What is a portfolio? With examples to help you create your own.

Summary/Overview

Having a killer portfolio is a must when landing a creative job. It’s an artistic way of displaying your work and can show off your talent in more detail than a CV. A portfolio unlocks an opportunity to be creative with your application, allowing you to highlight your talent and stand out to potential employers.

It’s a vessel to show off your skills, unique voice, and ability to create a professional and polished online presence.

In this article, you’ll find out what a portfolio is, discover portfolio examples, and learn how to make a portfolio with Adobe Express.

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What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of samples of your work. It helps to illustrate your skills and show your expertise in the industry. It’s more visually appealing than a CV and builds your personal brand, helping to attract potential employers or clients.

The exact format can vary based on your own style. It’s the perfect chance to show off your personality and get creative. Your portfolio can also contain your resume, personal statement or cover letter, references and any proof of awards.

A portfolio is especially useful for creative roles like:

• Photographers
• Writers
• Graphic designers
• Fashion designers
• UX designers
• Marketers
• Architects
• Software developers.

Having a portfolio may be particularly helpful to freelancers, as you can evidence previous projects and showcase your talent and skills that would otherwise be difficult to show.

What should a portfolio include?

A portfolio should include examples of your best work – whether that’s a particularly captivating photography project or a selection of your best copywriting quips. You can look through digital portfolio examples for inspiration.

To break it down, here are four things that every portfolio needs:

1. Hero section. Add your name and a call to action – so employers or clients can get in touch. You can also include a picture here and your job title or specialism.
2. About you section. Write a short summary about you, your experience and your skills.
3. Project section. Here’s where you can really make your experience shine. Select your best pieces of work to display.
4. Contact section. Make sure it’s easy for people to get in contact with you. Consider adding a link to email or message you directly.

Free career portfolio examples.

Why is a portfolio important for your career?

A portfolio is important for competitive creative careers. It’s hard for your potential employer to get a feel for your skills just from reading a CV. A portfolio lets your talent come to life and offers a visual glimpse into your experience and capabilities. It allows you to show your talent, rather than just telling them about it.

A digital portfolio shows what services you can offer and can help you to stand out from other people applying for the same role. It could be the difference between getting called for an interview or not.

It’s also a great way to keep track of your accomplishments and testimonials.

How to create a portfolio.

It’s simple to pull together a polished portfolio. Simply follow these five steps:

1. Choose the best examples of your work.

Select your favourite examples of your work to display in your digital portfolio. Typically, it’s a good idea to use a range of different examples to show the breadth of your skills. But make sure to include any work relevant to the role you’re applying for.

2. Organise your portfolio into sections.

Ensure that your online portfolio is clear, organised and enjoyable to read. It needs to be easy to follow to keep your potential employer engaged.

Bear in mind that the person viewing your portfolio may not have the time to look through all of it, so plan to display the most important examples first. A contents section will help with this.

3. Include your CV.

Make sure your CV also features in your digital portfolio. This gives you an opportunity to provide basic contact information, list your academic or workplace credentials, and mention your work experience or internships.

4. Add a personal statement.

Include a section that outlines your short and long-term career goals. This gives readers an insight into your dream career, helps to demonstrate your passion and solidifies your experience. It’s another chance to highlight your work ethic and philosophy, which could align with a potential job opportunity.

5. Provide references and testimonials.

Don’t neglect the power of word of mouth to get your dream job. Testimonials from past employers, colleagues or clients can go a long way in proving that you’re a responsible, hard worker who can deliver. Having a list of references that can vouch for your skills will boost your credibility.

Editable student portfolio templates.

Top tips for creating an effective portfolio.

Here are some tips to consider when building your website portfolio:

• Keep the design simple. Don’t overcomplicate the design and let your experience do the talking.
• Provide references. It can help to include testimonials of previous work or references for potential employers to contact.
• Create a physical and digital version. It may help to hand a physical version of your portfolio to potential employers at interviews. This gives them something tangible to take away and remember you by. Or you could add a QR code to your business card, so employers or clients can access a digital version easily.
• Quality over quantity. It’s better to have fewer examples in your student or career portfolio than fill it with lots of lower-quality pieces.
• Get a peer to review. Ask someone else to have a look over your portfolio. Sometimes it’s helpful to have a third person’s perspective – and they may notice any mistakes or typos you’ve missed.

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Useful things to know.

How can I build my own portfolio?

It’s easy to build your own online portfolio with Adobe Express tools. To begin, pick your template or start your project from scratch. Then you can customise the design by adding text, images, buttons and more to transform the style of your portfolio. Once you’re finished, generate your unique URL to share via email or on social media.

How many pages should a portfolio be?

The number of pages you need for your digital portfolio completely depends on your experience. The more examples of work that you have to share, the longer your portfolio can be. But remember, it’s quality over quantity and you should be selective about the work you include.

What is a portfolio for students?

A portfolio for students could help you to land your dream university course or job. Whether you’re a budding fashion designer or want to kickstart a career in graphic design, having a portfolio full of coursework can help show you have potential to be successful in your field. It’s also a good chance to highlight any of your academic achievements.

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