- I've mentioned a few times earlier
in this course that in highlighting your job skills
you really want to focus on showing, not telling.
In other words, you want to demonstrate
that you're really good at something by showing the results
rather than telling hiring managers that you're good at it.
Outside of giving clear examples in your resume,
cover letter, and LinkedIn profile of the results
that you've achieved,
a work portfolio is a fantastic way
to showcase your job skills.
Most people assume portfolios are only for creative jobs
like artists and writers, but in reality, anyone can benefit
from a portfolio, whether it features examples
of your work or case studies about projects
and accounts you've handled.
First, start by deciding what skills
and experiences you want to highlight.
Maybe you want to showcase your ability
to use a particular software
or your event planning expertise.
Create a list of those high priority skills
and keep it handy while you create your portfolio,
so you know where your focus should be.
Second, remember that quality is more important
than quantity.
In fact, having too many samples
or case studies could be overwhelming.
Pick out the ones that'll make the biggest impact
and will highlight the skills that you want to prioritize.
Third, determine the best way to show the results
of your work.
There's a way to do this with any job,
but sometimes it takes a bit of extra thought.
If your job doesn't involve creating
or outputting a finished product
that a hiring manager could see,
case studies are normally a really good alternative.
Tell a story of a key project you worked on,
for example, highlighting what the project was,
what role you played, the goal of the project,
the quantifiable results,
and any positive feedback that you received.
Fourth, think about the nuts and bolts
of how you want to create your portfolio.
You could use a low cost
or free website builder like Squarespace or Wix,
for example, to create a simple portfolio site.
There are are plenty of other tools out there as well
that you can use to build that portfolio
like Canva, Behance, Contently, and Muck Rack
to name a few.
Fifth, decide how you'll organize your portfolio.
You want hiring managers to be able
to easily find what they want
and identify the most relevant pieces
for their needs.
Depending on how many pieces you have,
you might separate them into categories or topics
or label them based upon the skill that they demonstrate.
And finally, start building your portfolio.
Remember that your portfolio doesn't have to be limited
to the work that you are paid to do.
You can include pieces
from your volunteer work or college projects.
You can even create non-commissioned pieces
for your portfolio.
For example, if you're a graphic artist
and you want to show a job that shows off design ads.
You can design ads that are purely for your portfolio.
Building a skills-focused portfolio is an impactful way
to help your job search
and help you stand out amongst the other candidates.
Just remember that this task is never complete.
You should be updating your portfolio regularly with new
and impressive pieces to always put your best foot forward.