What is it and how to build a portfolio?

The best way to show and value your work is to create a type of showcase for him. And, to do that, nothing better than discovering how to build a portfolio. Want to know where to start? We explain everything in this post. Check out!

What is a portfolio?

If you work in the areas of creation, advertising, journalism and technology – a good way to show what you do is to create a portfolio.

In general, the professional portfolio is a collection of samples of the best jobs you have ever done. It needs to be created very carefully to attract the attention of those who are going to read and it must also be understandable to anyone, especially those who have not participated in these works with you. For this reason, it is important that it is of the “self explanatory” type, following a logic and offering small explanations of what each delivery is about.

When you are looking for a job or trying to win a customer, it is the portfolio that shows what you are capable of doing. It shows, in practice, your skills and your experience.

What are the types of portfolio?

There are basically two types of portfolio, print and digital. The choice between one type and another depends a lot on your computer skills and the tools indicated to create that type of document.

It also depends on the type of work you do. If everything you do is digital, it doesn’t make much sense to create a print portfolio, does it? But the decision still depends on the type of job (or client) you are trying to get. There is no point in creating a super modern and digital portfolio if the person who is going to receive it is not a fan of computers. And vice versa – there is no point looking at the paper portfolio if you want to work in a fully digital company.

Printed Portfolio

If you intend to present your portfolio in person, to the recruiter or the client you want to win, this may be a good option. The tip is to create the document very carefully. If you can afford it, try to make a professional print in graphics, with a high quality paper. The homemade impression may even convey the idea of ​​what you are capable of, but it will hardly generate that good impression that you want so much.

Online portfolio

The advantages of the digital portfolio – or online portfolio – are many. The main one is that it can be created for free. Another important advantage is that it can be shared quickly with anyone, wherever they are, and also through hubs that bring together freelancers from various areas. In addition, the digital portfolio can be updated more easily – in addition to not crumpling or turning yellow.

How to make a portfolio: creative tips and examples

If you want to make a portfolio that really shows all your capacity, consider that you need to invest some time and a lot of energy in its creation. Let’s get to the tips.

Define your goal

Before you start creating your portfolio it is important to know what it is for. Establishing your goal makes it easier to create the ideal portfolio for each situation.

For example, are you looking for a job and want to show employers what you’ve already done? If that is the idea, it is interesting to organize the portfolio with your best works in reverse chronological order (from the most recent to the oldest), exactly as you describe your professional experience in the curriculum. Anything that facilitates the recruiter’s life and understanding is most welcome.

If you are trying to get frilas in your area or want to use the portfolio to win customers, there is no need to follow this reverse chronological order. In this case, it may be more interesting to present the most interesting works, starting with the best of all.

Present outstanding work

If you’ve worked hard enough, there’s no way – and no reason – to include everything you’ve done in your portfolio. This will only tire and confuse the person who wants to know your work.

The idea of ​​the portfolio is to be just a showcase, as we already said. A store selects the best products to display and draw customers, does it not? So, this is exactly what you need to do: select your best works, the ones you most enjoyed doing and are most proud of having done, to include in your portfolio.

Tell different (and interesting) experiences

If you do work for different segments or audiences, with different languages, which demonstrate competencies and skills that are also different from each other, try to take an example of each type to include in the portfolio.

It is important that the document shows that your skills and experiences are very varied, if any. Storytelling like this demonstrates flexibility and adaptability.

Show your results

Whenever possible, include in your portfolio the results you achieved with each job. For example, if you created a language for the profile of a brand on social networks and multiplied the number of followers and the amount of engagement, you can create a very objective little paragraph showing the numbers.

Tools for creation

There are several tools that can help you create your portfolio.

THE Behance, for example, is a very intuitive Adobe platform. There is also the DevianArt, which is a social network for beginning artists to share their work and network.

There is also the option to create a portfolio as a new “Project” in the WordPress, which many people use to manage blog content, for example.

Other options are Cargo Collective, which offers some very interesting templates, and Wix, which is all in Portuguese and is easy to use.

Examples of creative portfolios

We’ve selected some amazing portfolios for you to get inspired and use as a reference. But, pay attention, you shouldn’t be discouraged looking at them, okay? They were created by very experienced people (and professionals) in the subject.

Hayk is an incredible example of a designer who used all his knowledge to show what he is capable of. Notice how he doesn’t have to explain what he does – it’s all there, of course.

The Wade Brothers are two brothers who have clients like Nike, Garmin and Reebok. The projects are divided into photos and films. See if everything is not worth looking at.

Curriculum or portfolio: which one to send to the company?

In most cases, the curriculum is the first step towards getting a job. Therefore, you should always send it. The portfolio, on the other hand, should normally only be sent when requested by the company.

Of course, there are some situations in which this rule may not apply. If you are a design or digital marketing professional, for example, and are going to send the resume by email, it may be the case to send the digital portfolio along.

In addition, whenever you are invited to an interview, you can personally present your portfolio if you feel there is room for it. On paper, if it is physical, or on a tablet, if it is digital.

What information to put if you have no professional experience

To learn how to create a portfolio without having professional experience, you can follow the same recommendations that we give to those who need to create a resume for their first job.

Select jobs you did in college or school. It is also worth including personal projects – that blog you created, that folder you made for a party and it was amazing. Volunteer work also counts for many points, especially if you have done this type of work in your area of ​​expertise.

Also worthwhile are the projects that you developed just to gain practice. Are they good? Send it to the portfolio. Haven’t developed anything yet? Why not start now? Just don’t forget to clarify that the works are just exercises – they have not been published or ordered by customers. OK? ?

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