Are you looking for a creative job? Perhaps something along the lines of a UX/UI designer/developer? Well listen up.
I hate to be frank, but submitting a CV and a long cover letter to an employer won’t be enough to land you the job.
Anyone can say on their CV that they are a ‘creative’ person. But only true creatives can show it.
Don’t just say. Do.
How to get started
Portfolios can seem daunting. At first glance you may feel as though you have nothing to fill a portfolio with. But you do.
How did you discover your creative side? You must have been involved with some sort of project? If you feel your first project is a bit old, go back and update it. Don’t be afraid to work with what you already have.
To build more examples for your portfolio you have two options.
- Research local companies. Can you spot a problem that you could use your skills to solve? If so, contact them. Pitch them the idea and build it for them.
- Make a client up. You could build something with a big company in mind or a completely fictional one. The point is you are showing the employer how you use your skills.
The top websites to help you create your portfolio
So you have examples which make up your portfolio. But how do you display them? Check out these websites which offer free accounts:
- An incredibly popular portfolio website amongst UX/UI designers. By setting up a personal profile on this platform you can share screenshots of your design processes and projects. You can also browse the latest job listings and join designer communities so you can work collaboratively with other creatives.
Here are some examples of some top portfolios displayed on Dribbble. They can be found here.
You can see specific examples of work that has been posted by creators. Take note of how they describe their work and use the tag function on the bottom right corner to help promote their work.
- Another popular website with UX/UI designers. Like Dribbble, it is a platform that allows you to not only showcase your work, but also view jobs with top employers.
- Though this platform is not as big as Driibbble and Behance, it does boast a well integrated job board which is incredibly active.
- Adobe Portfolio is a free tool to those who have an Adobe Creative Cloud Plan. One of its USPs is that you can create your portfolio here in minutes. It is also worth noting that Adobe is a sponsor of Behance. This means that Adobe Portfolio allows designers to sync design updates with Behance at no extra cost.
Here are some quick dos and don’ts to bear in mind when putting together your portfolio:
DO
- Be careful when curating your examples to create your own narrative. A portfolio is not just an archive of every single piece you’ve ever done.
- Showcase the type of work you want to be doing professionally.
- As a rule of thumb ask yourself: ‘if this was the only piece of work the employer saw, would they hire me?’ If the answer is no, don’t include it in your portfolio.
DON’T
- Don’t just rely on your images to do the talking. You must provide context to the samples you are presenting.
- Don’t let the design of your portfolio distract from its contents. Take into consideration how an employer will experience it.