A portfolio allows information professionals, artists, and visual creators, for example, to showcase their work and provide a concrete view of their skills and achievements.
Do you want to highlight your strengths when creating your CV and applying for a job? A portfolio can play a key role in helping you gain visibility with recruiters and potential clients.
What is a portfolio?
A professional portfolio is essentially a showcase of your talents. Unlike a curriculum vitae, which lists the elements of your background, the portfolio allows you to demonstrate the extent of your concrete skills through projects and achievements.
The visual elements contained in a portfolio can more easily capture the attention of recruiters. Indeed, a single image, sample, article, or creation can say far more than a thousand words on a CV or a cover letter.
Nowadays, physical paper portfolios are becoming less common, giving way to digital portfolios available online via a link or on a dedicated platform. These make your work more accessible to a wider audience.
Who needs a portfolio?
A portfolio is not reserved for a small group of professionals. If you are looking for a job, having a portfolio can significantly enhance your application.
A portfolio can be particularly essential for the following professions:
- Writers
- Journalists
- Graphic designers
- Advertisers
- Photographers
- Videographers
- UI/UX designers
- Web developers
- Models
- Actors
- Stylists
- Makeup artists
The list goes on. If you’re unsure whether creating a portfolio is relevant, ask yourself about your field of activity and whether showcasing your achievements would be valuable. If the answer is yes, a portfolio will likely be useful.
Note also that in fields where a portfolio is not common, it can help you stand out even more. It may include performance evaluations, financial data, reports, and more.
What are the reasons to create a portfolio?
Creating a portfolio has several advantages. Here are some of the main reasons to create yours.
Showcase your skills visually
The portfolio allows you to reflect your professional achievements, whether it’s an innovative sketch, a photography project, an article highly appreciated by readers, or a podcast participation.
This is your chance to grab the attention of recruiters and send a strong message by putting your talent in the spotlight. Think beyond a simple collection of documents and select what you are most proud of.
Provide an overview of your profile
In addition to presenting your one-off achievements, a portfolio allows you to tell your professional story and help the recruiter understand what motivated you to pursue your career.
If you work in a creative field, it can also give them a clearer idea of your style, your artistic direction, your preferences, and your taste. A portfolio helps you show who you are.
Show the quality of your work during an interview
During an interview, a portfolio allows you to illustrate your points and highlight your professional and personal qualities to the recruiter.
If you attend a job interview with your portfolio, the recruiter will undoubtedly ask questions about your work, allowing you to emphasize your motivation and passion.
How to create a portfolio?
To build your portfolio, here are some steps to follow:
- Identify your uniqueness and define a purpose
- Create a cover page and table of contents if needed
- Structure your portfolio in several sections
- Select and include your most important work
- Carefully craft titles and descriptions for each achievement
- Add keywords if your portfolio is digital
Feel free to include recommendation letters from former supervisors, testimonials and client feedback, or awards and recognitions if you believe they add value to your application.
Adding a portfolio to your CV
If you want to integrate your portfolio into your CV, the best option is to add a URL to a dedicated website or PDF document, for example, in the contact section at the top of your CV.
You can also choose to create a specific section for your portfolio, where you can include the direct link to your digital portfolio as well as a brief description of its content.
Make sure your portfolio is well-organized, showcasing your most relevant work for the position you’re applying for. And don’t forget to update it regularly to reflect your professional growth.
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