A portfolio is a sample folder of work, with the intention of presenting your skills. A portfolio is used when applying for jobs or schools, to track professional development, and as a tool for self-assessment of learning.

 

 

The projects you included in your portfolio should communicate something essential about you as a designer and at the same time present your expertise. Be critical of the grounds at which you decide to include your work. Everything cannot and must not be brought up at once. For example, meticulous details and vivid oil color paintings don’t necessarily both fit into the same portfolio. Begin the portfolio with your best work and end it with your second-best. This creates a good first impression, as well as a lasting impression of your skills.

 

 

The most important thing in every student’s portfolio, from freshman to master, is the general impression left. Employers scan through dozens of portfolios through the recruitment process. When everyone has nearly the same, yearly recurring schoolwork, the applicants skill to craft these works into a whole becomes important. Create a visual style for your portfolio and abide by it. 

 

Attach your name, contact information, project number or identification, and page numbers on all pages. These elements improve readability and bring rhythm and clarity to the layout. Use color sparingly. By using a white background you ensure good  looks even when printed.

 

 

Make an electronic, pdf-formatted version as well as a more traditional, printed and binded document. An electronic portfolio can be sent when applying for the job as an attachment. Bring the bound version with you to the interview. It gives a good impression and makes viewing your work easier.

 

 

The task of a portfolio is to communicate your visual skills. A CV, on the other hand, is a document in which you collect your professional history and skills in text form. Even students in visual arts don’t use gimmicks on CV’s. The content is what counts. A minimalistic, clean CV and a visually impressive portfolio contribute to each other with their contrast and show that the applicant has understood their respective functions. A CV and possible cover letter are separate documents from the application. Attach your contact details and a small list of programs you are proficient in. Upgrade your portfolio and CV regularly as your works and experience accumulate. It’s worth it to make a new cover letter for every job you apply for.

 

 

An e-portfolio is a sample of your work published on the Internet, usually on the designer's own webpage. E-portfolios are commonly used by web designers, but increasingly also by graphic designers and architects. Online portfolios are easily linked in e-mail, and opening them does not burden the recipient’s computer like attachments. It also offers more versatility in showing skills and is a free advert of the designers work.

 

 

Tuomas Siitonen, an architect and graphic designer who runs his own office in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki, was interviewed for this article.