Portfolio Essentials
Include a table of contents. Portfolios are large, extensive collections showcasing your ability to perform a certain type of work. Including a table of contents makes it easier for prospective employers, administrators, or clients to navigate through your work and immediately access the information they need. Create your table of contents after you finish your portfolio but include the list at the front of your other material. You do not need to list page numbers if you do not include them in your portfolio, but if you do decide to number the pages in your portfolio, list those numbers in your table of contents.
Introduce a traditional résumé. It's always wise to have a traditional résumé on hand in case someone requests it instead of your portfolio. Within the portfolio itself, a standard one to two-page résumé can act as a quick summary or abstract of what lies ahead. Include your contact information, including e-mail address, phone number, and mailing address at the top of the page. List your basic career or academic goal. List your academic credentials, including any degrees or certificates. Describe your work experience.
Describe your goals in a personal statement. On a separate page, write a paragraph detailing your short-term and long-term goals. For short-term goals, describe where you see yourself within one to two years. For long-term goals, explain what you want to be doing five to ten years from now. Your personal statement should also include information about what you stand for in terms of work ethic, creative philosophy, management philosophy, and so on.
Outline your skills and experience in greater detail. Consider the required skills that are likely to be requested. List these skills as large headings and provide examples of how you can meet these requirements. List any jobs that required you to use the skill mentioned. Explain, briefly, which on-the-job tasks developed or made use of that skill. List any personality traits that exemplify that skill and provide specific examples. Also list anything you learned, officially or unofficially, that indicates the use or existence of the skill in question.
Include samples. Note that the types of samples you include will vary based on the nature of your portfolio and field of interest. For graphic arts and related fields, you will need to include visual photographs of your work. For writing and related fields, you will need to include text samples. You can include print samples, DVDs, videos, and other multimedia examples when appropriate.
Attach testimonials and recommendations. Include photocopies of any positive remarks or recommendations received from past sources related to your field. You can include recommendations from customers, clients, employers, co-workers, professors, or reviewers. Employer evaluations can also be included, especially if they are notably favorable.
List any awards and honors. Include a list of any awards, honors, or scholarships you received within your field. If you received certificates for any such awards, include photocopies in your portfolio as proof. If you do not have certificates for your awards, simply list the name of the award, when you won it, and why you won it or what the award was issued for.
Describe any related conferences you participated in. If you took part in any conferences or workshops within the field, list them on a separate page. Include when the conference took place, where, and the organization that sponsored it. Make special note of any conferences or conventions you presented at. Also list any that you merely attended.
Mention your academic credentials. Your academic credentials usually expand upon the knowledge gained during your highest level of education. List any degrees, licenses, and certifications. Also provide an official transcript, if possible, or a list of relevant courses.
Provide documented proof of your accomplishments. If any articles have been written about your accomplishments, include copies of those clippings in your portfolio. National journals and large newspapers are the most impressive sources, but you should still include articles written by local news sources, academic institutes, and Internet sources.
List any military credentials. If you were in the military, provide a record of your service. Include information about any awards, badges, or ranks you earned during your time in the military.
Provide references. List professional and academic sources who would be willing to promote your work and skills if asked. Choose wisely and ask permission from each source before listing him or her as a reference. Include full names, job positions, e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, and phone numbers. Also briefly state how that reference is connected to you. Limit your references to a single page and list between three to five people.
Samples
Go for quality over quantity. Instead of overwhelming the portfolio by including a full listing of your past work, only include 15 to 20 samples of your highest quality pieces. Begin with any samples required by the organization you are sending your portfolio to. For instance, if a potential client wants to see work samples of advertisements geared for the music industry, include any examples you have of that before including additional examples. Also include a few samples loosely related to the field that you are most proud of, even if they do not match the exact requirements requested. Vary your sample types as appropriate. If you are submitting a writing portfolio, you only need to include writing samples. Those samples can include a range of genres, though, from journalism articles to blog posts or short stories.
Enclose photographs and photocopies instead of originals. Your original works are too valuable to risk losing as your portfolio gets passed around. Take photographs of three-dimensional works and two-dimensional works and photocopy any writing samples. Use 35-mm film or high-quality digital prints. Show your work in the best lighting and from multiple angles. If including an article published in a magazine, newspaper, or journal, photocopy the volume's front cover and table of contents as well as your article.
