How To Present Your Portfolio If You Havent Had Much Work
A common problem is how to present your portfolio if you dont have much work yet. Actually, the most experienced interviewer will know very quickly if they think youre a good fit for the position.
Likely theyll already have an idea of your talent after the first 3-4 projects and many will even stop reviewing the portfolio at that point.
The worst thing to do is stuff your portfolio with sub-par work. Every recruiter would much rather a shorter, high-caliber presentation than 40 pages of sub-par work.
If you dont have enough client work, create your own creative brief, and complete the project or use student work to show off your abilities. If you want real client work to beef up your portfolio, ask family and friends, similarly, non-profits are often happy to have free help.
Blogs And Templated Sites
Site such as WordPress allow you to have more control over your digital portfolio. Simple to use, they provide a website building toolkit, known as a dashboard. Many individuals and organisations build their website using WordPress and with a range of features, you can add tabs, links, have a comments box, upload images and choose from a wide selection of templates. If you opt to have a personal domain name that is not provided with the toolkit, youll have to pay extra for this, but the website address will look more professional. As with other similar sites, you’re required to market and promote your portfolio.
How To Design An Architecture Portfolio For Job Interview
DESIGNING ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIOS: FOR JOB INTERVIEWS
Cracking through an architectural job interview does not solely rely on ones potential as an architecture student or architect. How you manage to portrait it all, is most important. In the present world, assembling an architecture portfolio can be considered as the best mode of presentation for any architect. An architecture portfolio can be defined as an architects identity. It is an indigenous expression of you and your abilities as a professional architect. It can reveal all your potentials and skills in front of the job recruiter. Hence it is very important to have a creative and interactive portfolio.So, in this article, we will talk about How to design an architecture portfolio for a job interview? But before that lets just briefly discuss its importance in the professional world.
WHY DO WE NEED IT?
Better Communication is a single most important reason for designing an architecture portfolio. It creates an instant image of you and your professional skills in front of the recruiter simultaneously giving you an opportunity to create a powerful first impression. Job interviews are all about creating a good first impression and your portfolio is the tool you need to do it.
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGNING AN ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO
BEST SOFTWARE FOR DESIGNING ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO
AMAZING ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIOS
Portfolio by Derek Pirrozi
You May Like: How To Pass A Phone Interview
How To Make A Portfolio
When you start putting together your portfolio, always keep in mind that you need it to have an instant impact. Margaret Burgin, head of careers at ScreenSkills, says, ‘An employer will often have a quick look through several portfolios and divide them into two – those they’ll look at again, and those they won’t. You want to be in the first group, so first impressions are crucial.’
Select pieces of work that show the full spectrum of your skills in your field, including your competence with relevant digital tools or industry-standard software. The examples you choose can usually come from a variety of experiences. For instance, your portfolio may contain work you’ve done at university, in a relevant placement or internship, in a part-time job, or even projects you undertook in your free time. For more examples, read our 5 tips for getting media work experience.
All of these are valid as long as they show you at your best – although you should always check job adverts or interview invites to see whether the employer has any particular requests. Sometimes you might be asked to show everything you contributed to a single project from start to finish, while other in other cases you’ll need a range of examples.
Bring Something Physical To The Interview
Yes, even in this digital world, you should still bring something with you to a job interview. We know, we know we just told you that you dont need a physical design portfolio anymore, but just bear with us.
Regardless of whether youre meeting with a potential client at Starbucks or walking into a design firm to apply for a staff position, you should have something you can show the interviewers. Some people just prefer to have a physical object in front of them, but more importantly, if the interviewer wants to look at your design portfolio for reference, they should be able to and on something larger than their smartphone screen. Again, youre a designer. Your work should be viewed full size .
The exception to this rule, of course, is your mobile app design, which is full size on a smartphone or tablet and should be able to be viewed on both let your interviewer decide. You can open up the Proto.io app and let them play with all your prototypes while you explain what the project was about and the role you played.
But for all of our sakes , put your phone in do-not-disturb mode when you hand over your phone. The last thing you want is your potential employer looking at inappropriate texts from your friends or some personal details about the argument youre having with your significant other or mom or whoever.
You May Like: Where Can I Watch The Meghan And Harry Oprah Interview
Showcase Your Process And Methodology
As mentioned in the first point, you have to highlight the process and methodology you used throughout the project. Point out how you tackled the challenges of a project. What methodology did you use and why? A project worthy of your portfolio will give you many opportunities. It will also add background to your decisions throughout the project and showcase your expertise.
