When presenting your portfolio to a prospective employer, you must always remember that your image and abilities are only as good as how they appear in your portfolio. Your portfolio is essentially your chance to toot your own horn and show employers exactly what you’re made of. Many web designers constantly find themselves wondering what and how much content to include in their portfolio? What works and what doesn’t? Is it possible to include too much? This article explores exactly what it is and how much content employers look for in applicants’ portfolios.
Show Only the Best of Your Work
According to Specky Boy Design Magazine, you must make it a point to only choose from your best works before you actually begin picking out content. Quantity is not always better; especially in this case. Whenever a web designers showcases a project that he/she as “mediocre,” the employer is often left wondering if that is to the quality of work that is to be expected with their brand. Do not include work that wouldn’t wow the hiring manager. It doesn’t necessarily always matter how much work you’ve done; it ultimately matters how great the work is that you have done.
What to Do When You’re Starting from Scratch
If you’re pursuing a position at an agency or with a client, but you don’t happen to have any experience or work to show for your talent, it’s time to create some work. Create mock websites, include awards or other achievements that are relevant to your web design skills or abilities.
With these kinds of portfolios, you want to create as much content as possible to show the employer that you are definitely ready for the job, despite the fact that you haven’t put your talent to use in a realistic setting.
Leave Certain Content for the Resume
There will be certain bits of information that will be better left to the resume for clarification. Leave out information in your portfolio such as your educational background and/or work experience in text form. This why the resume exists. Web Designer Depot states that a resume should be thought of as the “icing on the cake” to your portfolio. In other words, don’t let your portfolio cover all the bases. Give the client a reason to still want to pick up and scan over your resume as well.
Include Anything Relevant to Your Web Design Skills
Lastly, if you’re having a hard time picking out what would be considered relevant for your web design portfolio, stick with only related work. Pick out coding features that you have built, websites you’ve helped build or have built yourself, showcase your webmaster skills, etc. These are all things web design agencies like to know about.
Overall, there really is no formulaic way to determine what you should be including in your web design portfolio. You should more so focus on including the best of your work and leaving out projects that you aren’t so fond of. Remember; the employer more than likely isn’t worried about what you’ve done. They want to know what your potential is like. Now, get to creating that perfect portfolio!
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