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What Your Portfolio Says About You
If you're wondering why employers quickly skim through your public profile on any freelance marketplace without really taking any keen interest in your work and experience, chances are that you're not doing something right.
This is a serious matter as it affects the number of jobs you get each month as a freelancer. Showing your work is a great way to get attention about your skill sets and experience.
As a freelancer, your portfolio says a lot about you. It showcases your experiences, skill sets, qualifications, beliefs, training, education and awards (if any). However, a lot of skilled freelancers get this pretty wrong. And sure, their freelance business suffers for it. If you want to excel in your freelance career, you will need a portfolio that tells the world about who you are and what you do.
If you're just starting out, however, you may be tempted to kick start your earning journey without doing due diligence to your portfolio. While that may work for some, the reverse may be the case for many others. Employers will see proof of your organizational, communication, and tangible career-related skills if you choose the most relevant experiences and place them in an easily understandable arrangement on your portfolio.
In this article, we have put together some important titbits that your portfolio says about you. This will help you understand why you need a portfolio in your freelance journey.
What is a Portfolio?
A portfolio is a professional collection of records that shows your interests, skills, previous work experience, qualifications, training and accomplishments (if any). Your portfolio speaks the language employers want to hear.
It gives the right insight about who you are, what you do and all other info that exemplifies your dedication to work as well as personal ethics and values. Examples of records you will find in a portfolio include awards, certifications, resumé/CV, letters of recommendation, educational qualifications, previous work samples, major skill sets and work experience.
Why Do You Need a Portfolio?
If you're a designer, content writer, video editor, software developer or digital marketer, you need not be told that employers and hiring managers want to see your finest work. Showing your work is a simple way of exemplifying your experiences and personality.
It also acts as a professional boost that backs up your accomplishments and qualifications. Either way, the importance of having a quality portfolio cannot be overemphasized. As a freelancer, you need a portfolio for the following reasons.
1. Gives You An Edge Above Competition
A quality portfolio shows your finest work and highlights your skill sets. Employers and hiring managers are super interested in seeing your work experience explained in the simplest way possible.
Grabbing the attention of hiring managers with your portfolio is the first step required for landing an interview. It helps you stay above the competition and ensures that you have an edge in cases where portfolios are not required.
2. Provides Quality Insight About Your Experience, Personality and Work Ethic
As a freelancer, you need to provide insight about your experience, personality traits and work ethic. Of course, every employer wants to work with the best talent. All hiring managers are interested in recruiting the best skilled candidate for their job opening.
Your portfolio is a great way to tell employers a little about your professional self. Remember that less is more. Showcase work experiences that are relevant to the job. Your personality and work ethic should be clearly seen from your reviews. That's the true job of your portfolio. It appraises your dedication to work and tells the employer why you're the best fit for the job in a very concise manner.
Ensure that your portfolio is easy to understand and remember. When creating a portfolio, include specifics like your previous work samples, accomplishments and qualifications. This provides a quality insight needed by employers and hiring managers to assess your work experience.
3. Acts as a Quality Boost To Your Proposal
In a world where all depends on quality and experience, a portfolio is a great way to sell your personality to employers. It acts as a quality boost for your proposal by adding value to your career and personality.
Employers want to see your best work, not just some text that tries to encourage them into hiring you. While a quality written proposal is good, you still need to show your work samples and accomplishments in order to give hiring managers a reason to hire you.
Your portfolio will show employers your strengths and provide insights about your experience.
What Does Your Portfolio Say About You?
Your portfolio says a lot about you. It highlights the important aspects of your personality that makes you the best candidate for a particular role. Here are some important things your portfolio says about you:
1. Skills and Abilities
A good portfolio showcases your skills and abilities to potential employers and encourages them to hire you. This is why creating an attention-grabbing portfolio is a necessity for anyone who wishes to grow in a given career and profession.
Whether as a freelancer or a corporate employee, having a quality portfolio that clearly spells out all your marketable abilities is a very big bonus point. It keeps you ahead of the competition and ensures that employers get the necessary insights about your professional skills. Ensure that you list out all that you are good at without mincing words.
Skills like public speaking, writing, critical thinking, leadership, time management, teamwork and the ability to take initiative are highly sought after by hiring managers. Highlighting that you are adaptable and willing to learn new skills is also a plus because employers want candidates they can trust to share their work experience with.
2. Professional Experience
Your work experience tells the employer about the exposure you've had in the past. Not just some tourism in No Man's Land, no. But a succinct outline of the previous jobs you've held in the past as they relate with the present position you're seeking for.
A lot of people may argue that there's no need to share work experience when employers want skilled workers. However, the truth remains that hiring managers are strict when it comes to finding out about your work experience. Employers use this insight to assess your level of competence and professionalism.
3. Certifications, Awards and Accomplishments
Showcasing your accomplishments helps portray your dedication to work. Some hiring managers want to know that you've been recommended at one point or the other in your career while others prefer checking your certifications to know your level of education as well as to find out if you're adaptable and teachable.
Awards are also a great way to show that you received commendable appreciation for a job well done.
4. Work Samples
Your portfolio is incomplete without a representation of your previous work samples. The major purpose for providing work samples is to show hiring managers previous samples of works you've done in the past. Ensure to include feedback, testimonials and reviews from satisfied clients you've worked with.
This shows the level of dedication and commitment you have for your work. If you've got no experience yet, try using the self-taught skills you've developed over the years.
Impact of Reviews On Your Profile and Portfolio
Testimonials about your dedication to delivering quality work is a great way to get noticed by potential employers. The impact of positive reviews on your freelance career cannot be overemphasized, so it is very important that you keep delivering quality work. Feel free to request feedback from clients upon successful completion of a job.
Although having a good portfolio is worth a million, keeping a clean sheet in your reviews is the best way to get attention. A negative review decreases your reputation and indirectly tells hiring managers that you're not the best candidate for the job.
In conclusion, your portfolio says a lot about you. When creating a portfolio, ensure to highlight your skills, experience and accomplishments. The impact of reviews and testimonials on your career cannot be overemphasized. Great reviews put you out there and help you get noticed by potential employers.
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