How To Make Your Portfolio Look More Professional With Little Work Experience

To have a portfolio or to not have a portfolio? It’s the professional conundrum that’s being asked by young people trying to find a job in a creative field. Whether you’re a writer, video editor or stylist, prospective employers expect to see examples of your work in some form or another. But what if you don’t have many (if any) examples to show? 

In an increasingly competitive market where it’s common knowledge that barriers are preventing people from getting entry level jobs, it’s increasingly harder for applicants to gain the experience needed to get their CV noticed. That’s where creativity comes into play. Whether your experience is relevant or not, there’s always a way of angling it to show you have the skills necessary for that role, and a way of presenting that is by getting inventive with your portfolio. 

Margot Azoulay is a Product Design Manager at FARFETCH, with over ten years of experience of working in ecommerce and the luxury sector. As well as her current role, she also teaches UX design part-time at Experience Haus – making her an expert in how to use design to elevate your content. Benjamin Steel is a Careers Executive at Ravensbourne University London, who provides careers support and industry guidance for students and alumni. As well as this, he reviews portfolios for the university’s UX/UI courses, meaning he can quickly and easily identify skillful processes. We asked them to share their advice on how to make your portfolio pop when you’re lacking in experience. 

#Tip 1: Make the content easy for the viewer to understand

Margot states that your portfolio should be easily digestible; “Make sure that your case studies have a clear structure and are easily scannable. Even though we pour our heart and soul into our portfolios, the reality is that when a recruiter or hiring manager goes through it, they will rarely have the time or patience to read your case studies word by word. You want to make sure to highlight and visually differentiate your key takeaways so that they can quickly scan the page and understand them at a glance.” And if you don’t have much to display? Benjamin says, “Less is more: if there is not enough content, make a one page website with a short showreel of snapshots of work.”

#Tip 2: Show your personality 

“There are as many different types and styles of portfolios as there are designers. Whilst the main goal of a portfolio is to showcase your work, it is also an opportunity to make a great first impression,” shares Margot. “Everything from the layout, the colours, the fonts, or the imagery you choose will tell something about you. It can be simple, but it should be something that reflects your personality as well. One common pitfall that I often see is candidates who have a completely different visual identity between their portfolio and their CV, which makes them appear less professional and polished: you are a brand, so you need to make sure that this brand is consistent across all your touchpoints.” Benjamin reiterates this by adding that the design should work with the content to clearly highlight your expertise. “The work you do is important, usually it’s a brief that you enjoyed working on, but once it’s done its purpose is to highlight how employers can utilise your ideas and skills. The presentation should look to capture the best bits of you, framed in the best work practices of companies you are looking to engage with.”

#Tip 3: Self-reflect and explain your thinking process

It’s not just about the work that you’ve done, your portfolio should show what you’ve learned from those experiences, says Margot. “Another important part, which is often overlooked but is essential, is self reflection: what did you learn with this project? And more importantly, if you were to do it again, what would you do differently, if anything? Having answers to those questions at the end of a case study will show to the recruiter/hiring manager that you have learned and grown from your projects, and that you have a growth mindset.” Benjamin agrees. “Ideas and concepts are fundamental components to a successful portfolio/website. If a brief is not complete but demonstrates valid ideas within the ideation phase, then it can be a useful asset in communicating skills and abilities not always noticed in final concepts.”