19 Portfolio Tips
- Target your approach.
Focus on keeping your portfolio relevant to your career goals. Selectively choose items from your portfolio to strategically strengthen your points related to keywords from the job you’re interviewing for. - Ensure a professional presentation.
Ensure that your portfolio is neat, organized, accessible, and easy to navigate. A visually appealing and well-organized web layout will draw the attention of the reader. Use text that is easy to read, separate your sections in a logical manner and use crisp and vivid imagery.- Use clear and consistent formatting throughout your portfolio, indicate appropriate headings, don’t overuse bold, italics, and underline, use the same font type and size throughout, and ensure that you balance white space appropriately.
- For print portfolios, use dividers and page protectors. Consider having your document secured in a folder or binder. Sheet protectors will allow you to neatly store several copies of each document that can be given to the interviewers as required. You can also add or remove items easily when updating or targeting each job.
- Provide copies.
Print portfolios: make several copies of each of your documents in advance and have backups of your electronic files. Do not leave the originals with the interviewer. - Keep it up-to-date.
Your portfolio should be maintained over the course of your education and career. Make it a point to update it on a regular basis and you will be prepared to showcase your skills whenever the next opportunity presents itself.
Online Portfolio Platforms
When selecting an online platform to house your portfolio, ensure that you research your options thoroughly. Ideally, you want a platform that:
- will allow for changes to be uploaded quickly
- has a cloud-based backup and portability
- is user-friendly and easily navigated
- can handle multiple multimedia formats
- can be viewed on mobile devices
There are a number of online services, many of which are free of charge, that allow you to create your own customizable website or portfolio. Explore some of the following sites before getting started:
- Free alternatives: Padlet, Google Sites, Microsoft Sway, Microsoft One Note
- Free website builders: Weebly, Wix
- Digital portfolios: bulb, myeFolio, mahara, carbon made
- Blog: WordPress
- Design based: dribbble, Coroflot, Behance, Crevado, FolioLink
Unless otherwise indicated, this chapter is an adaptation of Be the Boss of Your Career: A Complete Guide for Students & Grads by Lindsay Bortot and Employment Support Centre, Algonquin College, and is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International license.
definition
Keywords are words found in a job ad that describe the KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES of the ideal candidate for the position. Keywords describe what the employer is looking for in an employee.
