What are some tips for creating a digital portfolio to land a new job or new clients?
To help you create digital portfolios that get you results, we asked HR managers this question for their best advice. From using online digital portfolio sites to highlighting previous experiences you are proud of, there are several tips that may help you put together a digital portfolio that effectively markets you and lands you jobs.
Here are 11 tips for creating digital portfolios:
- Use Online Digital Portfolio Sites
- Present Your Best Work As Simple As Possible
- Use SEO To Get Your Digital Profile Noticed
- Interlink Your Social Media and Portfolio Website
- Create The Portfolio To Serve A Need and Engage Clients
- Tailor Your Portfolio To Your Target
- Include Less Than 10 Samples in Your Portfolio
- Go Beyond Just Presenting Your Work
- Focus On Your Personal Brand
- Showcase Only Projects You Have Full Control Over
- Highlight Previous Experiences You Are Proud of
Use Online Digital Portfolio Sites
I am a freelance writer. I keep my freelance writing content at an online digital portfolio site. You post your work and the skills you used to accomplish the work. When I have a prospective client indecisive about hiring me, I give the link to my portfolio. This way they can see the work I’ve done for other clients as well as all the brands that hired me. I’ve had success landing more jobs using my digital portfolio in this way.
Janice Wald, Mostly Blogging
Present Your Best Work As Simple As Possible
The simpler your portfolio, the better. People want to see your best work without having to jump through a bunch of filler content to get there. Therefore, I highly recommend showcasing your abilities as simply as you can in your portfolio. Sadly, employers are not going to spend a lot of time looking at every piece of work you have done, so make sure you best is front and center. When it comes to landing new clients, the same concept applies. A potential client wants to see your best work as quickly as possible so they can understand what kind of quality of work they are going to receive.
Sacha Ferrandi, Source Capital
Use SEO To Get Your Digital Profile Noticed
Marketers pay attention to details related to SEO to drive traffic to their website, and this same consideration should be taken into account when designing a digital portfolio in your efforts to get a new job. Recruiters and HR professionals repeatedly use terms for their searches for candidates, and these keywords can drive the search algorithms that will place a job seeker on their radar.
Therefore it is critical to research which terms, long-tail phrases, and even image searches that are common in the industry and field of work you wish to pursue. In addition, make certain they correspond to words within the search field of your URL. By carefully studying these terms and then implementing them into your digital portfolio, recruiters will be able more readily find your profile and consider your candidacy.
Matt Miller, Embroker
Interlink Your Social Media and Portfolio Website
Link your social media portfolio with your website and vice versa. This tactic can help increase your chances of getting a new job or landing new clients. Creating and connecting your LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media pages and your website make up a powerful portfolio, providing all the key details that employers and prospects want to know about you.
Tim Hill, Social Status
Create The Portfolio To Serve A Need and Engage Clients
One thing that has worked very well for me when I’m pitching new clients with my digital portfolio is keeping in mind the 2 F’s: Flow and Function. Is it functional and does it flow? Keeping those two questions at the forefront of your mind while building your portfolio is a great guide. If you are constantly answering those two questions with a yes, you will be on your way to an effective digital portfolio. Clients don’t want to have to figure anything out during a pitch. They want a story that flows and engages them, and a product that serves its function. If it flows and it’s functional, your foundation is set. All that’s left is specific tweaking.
Devin Schumacher, SERP
Tailor Your Portfolio To Your Target
Tailor your portfolio to the job or client you are targeting. For example, if a candidate were applying to a streetwear company, their portfolio designs should reflect their ability to design streetwear. Curate your digital portfolio with a personality that matches the brand or client. The proof of skillset is in your work –market yourself accurately and appropriately.
Cesar Cruz, Sebastian Cruz Couture
Include Less Than 10 Samples in Your Portfolio
Don’t overload your portfolio with too many examples of your work. A general rule of thumb is up to 10 samples; anything over that can be distracting for the prospective hiring manager or client. Select the examples that you feel will show an overarching concept throughout your portfolio. In other words, each portfolio piece tells a story and, when strung together, should convey a message.
Amrita Saigal, Kudos
Go Beyond Just Presenting Your Work
Let your digital portfolio go beyond presentation of your skills. Showing a wide range of things you do great is crucial. No doubt about that. Yet, if your aim is to get a new job or attract new clients, a digital portfolio should be more than just a collection of your works. Reveal yourself to some extent. Give people a chance to get to know you along with your values, passions, and lifestyle you lead.
Agata Szczepanek, MyPerfectResume
Focus On Your Personal Brand
When we recruit talent at our agency, we’re always looking for portfolios which showcase the talent of the designer via their personal brand. We love to see the creativity of how a digital portfolio is actually displayed – it goes such a long way before we even then look at the portfolio items. A well-branded digital portfolio is enough, even initially, to convince us of the design skills of an applicant.
JM Littman, Webheads
Showcase Only Projects You Have Full Control Over
The most important tip for anyone creating a digital portfolio is to make sure that the majority of the projects included are ones that you have complete control over. This means steering clear of group projects or those completed as part of an internship or training program. While it’s essential to list all relevant experience, projects that you can speak to in great detail and show a clear connection between your skills and the final product will be much more impressive than those where your role was limited.
Gino Louise Reichert, LSAT Prep Hero
Highlight Previous Experiences You Are Proud of
Companies like hiring people that already have experience and are enthusiastic about getting results. One of the best ways I’ve found to land a job via a portfolio is to highlight some of the work you’ve done in the past that you’re proud of. If you have no professional experience to show, start a side project. Having projects on the side that you genuinely put care and effort into will show employers that you’re a self-starter and care about quality of work.Omid Ghiam, Marketer Milk
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