Increase Your Chances Of Being Hired With An Online Portfolio That Does More Showing Than Telling
A professional portfolio shows employers what you can do.
For many job seekers, the maxim show, dont tell rings true. While your resume claims that you do amazing workinfographic resumes, anyone?your professional portfolio is proof that youre as skilled and talented as you say you are.
Recruiters look to portfolios to provide a substantive window into your work, enabling them to assess your work before they invest heavily in hiring and training you, so its essential that you take time to assemble a hearty, compelling portfolio, says Laura Labovich, founder of Bethesda, Marylandbased The Career Strategy Group.
There are steps to take to build a great professional portfolio.
Also Check: How To Send A Thank You For The Interview Email
The Key Takeaways For A Perfect Portfolio Cover Page
So to sum up, if you want to create a kick-ass cover page that grabs the attention of recruiters and UX professionals, just pay attention to these points:
In case you want to use the templates presented above, sign up to UXfolio and start building your own portfolio!UXfolio is a portfolio builder tool that will help you not only with great templates but also in the copywriting part. You can even get feedback on your projects to make sure it will impress your future employers.
How To Choose The Artwork For Your Portfolio
How much is too little…or too much? The golden rule is to aim for at least 10 pieces to show that you have a solid body of work to build on. Respect the reviewers time and limit your selection to 25 pieces more could signal that you are indecisive.
When selecting the art to include, focus on the job you want to be doing. If that is a character artist, include characters. If you love drawing dinosaurs and feel that this relates to your job, include your favorite T-Rex vs. raptor battle in watercolor. But dont be a jack of all trades: keep it relevant and focused.
Organizing the selected artwork is a science, too. For maximum impact, use your best two artworks as the first and last piece in your portfolio. To ensure a pleasant flow to your portfolio, group your artworks by themes or styles to make the whole document feel organized.
If you must include a piece you feel is a bit weaker, make sure to place it in between some of your strongest work to achieve a consistent level of quality.
Recommended Reading: How To Crack Microsoft Program Manager Interview
Case: Interior Designers Portfolio
Please remember that interior design is not the same as interior decorating, that is the one big mistake people make all the time. Some customers really think that we just select pillow cushions, and blankets, and picking wall colours all day long. To be true, that is about 10% of what we actually do. Interior design is essentially like architecture, in some countries, its even called «interior architecture». You can get your diploma in interior decorating in 2-3 years, whereas interior design typically is a four to six-year degree program.
In interior design, you learn about constructions, floor plans, history of interior design, styles, functionality, ergonomics, lighting, colour theory, client communication, building codes, mechanical systems. Its a lot more than just designing a room. In this article, I will cover the decorators portfolio as well, so keep reading.
Well, here, in an interior designers portfolio, your «target audience» can be both a potential employer or a client.
First, lets talk if it is an employer:
Looking for a position in interior design or architecture firm? Your resume, in that case, should cover your educational background, experience, and qualifications. My recommendation is to focus on your professional skills in this type of portfolio.
For example, you can list your skills, such as:
-
AutoCAD/ArchiCAD/Revit/Google SketchUp drafting and rendering
-
3DS MAX rendering + Vray
-
Sketching and hand rendering
-
Construction management, etc
What To Include In Your Interview Job Portfolio
People in creative career paths such as copywriters or visual designers have the good fortune of being able to make effective portfolios with ease and without much concern as to what to include in their professional portfolio. However, for people working outside of visual or creative fields, its not always obvious what to include in your portfolio when preparing for a job interview
The answer to that question will change depending on your career goals. However, a good place to begin is with performance evaluations and / or any content you may have created for a job in the past. Even if all you have to work with is hard data, you can make that data far more digestible by turning it into a visualization. Remember: youre trying to highlight your background while distinguishing yourself from others.
Also important to note is that a job portfolio isnt just another version of your resume. Similar to a cover letter, effective portfolios which are well-prepared and organized are an opportunity to provide clues about who you are on a personal level. Employers might want to gauge how well youd fit in with their team. If nothing else, personality can help you stand out.
Recommended Reading: How To Master Interview Questions
Start By Determining Whether You Need One
Certainly, creative professions, such as writing, advertising, graphic and web design, and the like, will require you to create a portfolio. But, if you are not in a creative field, dont despair, Labovich says. Portfolios are a great way to showcase your work visually, even if you are not in a creative profession.
