Building an Online Portfolio: Do I have to?
by Ashley Graham-Wilcox
As the never-ending process of unpacking after our recent move continues, this morning I tackled the file cabinet, having discovered that it’s too deep to store in any of our new closets — and when was the last time I looked in there, anyway? I uncovered a truly mysterious hodge-podge of papers, from decades-old glasses prescriptions to an estimate for re-glazing the bathtub in the condo I sold 12 years ago.
Among the non-sentimental junk were a few treasures: A collection of old (let’s call them vintage) zines created by friends, envelopes full of old family photos from a photo album project I did with my Grandma shortly before she died. — Those I’ll keep (in a new, better storage place).
And then there are the folders full of old work projects from 20 years of work in law and tech firms, advertising agencies, and Episcopal organizations: Brochures and clients’ news clippings and postcards and printouts of online ad placements and SEO data from the dawn of the dot com era and grant applications… I’ve taken these physical pieces along with me through at least three moves over the last 10 years, each time thinking about how I really need to combine these relics with documentation of my digital work into an online portfolio that tells the story of my career — how I’ve contributed to a variety of communities, organizations, and industries.
I am completely daunted by the task. So, naturally — after checking TaskRabbit — I turned to Google and ChatGPT for guidance. Here’s a distillation of what they suggest:
(FYI, as the ChatGPT prompt, I wrote: “I have worked in communications and marketing for several years, often as a "jack of all trades" professional, responsible -for writing, graphic design, website design, email marketing, and SEO. How do I build a portfolio to showcase 20 years of work to future employers?”)
Define Your Goals: Clearly define the purpose of your portfolio. Is it for job hunting, freelancing, consulting, or showcasing your expertise? Include this on your About page.
Choose a Platform: I knew I’d been paying the domain registration fee for an empty Squarespace site since my last move for a reason. In addition to the traditional website builders, other recommended platforms specifically for portfolios or otherwise graphic-heavy projects are Adobe Portfolio (free with a Creative Cloud subscription), Dribbbble, and Crevado (free for up to thirty projects/images).
Create a Professional Brand: Develop a consistent visual identity for your portfolio, including a professional logo, color scheme, and typography that reflects your personal brand. This could be as simple as using a template on your platform, though you may want to consider (depending on your goals) the look of your resume, or other points of contact.
Organize Content: Categorize your work to make it easy for visitors to navigate. Examples might include writing samples, graphic design projects, website designs, email marketing campaigns, and SEO success stories. Best to organize by type of work, combining projects across jobs or clients. I would suggest doing this step before deciding your look/feel/template, so you know exactly how many types of work you will need to showcase, and therefore what functionality you’ll need (IE: If you commit to a template and then five sections later discover it doesn’t allow video embeds for your video projects, or the template only offers three font styles, and you have a project that needs more than that, based on listing contributors, results, awards, etc.)
Showcase Range: Include a diverse range of projects to demonstrate your versatility. Highlight work that spans various industries, types of content, and channels. Be specific about how a certain type of work has evolved, or what you’ve learned since completing a project (I am thinking about projects I did for major brands, but in 2008; I want to include projects at that national level, while also acknowledging how much the online space and best practices have evolved since then.)
Highlight Achievements: Accompany each project with a brief description of the goals, challenges, and your contributions. Quantify results wherever possible (e.g., increased website traffic, improved conversion rates). Mention any certifications, workshops, or training programs you've completed to stay current in your field.
Client Testimonials: If you have positive feedback from clients or colleagues, consider including testimonials to add credibility. I am looking into possible LinkedIn plugins that could pull from a LinkedIn profile to an external site and will update this entry if I find anything promising.
Keep it Updated: Regularly update your portfolio to include new projects and achievements. This shows that you are actively engaged in your profession.
Personalize Your About Me Section: Include a brief bio that communicates your passion for communications and marketing, your career journey, and what makes you unique. The goal is to tell a compelling story about your career through your portfolio. You can link to your resume or LinkedIn profile from here. And, like every communications professional knows, refer back to your goals and remember to include a compelling Call to Action.
Have you successfully built and maintained an online portfolio? What tools did you use? What are your tips, tricks, and pitfalls? How often do you update it? How often do you use/refer to it?
