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Careers: Portfolio

Your librarians created a reading list gathering all the books available in the library concerning portfolios. Don't hesitate to consult it. 

Definition

A portfolio is a professional document of work and/or online space that showcases your skills, abilities and personality to a potential employer. It is a companion document to your CV and cover letter - part of your application packet. Your portfolio is there to showcase your skills in context through a collection of your strongest creative projects. 

© IML Careers Service

"A portfolio is a physical or virtual showcase of work." 

"A portfolio showcases work and takes on different forms depending on the stage a designer or illustrator has reached in their development career"

Taylor, F., Antoniou, Z. (ed.) and Clark, T. (ed.) (2012) How to create a portfolio & get hired : a guide for graphic designers and illustrators. Second edition. London, England: Laurence King Publishing.

"Portfolios are a learning process that involves you curating and showcasing your growth as a professional. It’s not just snapshots in time but a story of your developing capabilities through reflection and evaluation."

© Deaking University Libguides

A portfolio is a collection of work that you have created and compiled over a period of time.  It helps to demonstrate your skills and abilities, by making your academic and professional learning more concrete and visible. Portfolios are used to assess learning across a wide range of subjects including art, graphic design, photography, education, nursing and psychology.

© University of Sufflok Libguides

Websites and Resources

The careers services created a guide about portfolios that you can find on simplicity or by following this link.

You can find different resources and guides about creating a portfolio on the Creative Lives in Progress website, an inclusive creative careers resource. Here is a list:

  • A guide to creating your portfolio website

  • A guide to creating your PDF portfolio

  • A guide to using Instagram for your career in a healthy way

Prospect.ac.uk is another website where you can find guides and resources about portfolios. It is the UK's official graduate careers website. 

Here, you can find their "Putting together a creative portfolio" guide. 

There are so many different websites with tips about creating portfolios. Here are some: