Articles

Creating a Physical Portfolio for Interviews and Client Meetings

Portfolios are not only for artists, illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, and web designers. Others include but are not limited to:

• Writers
• Programmers and DBAs
• Career consultants
• Sales people
• Advertising and marketing professionals
• Educators
• Engineers
• World Travelers
• And more

For those using the portfolio for interviews:

In addition to your portfolio, you may wish to carry extra copies of your resume and a standard cover letter. I also have found it useful to have a spreadsheet of all of the information on your prior employment so that if you do need to fill out an application, you have the content at your fingertips and you can just copy it. This includes all reference information as well. Also consider carrying salary information from various respected sources such as Salary.com Just make it part of your portfolio.

For both interviews and prospective client meetings, remember to bring your business cards. Another idea is to create a single page brochure that can be left with the prospective client or employer. They will have something tangible to remind them of your skills.

Specific notes on creating the portfolio

• Appeal to the various senses. The more senses you access with the person viewing your portfolio, the more memorable you will be. Thus a physical portfolio is something tangible they can hold in their hands to view. So touch and vision are both covered. You will also be speaking about your work at the same time. This adds audible content. Taste and smell are the other two senses. If your portfolio lends itself to extending to these two other senses, you may wish to include them as well.
• Make sure the graphic or text is readable. No one should strain to see what you are displaying.
• Keep consistent in displaying your work. Sizes of each item should be similar with text a similar size if they are normally similarly sized in the final medium. For example a web page has standard font size for the paragraph content across all of your pages, make sure that the font size is the same size across each of your portfolio pieces.
• Decide upon an order to present your work. It can be chronological, topical, or something else that makes more sense to your work. Just makes sure that it does make sense how it is presented.
• Do not use too many pieces in your portfolio as usually there is not enough time or desire to go through everything. Pick the best pieces for the interview/ meeting. This is where having a portfolio with an open binder come in the most handy. You can pull out pieces you do not need for this particular meeting and have it ready for the next where you might need that piece.
• Do not skimp on the overall look of your portfolio. If you do not feel confident in the way the portfolio looks, it will be picked up by the interviewer/ client.
• A good suggestion from Karen Kreps of Netingenuity is to use velum to overlay notes about each portfolio item. This allows some interaction with the portfolio and helps focus your thoughts on each piece.

Materials

• Paper - Card or Index Stock 8.5" x 11" Crisp Brilliant White
• Avery Heavyweight Presentation Sheet Protectors Diamond Clear
• Nice Binder - 3 holes
  Example is made by Mead. Purchased at Office Max in Spring of 2005 for about $11.99.