Consider attaching digital samples. If you have a web design portfolio, animation portfolio, or similar portfolio that requires you to know your way around a digital format, burn your samples onto DVD instead of printing out screenshots. For print copies of your portfolio, you should slide the DVD samples into a CD pocket and attach the pocket to your portfolio binder.
Design & Organization
Use a simple yet effective design. One way to make your portfolio stand out is to have an appropriate design. Keep things professional. Avoid “cute” or “cool” clip art and other unnecessary add-ons. These will only distract others viewing your portfolio. A good design does not need to be flashy. On the contrary, it should be fairly simple and straightforward. Include headings on each page and maintain the same text font, sizing, and coloring throughout. The keys to a good design are accessibility and consistency.
Keep things organized. A good portfolio must be easy to navigate. An easy-to-navigate portfolio will encourage the observer to continue reading through it, but a disorganized portfolio will discourage anyone from giving it the time to sort through. For print copies, organize your portfolio in a three-ring binder and place labeled dividers in between each different section. For digital slideshow copies, include a title on each slide to indicate which section the information belongs to. For websites and blogs, separate each section by giving it its own separate webpage.
Ask for help reviewing your portfolio. Before you send your portfolio out, ask a professional to review it for you and offer any guidelines about areas that need improvement. You can ask academic advisers, trusted employers, or acquaintances in the same field. Alternatively, you can also try to locate career centers and workshops in your community for help. Check with your local library, town hall, or local churches for free or cheap career services.
Create digital copies in addition to print copies. A print copy of your portfolio is essential, but digital copies can be helpful, too. Digital copies in the form of websites and blogs are especially helpful. You can send prospective employers, clients, or customers a link to your online portfolio along with your initial cover letter. Additionally, having your portfolio in a fixed location online will allow potential employers and clients to find you even without you seeking them out first.
Portfolio Types
Create a career portfolio. While there are many different types of careers and specific portfolio elements that go along with each field, in general, a career portfolio should be based around a showcase of work within your field of choice.
Make an art portfolio. When building a portfolio as an artist, you need to determine which pieces of artwork best show your range of skills. Build a graphic design portfolio. When creating a portfolio with graphic design in mind, only include samples of graphic design work. Construct a photography portfolio. Search through your collection of photographs to build a portfolio of photographs illustrating meaningful content and ideal aesthetics. Gear your portfolio toward art school. If you decide to put together an art portfolio for the purpose of getting into art school, you will need to put together a range of work that demonstrates the skills the art school will want to see.
Build a culinary portfolio. In your culinary portfolio, include pictures of yourself at work, photos of your food, copies of menus you designed, and copies of recipes you created.
Put together a modeling portfolio. A modeling portfolio should contain various headshots of you looking your best. Build a male model portfolio by studying poses used by other male models. Do a baby model portfolio by taking professional photos in a variety of poses and outfits. Continually update the portfolio as your baby ages.
Create an acting portfolio. This portfolio should include headshots as well as a detailed listing of your acting credentials and experience, along with a list of works you performed in and reviews you received.
Build a fashion design portfolio. A fashion portfolio should include photos and sketches of your work as well as swatches from fabrics you've used.
Put together a writing portfolio. A writing portfolio should include samples of your writing that demonstrate both your range as a writer as well as any fields of writing you specialize in.
Make a jewelry portfolio. As with fashion portfolios, a jewelry portfolio should include detailed photos and sketches of your creations.
Build a teaching portfolio. A teaching portfolio should include a list of your teaching credential as well as student work that resulted from effective teaching methods you implemented.
Create an interior design portfolio. When seeking out work as an interior designer, include detailed photographs of interior design projects you worked on in the past.
Make an advertising portfolio. Build this sort of portfolio by including samples of past advertising campaigns you worked on.
Learn more about online portfolios. Online portfolios are easiest to create when using a blog platform, especially if you have limited web design experience.
Build a financial portfolio. Financial portfolios are much different than portfolios demonstrating creative or professional abilities. Build a stock portfolio or make a mutual funds portfolio by diversifying and investing wisely. Construct a property portfolio. Research various properties to determine which can produce positive cash flow. Create a gold-based wealth portfolio by learning about the best ways to invest in gold and precious metals.
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