The Role of a Portfolio in Consulting Interviews

I used to get ghosted all the time, even when I thought my resume was perfect. Turns out, something else mattered more. For a long time, I assumed that if I just kept tweaking my resume and sending more applications, things would eventually work out. But the callbacks just weren’t coming, and honestly, it was frustrating watching other people land interviews while I kept getting passed over. Everything changed when I finally set up a personal portfolio website. Here’s what I noticed: 1. Instant credibility. Once I added my site to my resume, interviewers started referencing my projects by name, asking about things I’d built, and complimenting the design. Suddenly, my applications stood out from the crowd. (If you want to see mine: https://lnkd.in/gfF2bm3z) 2. Beyond the bullet points.   A portfolio lets you show your real work and personality, something a resume just can’t do. Sharing your story, your projects, and even your “in progress” ideas makes you memorable. (as well as what makes you *you*) 3. No tech skills required.   These days, there’s really no excuse not to have a portfolio. Tools like v0 or Lovable let you build a great-looking site in a day, even if you’ve never touched HTML (that is exactly what I did). 4. Game-changer in interviews.   Having a site made technical and behavioral interviews smoother. When asked about a project, I could pull it up live, show code, and even share challenges I faced, instantly making my answers more concrete. Not to mention, the interviewers had more background and more interest in my projects because my site could give them extra info and present it in a fun way. 5. “Show, don’t just tell”...in both interviews and in prep. Building a portfolio forced me to prove my skills instead of just claiming them on a resume. The same principle works for interview prep. That’s why I love Interview Prepper Quickies: they give you a chance to practice real, interview-ready skills in bite-sized, hands-on daily minigames, so when someone asks about your abilities, you can actually show, not just tell. If you’re still building your skills or don’t feel confident in the fundamentals, start with Interview Prepper to strengthen your base and get interview-ready. www.interviewprepper.co Your story is worth telling. Don’t let it get lost in the stack.

It’s a saturated job market for project managers. It’s not enough to just talk about your work. You must show it as well. In order to be more competitive in this market, savvy PMs should supplement a polished resume and LinkedIn profile with a formal, well-crafted project portfolio. It can give hiring teams visual proof of project complexity, impact, and leadership style. What to include in a PM portfolio: 📄 Project summaries: Give a high-level overview of the project and add context about goals, triple constraints, your role, etc. 📊 Visuals: Convey your projects through visuals—like graphics, charts, and workflows—to help show the big picture faster. 🎯 Outcomes: Highlight impact by including business results such as metrics, stakeholder quotes, and lessons learned. ⚖️ Special highlights: Identify project outliers that add context to project delivery such as regulatory hurdles, global teams, tech adoption, etc. Further consider these best practices: ✅ Be selective. Quality over quantity. Curate 3–5 standout projects that reflect the kind of role you want next. ✅ Be concise. Aim for 1–2 slides per project at most. Think of it as an overview not a deep dive. ✅ Be context-aware. Make sure your portfolio aligns with each job you pursue. Curate your presentation per opportunity if possible. And consider these extra tips: Tip #1: Treat this document like a pitch deck. Every slide should reinforce your value proposition. Tip #2: Have a version that you can add to your LinkedIn Featured section. Tip #3: Create your portfolio in a place like Canva where you can add visual appeal, keep master files, and customize for each opportunity. Adding this extra element to your marketing docs (i.e., resume and LinkedIn profile) can elevate your candidacy from simply qualified to distinctive and memorable. Do you include a project portfolio when you’re interviewing for Project Manager roles? ⤵️ ♻️ Share this post with any project manager in the job market.

"I didn't need a portfolio when I landed my last two jobs."  "All my past projects are under NDA." "I can share my work during the call." “It's taking too long and isn't a priority." ---> I hear it almost every day, and I get it. It’s great you could get a great role without having a portfolio in the past. But the thing is - the market has changed. And someone needs to tell this: Yes, there are still ways to get an offer without a portfolio: 1. If you personally worked with someone from the hiring team, and can get a very strong referral. 2. If you are as good as almost overqualified for the role. Now, hiring managers expect to see your work before a conversation. Without a portfolio, or with an old one, you might get overlooked. In the last 6 months, I worked with 15+ clients in the US and Europe on design openings. And believe me - I truly want to see you succeed! (yes, you got me - I get paid for it) So, I need to be honest with you. Harsh truth: 80%+ of hiring managers are now 𝗻𝗼𝘁 ready to consider candidates who can’t share their work before the call. It's no longer about waiting until the interview - it's about showing your skills to start the conversation. So, if you're running into these roadblocks, here’s what to do: ❌ All my projects are under NDA. ✅ Password-protected website pages, blurred logos, anonymized projects, or a Loom recording explaining your work in 5-10 minutes. ❌ I keep putting it off because I want everything to be perfect. ✅ You don’t need to have it perfect. It just needs to be visually clean and user-friendly. Start with a simple minimalistic design, 1 page with contact info + links to 2 cases. Use Framer to move fast. ❌ I’m still working on it. ✅ Start with your best projects. Even 2 cases in the portfolio is usually enough for a conversation starter. ❌ I can share my work during the call. ✅ I know presenting work is ideal, but hiring managers might prefer candidates who can share it upfront. At least 1 case can get things moving. ❌ I didn't need one before ✅ I understand, but the market is different now. If you’ve been looking for a new role for 1-2 months with no success, it’s time to have one! It seems the portfolio is no longer optional. A good part is - it will open so many doors for you! What other concerns do you have about the portfolio? Anyone had luck landing a job without one in the last 12 months? #uxhiring #portfolio #tips #ux #design

