In addition to requiring a Resume and Cover Letter, many employers request job applicants to submit examples of past work when they apply for a job. Portfolios used to be primarily seen in visual fields such as graphic design or video production; but is now common practice in many other fields. Portfolios provide potential employers with a better picture of what a candidate has done and can do for them. Resumes are good start to show a candidates qualifications but, fails to show the quality of their work, which is where a portfolio comes in. A good portfolio can make the difference between getting and not getting a job and can help a candidate stand out from the crowd. There are numerous ways of creating an online portfolio, the most important thing is that the content provides potential employers with the best possible examples of work .
How to Host A Web Portfolio:
1. Personal Website: Having one’s own web hosting provides the user with the most options for their portfolio, however it is perhaps the most costly. Hosting a portfolio ones self requires a web hosting package which costs anywhere from $3-$3,000 a month depending on the package. If one is just hosting a portfolio and/or a personal website, they won’t need a very expensive hosting package. It also requires the most amount of setup and maintenance, since the user is soley responsible for building and maintaining their site. It is a great idea to have a personal website to have a professional presence on the internet with a professional domain name such as Yourname.com and a portfolio is a great addition.
2. Portfolio sites: There are also numerous websites that specialize in creating and hosting online portfolios such as Dunked and Carbon Made. These sites are typically simpler to setup and are a great options for people without web development experience. Some portfolio sites are absolutely free, while others may have a paid premium version with more features and design choices. These offer a “turn-key” solution for people who may not be comfortable hosting and creating their own portfolio website, and requires less maintenance since the site handles any maintenance that may be needed. However, choosing to use these services does limit the user’s options when it comes to designing their portfolio and can limit what kind of content can be shared. Finally, most online portfolios don’t allow users to use their own domain name, however this can be easily remedied. Users can register a domain using their favorite registrar and then redirect it to the portfolio URL. This will make it easier for people to find the portfolio and will look more professional to the people one is giving the link.
3. LinkedIn: LinkedIn recently added the ability for users to upload examples of work to their LinkedIn profiles. This makes LinkedIn even more valuable for employers looking for potential candidates providing their experience and examples all in one place. Like the portfolio-specific sites above, LinkedIn is limited in what can be shared and is locked into adding content to the existing design of one’s LinkedIn profile. This is a great option, however, for people who already have a LinkedIn profile and want to share examples of their work.
What to Put on a Portfolio:
The type of work one would like to do dictates what kind content should be featured on a portfolio. It is easier for web developers or designers because their work is more graphical in nature and can be easily shown, the same is true to a point with programmers. However, sharing code, even snippets, is a little more difficult because it is often proprietary and cannot be publicly shared. Here are some of the most common tech jobs with examples of how to share their work.
Web Developers/Designers:
- Links to live website (If Public), also include screenshots
- Screenshots of site- focused on pages directly involved in
- Screencast video tour of site with narration describing role in position
- Testimonials from Clients/Supervisors on role in development
Programmers:
- Code Samples (Only if permission is given by owner)
- Screenshots of working program
- Video tour of working App with narration describing role in development
IT/Tech Support/Engineers:
- Pictures of projects or deployments with captions describing work
- Prezi Presentation highlighting statistics such as number of computers supported, deployed, replaced, etc
- Testimonials from clients or customer
About the Author
Mike Gdovin has been blogging about technology since 2006 on his blog, Gdovin.net. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Media from Kutztown University with a minor in Journalism, Public Relations and Business. In addition to blogging about technology, Mike is a video producer, technology consultant and social media expert.
