view your portfolio from a third person perspective. Surely you already had experience when more experienced employees looked at your portfolio, and you expected their criticism.
It is very important that you know your strengths and weak sides. Based on this, you will be able to prioritize the growth and practice of working with graphics.
13. Show off your best
Think of your portfolio like yours creative biography. This does not mean that you should only show your designs. You need to give the impression that you are a professional.
Emphasize that you are a professional in everything. Both in communication skills and in meeting deadlines.
12. Sell yourself
What other talents do you have? Maybe you are a good photographer? Or a singer? Let your future employer know about all your creative options, not just the main ones:
11. Portfolio with indexes
When you read a book, or flip through it, or browse a website, you mark pages of interest or bookmark them.
Imagine your employer would do the same. Make it easy for people - number the pages.
Online portfolio
10. Platform
There are several options for publishing your online portfolio. In the case where you need a clean, personalized portfolio space, you simply buy a domain and ask someone to create a website for you.
Or install WordPress and customize it for yourself. If the above is beyond your power, IM Creator is at your service.
9. Set goals
You should make sure that you understand the need for an online portfolio. What is the purpose of your portfolio? Feedback? Or employment?
Answering these questions will help you better customize your portfolio and increase your chances of success.
8. Be selective
Don't post most of your work online. Be selective. Choose the best of your work. Make sure they display the most of your options. Don't show everything at once.
Make people want to see more of your work. This is exactly what you should do with your online portfolio:
7. Edit
Malika Favre, an illustrator based in London, puts it this way: Curate your work. An online portfolio should keep the same pace as a print portfolio: you have to tell a story.
Arrange your projects so that they flow from each other, complement each other. If the old project needs to be removed to match new history“So be it.”
6. Don't talk - show
Website as business card says a lot about you. And more precisely, it shows. Therefore, you must be sure that visitors to your site will first see what you want to say, rather than read it.
5. Update
An important task in developing a portfolio is to regularly update it with your latest work. If you leave your site without updating even for a few months, people will not buy what you have already hosted.
4. Possibility of fast updates
You need a site design that allows you to quickly, in two or three clicks, add new works and delete old ones. If updates take too long, you will get tired of doing them regularly, as you will be loaded with current work.
3. Portfolio in the form of photos
Have you ever thought about how your printed work will look on the website? Find a good camera, set up a light and shoot. Make sure the photo looks realistic. Otherwise, no one will appreciate the grace.
2. Names
Give names to your work that you publish online. This will allow your future clients to easily refer to examples of what they want to see as a result.
1. How do you work?
It is important to show that you are getting the job done. But what is often more important is to show how you do it. Let the client enter the creation process. This will give your customer the opportunity to feel happy.
The main pages (separator pages) of the student's portfolio have been released in the editor elementary school.
Built-in Collection ready-made templates will help in creating the necessary pages.
In the future, using the clipart library, you will be able to create your own inimitable and unique works, with subsequent saving to a local disk.
A4 file size 1132x1600 .jpg
Title page
Portfolio starts with title page, which contains basic information: last name, first name, patronymic, Contact Information and student photo.
Section "My World"
The section contains any information that is important and interesting for the child (Page separator)
My name
Information about what the name means can be written about famous people who bore and bear the same name. If the child has a rare or interesting surname, you can find information about what it means
My family
Family composition. You can talk about each family member or make short story About my family.
My city
A story about his native city (village, village), about his interesting places. Here you can also place a route diagram drawn with your child from home to school.
My friends
Photos of friends, information about their interests, hobbies.
My hobbies
Talk about what the child is interested in. Here you can also write about classes in the sports section, study at music school or others educational institutions additional education.(page separator)
My school
A story about the school and teachers, small notes about favorite school subjects. (page separator)
My favorite items
School subjects - notes about favorite subjects. (page separator)
Section "My studies"
The section is dedicated school subjects(control and verification work, projects, reviews of books read, graphs of growth in reading speed, creative work ...) (Page separator)
My Community Service Section
All activities that take place outside the learning activities can be attributed to public work (assignments). (Page separator)
Section "My work"
You can put your creative works in this section: drawings, crafts, poems, creative works, competitions, olympiads, projects, awards, classes in institutions of additional education. (page separator)
Section "My achievements"
Subject Olympiads, subject testing, competitions and events, diplomas, certificates, diplomas, Thanksgiving letters, final certification sheets, etc. (Page separator)
Section "Reviews and wishes"
At the end of each school year the teacher writes the characteristic to the student, which is embedded here. The child himself can write his wishes to teachers and home school, what he would like to see them and what he would change. (page separator)
Section "Works I'm proud of"
In this section, the child places what is of the greatest value to him. (page separator)
Additional sheets
lined sheet
Photo sheet (4 vertical)
Photo sheet (4 horizontal)