My team and I recently wrapped up interviews for one of the most competitive #businessintelligence positions I've ever hired: Over 300 applications and dozens of resumes for me to review spanning hundreds of pages of intriguing experience... and exactly one portfolio. One. I'm not going to lie, this absolutely astonished me in 2024. BI and #datavisualization jobs are still in incredibly high demand and talent is not keeping pace with that demand. If you're confident that you have the skills and want to be absolutely sure that your resume will float to the top of the pile, show the hiring team what you can do. Yes, this might backfire some of the time (your portfolio may help the hiring team decide against you even faster) but even this isn't necessarily a bad thing: Faster rejection means faster feedback means faster calibration of your portfolio/resume so that you can regroup and move onto new opportunities. It just wasn't mean to be! A few tips for your portfolio, though, based on the handful of portfolios I've received from interested candidates: 1. Aim for Quality, Not Quantity: Don't show me over a dozen slapped together dashboards that show me nothing of your analytical acumen, attention to detail, and overall style. Give me 3 solid examples that briefly explain the business scenario, communicate clear insights, and demonstrate at least some real technical ability (I can usually tell how comfortable you are with concepts like DAX, bookmarks, etc. within 30 seconds of looking at your portfolio). 2. Aesthetics Do Matter: The moment my team and I open your portfolio, for better or worse we will notice the presentation/design of your work before we've processed a single data visual. So keep your colors minimal, research smart design principles like Gestalt theory, and identify your #dashboard heroes on your social media platform of choice so that you're getting a steady drip of great design work from BI experts. 3. Sweat the Small Stuff: If you're planning to make a 12-piece portfolio, see Advice 1 and pare those aspirations down to 3 pieces. Then, use the additional time you just saved yourself to go much deeper with the detail and build out several robust examples. Then use more of the additional time you just saved yourself to spellcheck like you're defusing a bomb. You might get a pass on some innocent mistakes for an entry-level job but for higher-level positions, I want to know that you can build client-ready products with minimal supervision. Attention to detail is everything and, on a side note, I'm grateful to the amazing leaders I had early on in my career who helped me to develop mine by being absolutely ruthless critics. They know who they are. And if you're looking for a new BI job, good luck out there!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫? 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐈𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: A recruiter is looking at two resumes for a data analyst position. Both candidates have similar skills and experience, but one has a portfolio filled with real-world projects, detailed explanations, and tangible results. Which candidate stands out? When I was starting, I didn’t have a portfolio. I quickly realized that without it, I was missing a crucial opportunity to showcase my work. A strong portfolio isn’t just a collection of projects, it’s your story. It demonstrates how you think, solve problems, and make an impact. Here’s how to build a portfolio that truly shines: 1️⃣ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤: Focus on quality over quantity. Pick 3-5 projects that highlight your skills and have clear, measurable results. Whether it’s a model that improved decisions or a dashboard with impactful insights, each project should tell a story. 2️⃣ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭: Don’t just list what you did, tell why it mattered. What problem were you solving? What was your approach? How did your solution benefit the business or users? This context helps employers see the value you bring. 3️⃣ 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: Employers want to know how you think. Detail the steps you took, the tools you used, and any challenges you faced. Did you clean a messy dataset? Choose a specific algorithm? Showing your process sets you apart from others. 4️⃣ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐈𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞: Make sure your portfolio is easy to navigate. Use a simple layout, and clear headings, and ensure all links work. If it’s a website, make sure it’s mobile-friendly. The easier it is to explore, the more likely it is to impress. Your portfolio is more than just an add-on to your resume, it’s a reflection of your skills, creativity, and attention to detail. In a competitive job market, it could be the difference between landing an interview and being overlooked. If you don’t have a portfolio yet, start building one today. If you have one, review it, does it showcase your best work? If you need feedback or help getting started, I’m here to support you. Found this helpful? Consider re-sharing 🔁 with your network. Follow Mohammed Wasim for more tips, success stories of international students, and data opportunities in US!