How to Build a Digital Portfolio
Welcome to the future, no flying cars, no Rosie The Robot taking care of your dog or cleaning up after you. Just social media, mobile apps and AI affecting your lifestyle. The reality is that technology no matter how convenient has changed the game! Communication, shopping, dating (yes, we know you use Tinder), human interaction and even getting a job has all been affected.
Being an employee at a digital marketing agency has given most of us at EMB perspective as to how much technology actually matters nowadays! It gives us marketers an advantage in online advertising, allows everyone to look like rad interesting people on social media, and can really give you an edge when it comes to applying for that job that you really want.
I digress, my point is that technology is a tool and the workspace has changed. The stakes are higher and competing for a job is not about what you can promise verbally, it’s about what you can illustrate in an interesting way. You need to up your digital game if you want to outshine the competition for a job - you can do that creatively with a digital portfolio. The days of simple paper resumes are gone. They won’t get you any brownie points with the HR rep, let alone an interview in most respective places. Building an online portfolio allows you to illustrate all your talents in an impressive and interactive way. Enough banter, let’s get into the process!
Steps:
- Gather Your Resources: chances are if you’re fresh out of college you have a collection of work, projects and papers that you’ve written over the years. Work experience is the same – the point is to gather everything impressive you’ve done in your work or school career and organize it in a way that can be visually expressed! The more photos you have, the better.
- Look For A Website Builder: website builders allow you to create stunning looking websites with a drag and drop interface that’s as simple as using Instagram, no coder required! Weebly, Squarespace and Wix are just a few examples of builders that can provide you with a platform to create an online portfolio. Each webpage should express a different project or accomplishment.
- Gather Web Links: you want to gather any professional links you may have living on the web – this can include LinkedIn profiles, past employers websites, impressive social media accounts that you’ve managed, and any other digital work you have. If you don’t have much, don’t sweat it. Your past work is more important.
- Index Your Work: you want to bring together all your resources and create a web page for each of your respective projects, past jobs, clients, campaigns, or anything you see value in. You want to organize in a way that flows and is visually appealing.
- Tell A Story: you want to start each webpage like you’re telling a story. Start with an introduction and go in chronological order. That way it flows naturally when you’re reviewing it with your possible employer.
- Build An Aesthetic: as a digital marketer it’s super important for me to tell you to brand yourself as an individual, which means picking out a color scheme for yourself and a logo that represents your individuality. No worries, you don’t have to be a graphic designer, pick three colors that complement each other and visit The Noun Project website where you can purchase and download a logo for super cheap. Use these consistently and tastefully on all your web pages. This gives you a professional “look” that elevates you from a person to a brand.
Lastly, refine your portfolio. Not every interview is going to be a slam dunk, they may ask you for missing content or make constructive comments. Take it with a grain of salt and go improve your portfolio. Think of your digital portfolio as a work in progress. The best part is that you can improve on it without a website coder or an expensive price tag! It’s time to get digital!