Work experience and education is great for a resume, but having a solid portfolio will help you stand out to employers. Therefore, it’s important to display all of your projects in a digital space.

Your portfolio should be a place for your personality and creativity to shine. IGNITE is here to help you land your dream job!

Here are the do’s and don’ts of creating a standout portfolio.

The Don’ts

Don’t be too flashy

Keep the layout of your online portfolio simple. Don’t choose too many bright colours and keep the fonts cohesive. You want your creative works displayed on your portfolio to stand out on their own.

Don’t hesitate to include work from all areas

If you’re a writer, but have experience in creating video projects, make sure to include that! You want to ensure the employer knows you’re well-rounded.

Providing work from a mix of industries can open up many doors.

Don’t put in projects you’re not proud of

Your portfolio is a place to show off your best work. Make sure you only showcase projects that you’re proud of. For example, if you handed in a project and didn’t get a good grade, we would recommend excluding that from your portfolio.

Now here’s what you should do!

The Do’s

Do use an online template

Coding a website is challenging and involves a lot of experience. Luckily, there are so many free templates online to create your own digital portfolio.

If you’re looking to showcase a lot of material Wix has several options for displaying multimedia content.

Do be creative

Even though we said to keep it simple, you can still be creative!

Make sure to show off your design skills by adding elements that display your personality. For example, create a portfolio page with some fun facts about yourself!

Do categorize your projects

Separate your projects by category so employees can easily navigate your website.

You don’t want your employer to be frustrated because they can’t find a project. Some examples of categories you could include are articles, videos, audio, and design. But make sure to set your categories to fit your needs.

If you require some more help, the University of Guelph-Humber and Humber College have some great support available to you through Career Services.

Creating a portfolio is a significant first step to landing your dream job, so get started on it today!

Want more help with designing your portfolio? Here are design tips students should know!

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