Okay, now let’s get an inside look at what it’s like to work in an industry workplace. Most business professionals have collections of interesting pieces of art related to their industry. It does not matter what kind of artistic medium you choose; you are going to need a way to show prospective employers that you are a Rockstar before you start your new job. You can do this in a variety of ways. The best way is to showcase your best skills on a digital platform of your choice. You can showcase your skills and experience on countless digital platforms, regardless of whether you’re entering an artistic or technical career. It wouldn’t hurt, wouldn’t it? At the very least, you will get some practice doing something that will further your own skills. Who knows maybe you will learn something about yourself?
A portfolio, is that what you mean. Right?
If this is what you’re asking yourself then ding-ding you most certainly are correct.
Portfolios are collections of your best work, but they aren’t always websites. Although I have found a website offers up much freedom to design, color palette, and overall aesthetic of how you want to represent your brand and ultimately yourself. Keep these things in mind as you design your website. The previous mentioned concepts are what will set you apart from the masses.
For me and my writing aspirations I choose WordPress it certain has all the SEO tactics built in the framework it also doubles as a CRM (customer management system) You may, however, find that another digital platform is better for promoting your work, depending on your career goals.
- Instagram (Has an excellent young female demo graphic that is willing to spend money on products) ** Here is the kicker it’s primarily “Health and Beauty”
- LinkedIn (Great for business professional but, be cautious of scammers. They run this site.)
- Twitch (Excellent for Gamers)
- YouTube (Reporters- Technical workers need this most places request a “youtube reel”)
- Myspace (Lol it’s a classic now) but offers an idea of how what I am talking about.
- TikTok (Young niche- big business)
- SnapChat (For the young buck 13–18-year-old people)
- WhatsApp (For the international professional)
- Twitter (Journalist delight)
- Esty (Niches of all types)
Your work will be seen by more people with the help of the platforms mentioned above that provide built-in social media networking capabilities.
Those searching for a career as a Graphic Artist will have a different portfolio showcase than those looking to become journalist. So on and so forth. You should choose your portfolio based on your intended career path.
The expectation here is for you to demonstrate skill and experience, regardless of whether you intend to use an existing professional website or develop your portfolio showcase on an alternative digital platform the idea is to make that job recruiter fall in love with you, your personality and your work examples.
As you move closer to finding a job. Your portfolio showcase should answer the question – “What can I hire you for?” Be strategic in your display of your portfolio. If you want to be a journalist and know your interview with The E.W. Scripps company is coming up. Be sure to search The E.W. Scripps websites and know what their journalists write about. Especially on national and local levels. Varity is the spice of life.
For your portfolio you want to include the following things. Only include the pieces you are most pleased with. You want the potential employer to see just how bright you light up when in an interview. Give this interviewer something to get excited about. A reason to give you this 80K year career path. I have interviewed recruitment professionals and they have said talent comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Someone who can get me excited about my regular old boring day has been the person who I have given a shot. Just another little tip to keep in mind. It’s the little things that make the difference sometimes. The following bullet points will be a good place to start for your examples in your portfoilo.
- Project Title
- Project Role(s)
- Project Description
- Impact or Results (if any)
- Skills Showcased
- Software Used
- Equipment Used
Be sure to give enough context for your content to make sense. If you’re applying for a job, a client, or a collaboration, consider what you want to convey about your work. Considering the following components will also make sense for the platform where you display your work. What might be right for one may not be right for another social media platform.
- An individual’s branding elements.
Brand-consistent visual elements such as your personal logo are key.
- Expertise/Interest Statement.
Describe the types of services you provide or the types of projects you want to become involved in.
- A brief biography.
Please consider sharing a bit about yourself, your creative process, or your career ambitions within your selected industry. Not too much, you don’t want to seem unprofessional. If it requires a little bit more make sure it is appropriate. For example, if you are doing an interview and it is with a victim of gun violence then a tear might be warranted. Not for your brief description of oneself. Keep it joyful.
- Methods of communication.
Contact information should be available for interested parties. Connect with your audience by including a call-to-action. Give the audience a reason to spend their hard-earned money on your product or service.
- The use of hashtags and tags. SEO practices. CRM practices.
Consider using tags and hashtags to help get your work in front of people who are looking for specific content. Be clear in how you apply SEO practices. For a writer it may be in what you choose to write about. (What is trending now) People are already interested in it. How else would we know it is trending? Get organized Customer Management Systems are key to smooth running operations in the workplace. You can set times. Post content on your busy schedule.
Lastly, commit yourself to continual improvement. Do not and I repeat do not become stagnate! That is a hard impression to wash off. Also, stagnate-ness kills the inner soul and, after all what is an artist without a soul. I hope my real world experience has enlightened you on ways to land that awesome job I know you so passionately covet.
Jonathon M. Poe 