As college students, we need to constantly be working on developing our experience to get a job after graduation. Most develop online portfolios using different websites, so here are a few tips on how to develop a portfolio that will make your recruiter look twice before making a decision.
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Most portfolios are created using Wix, WordPress, Weebly, Squarespace, or Adobe Portfolio. These all have their own pros and cons, so it is not a matter of which one is the best one, it is what works for you. Do you want design flexibility, a clean–cut look, or the most user–friendly option? Since creating a website on these sites can be free, try creating one on different platforms and then decide where you’d like it to grow your portfolio!
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Once you have selected your starting website, reflect on your brand. What would you like employers to think about you once they see your homepage? What message would you like to give? If you are uncertain what your brand is, try to describe yourself in three words. Which of those words would you pitch to an employer to get your dream job?
Try making sure your home page is simple. Do not display all of your work on the first page unless you are certain it is visually appealing. The least an employer wants is to click into a non-navigational website. Try giving your website to friends or family members so they can navigate through your “Work” pages or your “About Me” pages, without any trouble.
Feedback is crucial to improving any work, so do not feel shy!
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Visuals are the other most important aspect of your portfolio! A portrait of you, the logo of the companies that you have worked for, or even school organizations would give your portfolio the credibility it needs while making it much more appealing to the viewer. No one would want to go through blocks of text to find out what is important or not, so diversify.
Make sure your works have title pages and captions of different sizes. The idea is to make your portfolio easy to skim, even though you want them to read. The less effort it requires to navigate and understand your portfolio, the better it reflects on you and your organizational skills. Remember, when creating your online portfolio, focus on “simplicity, sharpness, and sights.”