Starting to get my portfolio in order. While talking to a buddy of mine with as much experience, but experience on the hiring end, he gave me some advice for a portfolio of a designer with 5+ years experience.
Basically, he told me that I should have as many images of final products that I can. After that, have maybe three particularly challenging projects where I go into detail. Very different from my portfolio after school and after 2 years.
Any other suggestions/comments about portfolios as a designer ages?
Seems like a solid suggestion from your friend. If the work you’ve been doing is more about realisation of products rather than conceptual, then show how many things you have successfully brought to market as possible!
I thought as you got a little older you would rely more on personal recommendations than putting the folio out there. Although now I think about it, there’s no reason to think that really haha. I’m pretty inexperienced, so I’m just trying to get my foot (back) in the door…I guess my folio would have a totally different look to yours.
epic: Networking is huge. I realize that now. 2 years out of school, I knew no one (moving to Canada didn’t help). Therefore, everything I did was a cold call and I had to work super hard to get noticed.
Today, I meet people (suppliers, people at conferences, other meetings) who pull me aside and offer me freelance work without even looking at my portfolio because they associate me with the success of the company I work for. Huge difference.
Having said that, moving forward, I still need something to prove my skills (I think).