How to Create a Job Seeker Portfolio

These 4 versions of my resume have landed me every job as a college student and post-graduation. Here's what they are, why they matter, and how you can create yours too: Your resume is traditionally 1-2 pages as a student or recent grad (ideally 1 pg), but you can expand them in so many ways beyond a page Throughout my #earlycareer, my resume existed in 4 places. 1. My Traditional, PDF resume You're always going to need this one when submitting job applications. Here's how to improve yours now: - keep it simple and digestible so it's easy to read. Times new roman, pt 12 font, 0 colors, 1 page if your entry level. No headshots, very minimal color. - I learned in a recent Wonsulting post that recruiters read resume in a "F format" meaning that when they scan your resume, they're quickly looking at your most recent experiences and skim through your past roles. Make sure that your resume is SUPER clear about what roles you're interested in and have past experience in. - your resume is like your brag book. you need to flex more than you've ever flexed before. lead with accomplishments and results, what you did matters but you can talk about that in the interview. show off what you achieved vs explaining what your roles and responsibilities were. 2. My LinkedIn profile: I consider my LinkedIn as an extension of my traditional resume AND a form of professional blogging where I can share my story as young professional. Under your work experiences, you can add visuals (links, presentations, skills used, etc) to expand on the work you did. Yes, recruiters are 1000% looking at your Linkedin! 3. My Personal Portfolio: Your personal portfolio is truly your place to showcase all of your work experiences without any limitations to creativity or self-expression. Professional portfolios aren't only for people who are in creative fields, you can have one no matter what industry you're in! I like Adobe's portfolio site because it was easy to use and super customizable but you can use any website maker (even Canva). 4. My student profile on a Gen Z Job Board My first college job was found on WayUp. Today, I work there. Companies are using Gen Z job boards (https://lnkd.in/gGC-NV73) to find talent, I work with corporate clients who do this everyday. After uploading your resume, here's tips for your profile: - fully complete it with your experiences and what you're looking for - update it every semester (or school break) - be clear about the roles you're interested in - apply for roles within the platform, recruiters have systems that note that you applied from a job board they're working with (which is a good thing!) - attend virtual info sessions because they often hire from these events Want more of this #earlycareer content on your TL? Follow Jade Walters! #resumewriting #resumehelp #entrylevel #internships

I’ve hired designers for 14 years, sifted through ~1000s of portfolios, but never read a full case study. Shocking? Maybe. But let's be real: time is a luxury, and hiring managers don't have it in abundance. Here’s what catches their eye and could seal the deal for you. 1. Speed wins: Your portfolio needs to cut to the chase. Show high quality visuals of your work above the fold on your landing page. It shows what you’ve accomplished right off the bat. 2. Make It scan-friendly: Optimize your headers, images, and image captions. A quick scan should tell everything the reader needs to know. If your design fundamentals are solid, your portfolio will reflect that. 3. Long text blocks are your enemy. Remember, hiring managers skim a lot. Ever skimmed through a long read online? Guess what? They do the same thing on your portfolio. ==== BONUS: 3 more pro-tips to really stand out: → Avoid red flags: Clunky navigation, low-res images, or a slow-loading site? That’s a hard pass. Make everything about your portfolio high quality and easy to navigate. - Tailor-made: Adapt your portfolio for the type of work you’re trying to get. Trying to get work as a product designer? Gonna be hard if your portfolio is full of web design and logos. - Be easy to find: Make sure your LinkedIn, resume, and contact info are just a click away. Don't make them hunt for you. TL;DR: Make the hiring manager’s job easy. Don’t give them easy reasons to say “NO”.

Confession: While I've reviewed thousands of portfolios, I've never read a case study all the way through. I ALWAYS scan them. I just don't have the time to look through every detail. And I know that most other folks who are reviewing portfolios are doing the exact same thing for the same reasons. This means that your portfolio should: 1. Make it easy to scan 2. Use big, high quality visuals 3. Tell quick, concise stories 4. Most importantly, make that story easy to consume in two minutes or less If I were to build my portfolio today, here's how I would do it using these principles: 1️⃣ I'd have a top overview section that has a short blurb of what to expect/what I accomplished AND the final mockups/prototype of what I created. 2️⃣ I'd write out each case study using a word document first to make sure that my headlines told the entire story quickly and concisely. I'd use a classic story arc 1. Context/background 2. Conflict 3. Rising action 4. Climax 5. Falling action 6. Resolution The simpler version of this is the 3 Cs of storytelling: 1. Context 2. Conflict 3. Change (AKA what improved as a result of your work) 3️⃣ I'd optimize my headlines below the overview to tell the story of what I learned. Once everything was written out in a Google doc, I'd edit everything down to the essentials. I'd make sure to pull out the important learnings/quotes and make them big so reviewers could easily scan them. 4️⃣ I'd break up sections with large images to make it feel more interesting and less fatiguing. 5️⃣ I'd ask friends and family to read it and provide feedback about clarity and how much time it took them. If they can easily understand it, see my impact, and quickly go through it, then I'm on the right track. 6️⃣ I'd use LinkedIn and adplist.org to find more folks to provide feedback. Again, I'd focus their feedback on clarity and the amount of time it took for them to go through it.