Lets say youre an event coordinator. Labovich suggests using mind-mapping software, such as MindMeister, to visually document an event you conceived and ran. Meanwhile, if youre a sales professional, you could create a bar graph that displays your outstanding numbers from last year. If you work in marketing and represent big clients, creating a portfolio that shows the logos of the companies that you work with can be compelling to prospective employers.
Still, portfolios arent right for every occupation, says Jenny Foss, a recruiter and job-search strategist. Before you apply effort and a ton of hours into creating a portfolio, think about whether your portfolio will show your ability to perform your job, Foss advises. If a portfolio is not contributing to your overall strategy of what youre trying to demonstrate to your target employer, it could end up muddying the waters.
Other Websites Where You Can Design A Portfolio Website
A Quick Tour Of Creating A Portfolio Website On Squarespace
First, you should go through the payment plans so that you are aware of the financial commitment required to keep a portfolio with a domain name. If you are prepared to spend, then select a template and go ahead and make an account. You can select a template from the Portfolio & CV tab on Squarespace to make it simple. Next, name your website, and have a quick look at the how-to which will help you figure out how to edit and enhance your site. Since Squarespace has an editing tool which is similar to Wix, you can explore the possibilities and determine what looks best and feels cohesive.
Make sure to go through all the tabs on the menu on the left-hand side to make sure that your site is functioning most efficiently.
A Quick Tour Of Creating A Portfolio Website On WordPress
Once you create an account on WordPress, they will ask you to select the purpose of your website there is an option for a portfolio, so go ahead and select that. You will then have to enter your profession, after which you can put in some basic details, including your name, domain name, and so on. You will be asked to select a payment plan, so make sure you choose the Free option each time.
As always, play around with the layout and design elements before finalising your online portfolio.
Don’t Miss: How To Successfully Interview Someone
Work Portfolio One Of Twenty Applicants Will Bring It
Only a few people think about creating a portfolio, or about bringing it to the interview with them. Statistics I collected while running a recruitment agency reveal that less than five percent of job seekers did actually bring the portfolio to the interview. A mistake? A chance missed?
Before we think about it together, let me explain what a portfolio is:
- Portfolio is more in-depth than a resume, and it explains your education, skills and abilities, working experience and achievements, in a simple to understand yet attractive and professional way. For creatives, it often stands for a collection of their best works.
Make Sure You Have The Correct Documentation Included
Knowing what to include in your portfolio can be particularly difficult. You may not be going for a creative job, but having a portfolio of your previous work will help to support your argument that you are the right person for the job, and it may also help recruiters to remember you.
Irrespective of whether you are going for accountancy, creative or retail jobs, a portfolio may be just what you need to get noticed. Here are some useful examples of what you can include in a job interview portfolio:
- CV and personal statement
- Certificates of professional qualifications and memberships
- Licenses
- Emails or letters of compliment from clients and customers you helped
- References from previous employers
Check the spelling and grammar throughout your portfolio. Also, ask family and friends to review your portfolio and provide you with feedback, even if it is negative! It is better that you get negative feedback from people you know and have time to correct any mistakes than waiting for the interviewer to correct you.
You May Like: How To Transcribe Interviews For Research
Visually Organized Resume Content
Kens more simple resume is visually organized. This makes the content easier to read and digest. Once the scanning stops, the reader has to decide if it is going to be easy to read.
This resume model is organized into three sections.
Resume header
Much like a website header, this resume header gives a visual sign of order and a quick overview. The picture is a powerful way for someone to put a person to the page.
Resume sidebar
Kens resume model makes effective use of a sidebar that is visually separated by the background color. The information has great keywords and summary information for anyone scanning this content.
He further separates the content into sections with headers. Easy to scan and easy to digest.
Main resume content
Ken separates the main content with a white background. He further organizes content with separators. Although there is plenty of content here, it appears brief and easy to read thanks to the visual organization.
Ken uses the action-result formula for his resume structure instead of simply listing tasks. He quickly tells a story of the value he brings to the business.
Faqs On Portfolio For Interview
What is an interview portfolio?
A portfolio is a collection of your best-completed work that shows how youve used your relevant skills, education, training, experience, and accomplishments.
Why do I need an interview portfolio?What kind of portfolio is used when applying for a job?
You can use a career portfolio, job portfolio, or professional portfolio. It is a display of a comprehensive collection of your best work to potential employers.
Recommended Reading: What To Ask A Financial Advisor When Interviewing
