How to Make a Portfolio

A portfolio of your career is indispensable during an interview. As you toot your own horn about the great ad campaign you designed or the great article you wrote for the local paper, your words will have more weight if you can produce samples. A portfolio is the evidence that backs up your resume and showcases your skills.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Binder or Folder
• Sample Materials
• Resume
• Business Cards

1. Review your current resume and update if necessary. Be assured that the most pertinent and important facts are represented on your resume. A resume should never be more than two pages.

2. Gather samples of your work. This could include writing samples, photographs, published clips, brochures, plans, reports, research papers or drawings. Choose a wide variety of materials to demonstrate the scope of your abilities.

3. Match the materials in your portfolio to your resume. Is every skill set you are trying to demonstrate covered? Does a particular skill need more representation?

4. Add or subtract materials based on the portfolio’s specific purpose. If you are interviewing for a copywriting position, make sure you have several samples of copy you have written.

5. Make quality photo copies any printed pieces. If the clip or brochure is in color, make color copies. Add the publication name and date at the bottom of each sheet.

6. Arrange your samples, resume and a handful of business cards into a quality binder. Most portfolios are oversized leather binders but any quality binder will work.

7. Practice demonstrating your portfolio before the actual interview. Make sure you can find each of the samples easily as you talk through your resume and answer questions.

8. Reevaluate your portfolio for each job interview. Gather materials over time and review past work as you prepare for the next new endeavor.

Tips & Warnings

• Make a habit of keeping clips and samples of all the materials you produce within your job. Create a folder within your file cabinet for this purpose.
• Bring enough samples to make your point but don’t overwhelm the interviewer by bringing out everything you have ever done. Bring out samples as the discussion invites.

[dinosaur90210]

on 11/28/2008 wow this is great. i had no idea how to make one of these. and then i just googled it and there it was. it was so exciting. and i needed it to pass my careers class. wow this is so amazing... wow too bad they dont have these for everything. this is just so great.. i might just pass grade 10 now thanks to thanks to you and your AMAZING steps to make a portfolio. wow thank you like soo much. i am so going to recommend this amazing aite to all my friends... wow too bad they didnt think of these things YEARS ago...thank you so much..wow this was soooo amazing....CAN I HAVE YOUR NuMBA??

[tijs]

on 11/6/2008 Future employers are bound to google your name even before they ever spoke to you. Don't underestimate the value of an online portfolio either. Using a site builder tootl like Google Pages or A specialized portfolio service like www.fresh.li you can make sure they will find what you want them to find when they start looking for information.