So you’re thinking about getting into a career in marketing, advertising, or something similar? Great! There are a lot of awesome opportunities to launch a successful career in these areas.
If you think of yourself as a creative – someone who makes the ideas look good, sound smart, and makes sure the audience understands the product, concept, or message you are trying to convey – then you are going to need to show off your work to the hiring managers and recruiters you will meet along the way.
This is where a portfolio comes into play.
If you are unfamiliar with what a portfolio is, it is a compilation of your work that showcases the projects you’ve completed, your abilities, and is an opportunity to express your personal brand. It can include written and visual work as well as your resume and contact information for potential employers or clients. Be sure to add your portfolio link to your LinkedIn account for additional exposure.
Below are some tips for creating a portfolio as well as a few places where you can get started on making your own.
Be Interesting
This is your chance to show your brand, your personality, and the excellent work that you can do. Use the typeface that grabs your attention, make a color scheme that is appealing, develop an identity using your portfolio that is uniquely you. Entry-level positions can be quite competitive, so leaving your mark on your portfolio may leave the mark needed to get your foot in the door.
Be Accurate
Especially if you are looking for a copywriter position, make sure that you use spell check and proofread all of your work. Then do it again. Then have someone else proofread your work. There is no room for error when you are running a campaign and all of the small details matter tremendously.
Show You Are Made To Do This
A portfolio can encompass a lot of different mediums and you can use work you’ve done for other clients, class projects, or personal projects. But, be sure that you show you can do the type of work in the role you’re applying for! If you’re applying to an ad agency, make some ads to sell products. Copywriter position? Make sure you have plenty of writing similar to what you would do on the job. Ultimately, you’re promoting yourself, but you need to be able to show that you can handle the work that is most relevant to the position.
Ready to get started?
Below are some great sites to start a portfolio and begin your next step obtaining the career you want. And if you need some inspiration, check out these great examples.