Sometimes a little creativity is exactly what we need to jumpstart our remote job search. "Our portfolio matters more than our resume." This insight transformed everything for my client Mark, a designer who’d been applying to remote roles for 3 months with zero responses. The traditional approach wasn't working: ❌ Generic portfolio ❌ Spray and pray applications ❌ Standard resume submissions ❌ Waiting for responses ❌ Following up only about application status Here's the exact strategy Mark used to land his dream remote role: ✅ 1 // He studied 25 job descriptions from top companies like Shopify, Stripe, and Figma. ✅ 2 // Created targeted portfolio pieces solving real problems ✅ 3 // Built a mobile-first portfolio website optimized for busy hiring managers ✅ 4 // Connected with creative directors on LinkedIn who viewed his work ✅ 5 // Used his portfolio analytics to time his follow-up messages The results? 📈 5 new interview requests in 3 weeks and 3 offers (all full remote). But the biggest lesson? It wasn't about having the perfect portfolio. It was about having the right portfolio for the right audience. Question - What else would you have added to Mark’s job search strategy? Question 2 - On a scale of 1 to 5, how’s your current job search going? How can we help? — 📌 Want more help? Join the “Escape the Cubicle” Newsletter with weekly tips on how to… …level up your remote career, grow & monetize on LinkedIn, and work from anywhere. Scroll to the top of this post and click “Subscribe to Newsletter” to join 30,000+ subscribers. ☝🏻 I’m giving away my professional resume template to all new subscribers this week. 🙏 Here’s to us growing together, Wes #jobsearchtips #careercoach #businesscoach 🎥 @bouboudesign_

1 specific action my client and I did to earn her a new job and 180,000,000 KRW salary 🎉🤝. (𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 ⬇️) If you want a high-paying job at a top company, you need to do more than the average candidate. One of the easiest ways to stand out? ✅ Create a project portfolio ✅ This is a website or slide deck sharing a few of your biggest/best accomplishments (whatever proves you'd be a great fit for the job you're applying to!) • I've heard from hiring managers across countries & industries that this is better than a cover letter • Significantly less people send a portfolio, so you'll stand out more • Since I started making portfolios with all my clients last year, they've had a > 90% success rate getting international job offers (with many getting multiple job offers within the time we work together) 𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟭: 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 ✅ Include the company Logo and a few 'key skills' from the job description 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯/𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 ✅ Be specific! Say things that are unique to that company/role 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝟯-𝟵: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟯 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀/𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 ✅ When did this happen ✅ What was the problem/challenge ✅ What actions did you take (YOU...not 'your team') ✅ What happened as a result? 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗜𝗣𝗦: • Make a 'Master Portfolio' that is 80-90% the same for all applications. You can just customize that 10-20% before sending it to companies • In addition to including this in your application, send it via email/LI message at least one member of the hiring team to make sure someone sees it • You don't need to be a graphic designer, but it definitely helps to have a layout that looks professional  𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲? Definitely. But I'd rather spend a few extra hours making a great portfolio than a few extra months unemployed. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 Creating & sharing a standout career portfolio = one of the best ways to make that happen 🤝 Want some help making a portfolio hiring teams will love? 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 :)

I've seen 1000s of portfolios in my career - Let me share the insider secrets to crafting a killer portfolio that truly stands out: Most portfolios are forgettable, but a killer portfolio can be your golden ticket. That's how our top freelancers at Organaise stand out from the crowd. So, let me share some insights on crafting a portfolio (based on my experience working at Meta and Bank of America) that actually gets you dream gigs: 1. Quality over quantity:     → Showcase your absolute best work, not everything you've ever done.    → Pro tip: 5-7 stellar projects beat 20 mediocre ones every time. 2. Target your dream jobs:    → Your portfolio should scream the type of work you want to do.    → Example: Want editorial design gigs? Focus 80% of your portfolio on that. 3. Real projects > personal ones:    → Clients want to see how you handle real-world problems.    → If using personal projects, create hyper-realistic mockups and explain your process. 4. Presentation is everything:    → A good project + a great presentation = the WOW factor.    → Invest time in high-quality photos, mockups, and layouts.    → Fun fact: Some designers spend as much time on presentation as the actual design! 5. Show the process selectively:    → Only showcase your journey for complex, multi-stage projects.    → Otherwise, let the final product speak for itself. 6. Less text, more impact:    → No one (and I mean no one) reads those long "about me" manifestos. Let your work do the talking.    → Use concise project descriptions; aim for 2-3 sentences max. Remember, your portfolio isn't just a collection of pretty pictures. It's your story. It's how you show the world, "This is who I am, and this is the amazing stuff I can do for you." What's your #1 portfolio tip? #PortfolioTips #Freelancing #CreativeCareer

