Why Should You Create a Portfolio of Your Work?

13 Dec 2022

In an extremely competitive world where information is shared in an instant, it is of utmost importance that we acknowledge the importance of creating a work portfolio. You can showcase your skills, professional experiences and achievements through a detailed portfolio to let your potential recruiters know that you are fit for a certain job role.

In this article, let’s explore how building a professional portfolio helps you reach out to your potential employers without a hitch and how you can create one for yourself!

Why do you need a work portfolio?

Your portfolio is a concise display of your relevant skills that can demonstrate your professional expertise. You might wonder whether your resume is enough to attract potential employers. Well, the answer is no. Sharing just your resume with a cover letter is not enough these days, mostly when they cannot validate your competence. This is where your portfolio comes into play. A well-organized portfolio not only accommodates your updated resume and a cover letter, but also your work samples, testimonials and list of accolades. If you are a freelance writer, your portfolio comprising all your writing samples and publications will give you an edge over other job applicants.

Let us take a look at the professions that prefer work portfolios in job applications:

Writer
Photographer
Editor
Videographer
Graphic Designer
Creative director

Steps to build your work portfolio

A professional portfolio can be your magical key that opens countless doors of career opportunities. However, before you reach the stage where you can display your skills through a promising portfolio, it is necessary that you follow some steps that are inevitably going to help you build one. Here’s a short guide that you may find useful to build a portfolio of your work:

1. Get your documents ready

Before you aspire to be a little creative with the design of your portfolio, it is pertinent that you understand how important gathering your important documents are. Collect your personal and professional documents that showcase your expertise in a field and arrange them either in a chronological order or in a decreasing order of importance.

Let’s look at the following documents you can add to your work portfolio:

Resume: Tailoring your resume to particular employers can be a great way to grab their attention. Ideally, your resume must contain your contact details, educational qualifications, relevant certificates and licenses, professional summary and relevant work experience. Also, try to update your resume at frequent intervals to never miss an opportunity to showcase your current professional highlights to your potential employers.
Skills: In recent years, we have noticed how more and more industries are on the lookout for skilled professionals and not necessarily those with high academic qualifications and no work experience. Try to align your skills as per the requirements for a specific job role. You can also categorize your skills and accentuate the ones that are self-taught. Employers tend to appreciate candidates who take a lot of initiatives on their own, and this can be a great opportunity for you to help them find such endearing qualities in you.
“About me” section: A professional portfolio is not complete without the creator's detailed biographical information. Add your work-related accomplishments and a list of relevant skills to your portfolio's "about me" section. Make sure that it's a comprehensive summary of who you are and what you can bring to the table.
Proof of degrees and certifications: Even though your resume contains your educational qualifications, your portfolio will look more convincing if you add copies of your certificates, degrees and licenses. This will increase your credibility and highlight your qualifications suitable for a specific job role.
Testimonials and letters of recommendation: You must have gone through a myriad of reviews from trusted sources before buying a product from an online platform. The same thing is quite applicable when you apply for a certain job role. Trying adding testimonials and letters of recommendation from your previous clients/ employers to your portfolio to create a great impression. These testimonials will help you create a proper professional network and will inspire your future employers/ clients to hire you. Also, you can track your performance and feel the desire to prove your mettle as a dedicated professional.
Awards: There's no harm in showing off what you have achieved so far! In fact, your professional journey is a culmination of both your achievements and the money you have earned. Add details of the number of awards and accolades you have earned till date to your portfolio. The right client will find you and appreciate your hard work.
Work samples: Mentioning brief work descriptions in your resume is not enough nowadays. What can truly make your portfolio stand out are your original work samples. This will help your recruiters assess your credibility as these work samples can serve as authentic manifestations of your professional experiences. Try to add necessary feedback to your work samples to help your future employers understand what it took for you to create such content.
Community service: A role-related volunteer work demonstrates your enthusiasm and dedication in a professional space. As society is progressing every day, you may attempt to do something meaningful to give back to your community, and at the same time, let your recruiters know your potential of being a promising team player.

2. Make your portfolio visually appealing

On some rare occasions, appearance may not be deceptive or futile. In fact, making your portfolio appealing is worth giving a shot! Sometimes changing the template, adding visual demonstrations of your work or even changing the font can do wonders. If you come from the field of graphics and design, this tip can turn out to be really helpful as your future employers can see what you are capable of making.

3. Customize and update your portfolio

It is necessary to customize and update your portfolio as per your job requirements. If you apply for a copywriting position, for example, try to add your skills and relevant work experience that can increase your chances of landing a perfect copywriting job.

Wrapping up

In fast-growing organizations and industries recruiters are looking for candidates who are willing to offer more than the details their resumes encompass. This is when you will perceive the need to build a strong work portfolio, include relevant information and share it with your professional network.