Importance and ways of building an impressive portfolio

Importance and ways of building an impressive portfolio

A job-seeker carries a resume and experience letter while going to an interview as these are the representatives of his professional experience. On the other hand, a freelancer carries a portfolio while meeting a client for acquiring a freelance project. As a self-employed individual, the latter needs to showcase his past experiences thoroughly. A freelancer doesn’t need to show the essentials which a permanent job-seeker does. All that matters is how many projects he has done and how. And, this is only represented through a portfolio which is why it plays a vital role for a freelancer.

The employer wants to know and see what a freelancer has worked on previously and if he is capable of handling the job they have to offer. A portfolio helps the employer judge the capabilities of a freelancer and coming to a conclusion whether to hire him/her.
But, while you go on to make a portfolio or try to update the existing into a more impressive one, there are a few points you should consider.

Emphasise projects of your expertise

A portfolio should have all the projects a freelancer may have worked on, but one must put more emphasis on the projects where his expertise have been used best. If there are a few projects which you really enjoyed working on or you performed very well in them, elaborate on such projects thoroughly. This way, the client will know what things you are good at and where your expertise lie.

Elaborate comprehensively

Suppose, you are a graphic designer and you have created several great visuals, don’t just paste them into your portfolio. Give a detailed description including details such as the sole purpose of it, what it expresses and the challenges you went through while creating it. Doing so gives the employer a better judgment of your skills and capabilities. This is applicable to every freelancer, regardless of the skills he possesses.

Include small projects too

Many freelancers don’t feel the need to include small projects in their portfolio or the ones they weren’t paid for. It shouldn’t be forgotten that no matter how big or small the projects were, you had put efforts in it. That makes it worthy enough to be included in the portfolio. You never know, which work impresses the employer and gets you a freelance job.

Add previous client feedbacks and testimonials

This has the greatest impact on your potential clients. If they hear about your work skills from your previous clients via testimonials and feedbacks, they have a better idea about you and your work. List down every positive feedback and testimonial in your portfolio.

Have a personal website

A personal website makes it easier for the client to scrutinize the jobs done by the freelancer previously. Also, the freelancer has to just add a link to the personal website which is convenient. Showcasing your skills and achievements digitally is way more impactful than doing so offline.

Leave a Comment