Where's the Best Place to Put Your Professional Portfolio Online?

An online professional portfolio is a great way to showcase your past experience and accomplishments. This article answers your questions about how to make a portfolio for job hunting, where to put your portfolio, and why a portfolio important.

Creating and curating an impressive portfolio can help you gain more exposure and opportunities, and give you confidence in sharing samples of your work.

What is a Professional Portfolio?

A professional portfolio is a collection of documents, including samples and evidence, that showcases your skills, experience, and accomplishments. It is a way to demonstrate your value to potential employers. It is not the resume, but includes it and provides documentary support to your resume or CV.

It should contain written and visual overviews of significant projects or areas of work that you have managed, contributed to, or participated in. The documents should be carefully curated, meaning only choose those that give potential employers an insight into your skills, capabilities, and the impact of your work.

Why Is a Portfolio Important?

Creating an online professional portfolio is a great way to promote yourself and your accomplishments. It allows potential employers to quickly and conveniently see what you have to offer. It can also help you network and connect with other professionals in your field. Additionally, it can serve as a reference for your skills, which can be invaluable when applying for jobs or opportunities.

If you are a creative professional, it should showcase the quality of your work, the nature of your art style, and so on.

What Should Be Included in an Online Professional Portfolio?

Resume

In your portfolio, include your carefully crafted resume that catches the eye of potential employers and markets your abilities and achievements to good purpose. Include your education and training, work experience, job duties and responsibilities, achievements at work and other professional or civic activities (Ex., “helped fundraise P100,00 for a charity beneficiary”), and certifications and awards. 

Make sure that your resume is free of spelling and grammar errors, and is attractively formatted. Minimize visual clutter. Go for a simple and professional design in neutral or subdued colors.

Also read: What Information Should You Leave Off In Your Resume? 15 to Remove

Professional headshot

There are pros and cons to including your photograph on your resume. If you decide to use a photo, have a professional headshot taken to give potential employers a good first impression. This is especially important if you are applying for a role that is client-facing or includes public speaking or presenting. 

Professional references 

Include the contact information of at least three professional references who can vouch for your work experience. These can be former professors, employers or supervisors, or colleagues.

Work samples

If you are a writer, web developer, graphic designer, or other creative professional, you should include samples or links to your work. This will give potential employers a better idea of your skills, style, and experience.

Testimonials and reviews

Include any positive reviews or testimonials from past employers or clients. This will show potential employers that you are a reliable worker.

Awards and certificates

Add any photos or scans of awards and certificates that you have received. This gives employers a good idea of the quality and worth of your achievements.

Press mentions

If you and your work have been mentioned in news articles, here’s the chance to showcase them. Include scans of printed materials, and links to the items if they are online. 

A blog or social media account 

If you have a blog or social media account that showcases your work, include a link to it in your online portfolio. This will show potential employers that you have the ability to think critically, express yourself, and engage with others. Make sure that the blog or account contains purely professional content. 

Where Is the Best Place to Share Your Online Professional Portfolio?

Where to put your portfolio? This is a question that jobseekers often ask. Here’s a quick guide.

Personal professional website

A website dedicated to showcasing your skills is a valuable tool for job searching and networking. 

Portfolio websites are specifically designed to show off your work. They typically include templates for creating a professional-looking portfolio, and you can customize the look and feel of your page. You have complete control over this space. Make sure, though, that your private details are hidden and that the customizations you do are tasteful and minimal.

Popular portfolio websites include Portfoliobox, DeviantArt, Wix, and Carbonmade. Other popular options include general-purpose portfolio sites like Behance and Coroflot.

Behance and DeviantArt are popular with creatives such as graphic designers and art directors. DeviantArt is more suited for those looking to build their networks because of its extensive community. Behance may be the choice for those who extensively use Adobe products. It ties in with your Adobe account and you can also message the other artists with profiles there.

Personal blogs 

These are a great way to showcase your writing and images and keep your portfolio up to date. Popular blogging platforms include Blogger, WordPress, and Tumblr.

WordPress is a popular choice, as it offers full control over content and design, as well as a powerful suite of plugins and a wide selection of templates.

As with a professional website, keep your design choices understated, clean, and crisp.

Social media sites 

Social media sites can also be used to share your portfolio. These allow you to easily connect with potential employers, showcase your work, and get feedback on your portfolio. 

Make sure to set up a professional account that is different from your personal account. For the name, use your professional name to make it easy for potential employers to search for you. Use your professional headshot if including your photograph.

How to Make A Portfolio For Job Seeking

Now it’s time to get started creating a comprehensive and impressive online professional portfolio. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make a portfolio.

Choose the right online platform

The first step is deciding which platform you’re going to use. Your choice will largely depend on the nature of the work you’re sharing and what kind of capabilities you need. 

Gather the necessary tools

Once you’ve chosen the platform for your portfolio, gather your content and tools in order to create and manage it. This includes images, documents, and other relevant pieces of your work, as well as any tools you might need to design and develop your portfolio, such as web hosting, HTML and CSS skills, and a visual editor.

Craft your story

When your content is ready, it’s time to start crafting your story. This includes adding titles and descriptions for each of your portfolio items, writing a bio, and selecting the right keywords to make your portfolio discoverable. Include any awards and recognitions you’ve received,  presentations and lectures you’ve been a part of, and any press or media exposure you’ve had.

Also read: This sample resume format for fresh graduates can help you land interviews

Select the right visuals

It’s important to choose visuals that effectively highlight your work and make it stand out. Use high-quality images, videos, and other types of media. Consider how to effectively layout and format your portfolio items, as this can have a big impact on how viewers perceive your work.

Promote your portfolio

The final step is to spread the word about your portfolio so that the right people can find it. This means promoting it on popular social media sites, in forums and communities related to your work, as well as on your professional social media accounts.

Use Your Professional Portfolio to Find Your Dream Job

Once you’ve created and shared your professional portfolio online, start crafting your resume now and search for opportunities that will help set you on the career path to fulfillment and success. 

Use our resume templates to help you get your dream job!

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