When a recruiter is hiring a designer, the first thing she wants to see is a portfolio. That isn’t unusual as a portfolio is KEY to gauge one’s skillset. However recruiters, especially from agencies, studios and product companies, spend less than 30 seconds per portfolio. This makes it very important to craft a concise + professional portfolio.
What’s unfortunate is many designers have good work but few present and package it in the right manner. I’m confident about this statement as we view hundreds of portfolios at IndieFolio on a daily basis and simultaneously receive feedback from recruiters on these folios.
So I decided to share some quick tips based on my observations. Please note : These tips work best when you are actively looking for a job. The rules will change when you’re not.
Show intent
Here is a common scenario – A client is finding UX designers on our platform. A bunch of great profiles show interest in working with the client and apply for the same. Turns out most of these portfolios only have 1 or 2 projects belonging to UX while rest are a random group of projects highlighting different skills like graphic design, animation, photography etc. Plus there is nothing on the profile which lets the recruiter know you’re actively looking for an opportunity. It is extremely important to show intent in your portfolio. Without that, you will leave viewers confused. This small step makes a big difference!
Tips :
- Simply update your subline/profile headline with something to the tune of “Actively looking for UX opportunities in Mumbai”.
- Remove all those projects which aren’t relevant to your current interest. Eg. If you’re looking for a UX opportunity, remove your animation, and graphic design projects.
Quality > Quantity
Another common mistake I’ve observed is designers show too many projects in their portfolio. Nobody has time to see all the work you have created. More importantly, having lesser portfolios gives you the control to decide what the recruiter will definitely see.
Tips :
- Do not showcase more than 3 or 4 projects at one time. If you have newer projects to upload, make sure you delete the previous ones.
- To decide which 3 or 4 projects actually work, consult your friends, colleagues, classmates and/or professors. Do not be the sole decision maker.
Don’t just inform, educate.
Now let’s talk about individual projects. Very often I just see final outcomes and no process. So for someone who has no context, your project gets reduced to just a bunch of random information. Every design must have an objective measure of success and talk about why it works. If you’re showing mood boards/references, don’t just put a collage up. Explain in a line why you liked the reference and how it was relevant to this project. The same thing with iterations… if you progress from one iteration to another, explain what was wrong with the first iteration and how iteration two solves that problem.
Tips :
- Document every step possible while working on a project. This will come in handy while compiling a portfolio.
- Use a narrative while showing the process and keep it dynamic by using GIFs and embeds.
These are just a few of the many observations I’ve had. If you found this helpful, I encourage you to check my Professional Portfolio Guide I recently launched.