I've helped hundreds of UX professionals refine their job search strategies, stand out, and land amazing jobs. Here are the 10 most essential steps to master your Candidate Market Fit (CMF), define your Unique Value Proposition (UVP), and elevate your Personal Branding: 1. Understand Where You Shine. ⇲ Identify the intersection of your skills, experience, and what’s in demand. ⇲ Research companies and roles that align with your strengths. ⇲ Create a targeted list of industries and roles to focus your efforts. 2. Communicate What Makes You Different. ⇲ Highlight specific achievements that set you apart. ⇲ Frame your results in a way that’s relevant to the roles you’re pursuing. ⇲ Ensure this message comes through in your LinkedIn and portfolio. 3. Highlight Transferable Skills. ⇲ Break down your abilities into categories like technical, interpersonal, and strategic. ⇲ Use clear, industry-relevant language to describe them. ⇲ Tie these skills to solving business challenges. 4. Keep Your Online Presence Consistent. ⇲ Align your portfolio, resume, and LinkedIn profile with your target roles. ⇲ Share posts or articles that showcase your expertise and insights. ⇲ Make sure everything reflects your unique professional identity. 5. Tell a Story That Connects. ⇲ Create a narrative that links your career experiences into a cohesive story. ⇲ Highlight impactful moments that showcase your value. ⇲ Practice delivering this story for interviews or networking. 6. Find Opportunities That Fit. ⇲ Focus on industries or roles where your background gives you an edge. ⇲ Target niche opportunities where you can solve specific problems. ⇲ Position yourself as the ideal candidate for these challenges. 7. Show Your Results Clearly. ⇲ Use measurable outcomes to showcase your impact on projects or roles. ⇲ Include data points (qual OR quant) to make it tangible. ⇲ Demonstrate how your contributions drove success. 8. Build Genuine Connections. ⇲ Reach out to professionals in your target industries with authentic interest. ⇲ Start conversations, not just cold pitches, to create rapport. ⇲ Attend events or communities where decision-makers engage. 9. Simplify Your Portfolio and Resume. ⇲ Make your case studies concise and result-focused. ⇲ Highlight achievements relevant to your target roles. ⇲ Design your portfolio to be clean and ENJOYABLE to peruse. 10. Prepare for Interviews with Confidence. ⇲ Practice responses that tie directly to the value you bring. ⇲ Use structured methods to handle behavioral questions. ⇲ Get feedback from trusted peers or mentors to refine your approach. TIP: These are starting points to inspire you. Personalize your unique journey, and always stay authentic! ============================== ♻️ Feel free to share with anyone 💬 Hit me up with questions 🚀 Visit my profile for more advice #JobSearchTips #CareerDevelopment #InterviewTips #UXCareer #ProfessionalGrowth #PersonalBranding #JobHunting #CareerAdvice #NetworkingTips #ResumeTips

For product designers currently looking for a job, I've noticed some common mistakes through career coaching. Here are some tips that I found useful while navigating 20+ onsite interviews 🙌 1️⃣ Special Flavor - Brand yourself with unique skills that help you stand out among thousands of candidates.  - For example, growth and strategy are my superpowers. Once I decided to highlight these as my strengths, I secured almost every interview for such positions.  - Identify and showcase the best aspects of yourself! 2️⃣ Storytelling - Almost 90% of portfolios I've seen follow the same format, resembling an outline rather than a well-crafted story.  - Storytelling involves highlighting the ups and downs of your thinking process and the impact you made.  - Focus your story on【problem-solving】by emphasizing 3 key elements for each project: problem, solution and outcome. 3️⃣ Scope - Many junior designers’ portfolios lack scope. A single webpage design or a few UI pages are insufficient to land an offer or even get an interview. You need to convey a comprehensive understanding of your projects. - Your portfolio should demonstrate that you are a strong product thinker and that your designs exhibit a high level of polish and craft. 4️⃣ Depth - Similar to scope, a lack of depth is a common issue. Apply critical thinking to your projects by considering: *What is the human problem you’re solving? *How do you know it’s a real human problem (i.e., what research insights or data support this)? *Why does the business care about this? What business metrics or outcomes might the solution affect? *What was the actual outcome of this work? *Was it successful? Did you meet or exceed the business metrics? *Knowing what you know now, what might you do differently? 5️⃣ Wisely Choose Projects to Highlight - Avoid showcasing too many projects in your portfolio. Two to three highly polished projects are sufficient. - Choose projects that complement each other. For example, one project might focus on product thinking and strategy, while another highlights your visual and motion design skills. - A former boss once joked that the worst project in someone’s portfolio reflects their true capability😂, so only showcase your best work!  - Additionally, reduce the length of your portfolio, focusing on product thinking, visual design, and interaction design. During an interview, you might only have around 20 minutes to present one project, so leave room for questions. 6️⃣ Prototypes! - Static UI pages are no longer enough. Those who can showcase engaging prototype/animation skills have a much better chance of securing an interview opportunity. Hope this helps 👍 !! Best of luck in landing the job you want! #interview #career #offer #portfolio #jobsearch #interviewtips #tech #productdesigner #ux #landyourdreamjob

Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of DMs asking, “What worked for you in your job search?” For me, I believe one of the biggest differences was making my portfolio visually creative and using it as a tool to market myself and showcase my skills. And that brings me to the next question I hear often: “How did you do it? The tools are too expensive!” I was lucky that most of the work I've done over the past three years has been public domain, so sharing it wasn’t an issue. But if you’re just starting out, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on software licenses to prove you can perform the tasks of an instructional designer. - Find a Portfolio Platform That Works for You Your portfolio doesn’t need to be built on an expensive website builder. Choose a platform that’s easy for you to use and allows you to host your projects. I noticed a huge difference when I moved from a Google Doc with links to a visual website. A well-organized portfolio makes it easier for hiring managers to see your work at a glance.   - Consider Freelancing I know freelancing isn’t for everyone. Personally, I struggle with the tax withholding side of being a 1099 contractor. But it can be a great way to gain experience and earn money while you do it. Some organizations look for candidates with real-world projects under their belts, and freelancing is a great way to build that experience. Bonus points if your work is allowed to be shared in your portfolio. - Use Free Trials to Build Your Skills Many industry tools offer free trials, giving you a chance to explore features and get hands-on experience. Yes, they might be watermarked, but hiring managers care more about how you design effective learning experiences than whether you own the software. Free trials are a great way to practice and experiment. If you're considering adding trial-based work to a public portfolio, check the tool’s terms to ensure compliance. Not sure what to create? Pick a topic you enjoy. If you’re a transitioning teacher, your portfolio doesn’t have to be education-related. Think about your target industry. Passionate about retail or customer service? Create a “Handling Difficult Customer Conversations” module. Passion projects help showcase your creativity and align your portfolio with the jobs you want. A polished, professional portfolio doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Have you used any budget-friendly strategies to build yours? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you.

part 2: how i landed my current l&d role in ~ 5 months 🎊 cue taylor swift because it was time to enter my rebrand era. 🪩 ✨ i’d spent 4 years branding myself as a career coach and consultant, so it was time to pivot my personal and professional brand. you know the saying, ‘dress for the job you want, not the job you have’ — the same applies to your brand when you’re transitioning careers! your personal brand and online presence should align with the job you WANT, not what you’re currently doing. 💥 for me this meant: 1️⃣ linkedin: changing my banner, my profile statement, and my about, featured, and experience sections. 🙋🏻♀️it wasn’t about erasing or negating the fact that i had been a business owner, career coach, and consultant, but it was changing the narrative about how those *actually* related to what i wanted to do next. 🔑 by far the biggest mistake i see people make here is making their CURRENT reality (being a jobseeker, an entrepreneur, getting laid off, being a former educator, etc) their personal brand. 2️⃣ resume: creating a one-and-done resume highlighting ONLY the skills i *actually* wanted to use in my next role (and only applying to roles that aligned with my resume) 🙋🏻♀️i never once updated my resume to fit a job description, and had a ~20% apply to first interview rate. i identified 14 skills i knew would give me energy in my next role, and created a resume highlighting only those. 🔑 you don’t have to include every detail of every job on your resume. remember, your resume is not a laundry list of everything you’ve ever done. it’s a marketing document showcasing what it is you want to do next, through the lens of what you’ve done in the past. 3️⃣ portfolio: curating a collection of previous work samples that showcased the type of work i want to do next. 🙋🏻♀️ i don’t believe every l&d niche requires a portfolio, but because i had a ~4 year gap in full time employment, i knew having some additional ammo to back up my resume would work to my advantage. 🔑 similar to your resume, if you’re creating a portfolio keep it curated to exactly the type of work you want to do next. my portfolio (https://lnkd.in/gtwmEmdV) features me on a panel about the future of leaning, program strategy docs, a white paper i co-authored, and an excerpt of a leadership development session i developed and led. what you’ll notice my portfolio NOT heavy on is facilitation, elearning, asset development, etc. the goal of my personal brand was to have someone land on my linkedin, resume, and or/portfolio and have them say “wow, i want her to do that for ME.” 🎯 💡if you’re career transitioning, or have pivoted in the past, how have you rebranded yourself?