Before transitioning my career to Talent Acquisition, I was a freelance photographer. I knew how important it was to have an online presence to show my work, but the thought of putting together a portfolio was so daunting. I wanted the look and aesthetic to be just right, but I didn’t know the first thing about coding! How was I supposed to put a website together?  

Now after years of recruiting creative talent and reviewing thousands of portfolios, I’d like to say I have a good idea of what it takes to put a strong portfolio together. I also touched base with NYC-based Creative Recruiter and Career Coach, Erica Fortgang, who dropped some nuggets of knowledge. Let’s dive in:

1. Pick a platform that you feel comfortable using. You’ll need to update your portfolio regularly. Don’t pick a platform that is so complicated you never feel like using it again. Squarespace, Wix, Adobe Format, and Webflow are good options to check out.

2. Keep your theme and layout simple. Hiring managers generally don’t have a lot of time. Make their user experience easy to help them quickly view your work and see why you’re the best fit for the project.

3. Showcase your BEST work. Don’t have too many examples but also don’t have too few. Between 5 and 12 works well, and make sure they’re from the last five years. “A lot of times people put everything they’ve ever worked on [in their portfolio] and that is also a turn-off. Sometimes your aesthetic from when you finished school is completely different than your current work and harms your chance at an opportunity more than it helps. It’s also important to have more recent work because it is more relevant,” says Fortgang. Make sure you include a brief description of the client and what their need was, too.  

4. Show how you move from concept to project completion. Include at least one case study and show process sketches, unused early versions, the problem your client had, and your thought process for how to solve it. Throw in results and client feedback if you have it, too.

5. A unique ‘About Me’ page is paramount. “I often see people say they want to ‘build and create things to help people.’ Everybody says that. We want to see who you are, why you like being creative, and how you got into this field, especially if you’ve changed career paths. What do you like to do outside of work? This can be more casual and show personality,” Fortgang says. Don’t forget to link to your LinkedIn profile and on the flipside, have a link to your portfolio and a downloadable resume on your profile, too!

6. Review, review, review. Be your own toughest critic. Proofread your copy and make edits. Double-check all of your links are still active and working. Send your portfolio to peers you trust who can assess your site and help make it the best it can be.