In my previous post, I shared all about polishing off that resume to help you secure your dream job. However, if you are like me, you’ve been hearing about how to make a resume for YEARS. On the other hand, we never hear too much about portfolios. Today, I hope to change that.
Welcome to round two of Tips and Tricks with Macie! Now let’s talk about portfolios. Here are the four things that I think are the most important to keep in mind when you're creating your portfolio
RESEARCH – Sometimes job applications will specify what the employer wants to see on a portfolio. It will be to your benefit to include exactly what they're looking for. Maybe they want an online portfolio, which means you have to create a website (I highly recommend Squarespace or WordPress). If you haven’t created anything you could put in a portfolio at a job, it is perfectly acceptable to pull from your classwork or create what they are asking for. Get involved with clubs (like PRSSA – shameless plug) that will allow you to help run their social media, write, design graphics, etc. You’ll get to develop your skills in a semi-professional environment and have something tangible to showcase in your portfolio.
SPECIALTY – Communications is an incredibly broad industry, and there is need to do everything. Find your niche. Start to focus in on what you love doing. Chose work you love so much that you would do it for free. Then, do some of it for free to build that portfolio! There’s a so many different areas if communication that you can focus on: social media, PR, HR, marketing, graphic design, and the list goes on. Find what you are good at and/or what you love, go after that. Demonstrate in your portfolio to an employer that you have worked to thoroughly develop specific skills.
BRANDING – Figure out what your brand is. Your brand will represent you. Strong and consistent branding shows that you know what you want. It will set you apart from the competition. Think about how you want your target audience to perceive you. Crafting your brand practically looks like: creating a logo, choosing colors, writing and standing by your mission statement, and having a website that displaying all of these different elements.
BEST FOOT – Don’t just plaster everything you’ve ever done on a website. It would look clutter-y, and it would give off the impression that you don’t know really what you want. Put the best of the best onto your website/portfolio. Think about the projects that you’re especially proud of – that’s what you should put up.
Hopefully, these tips will better prepare you to beginning your career in this crazy, growing industry. Take a deep breath. Know you are exactly where you need to be in this moment. Learn from it. You got this.
“Go, live your dream!” – Tangled
Taken from the PRSSA website.
Written by: Macie Delnay