Web Design Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of your strongest artistic work that is presented as

professionally as possible. Web designers have to show potential employers or clients exactly what kind of work they're capable of. The portfolio is an important part of the job hunting process to market yourself to those who can benefit from your services. Yes, I think that you should customize it for the job you are applying for. If you are trying to get a design job at a specific company, then focus on showing work that relates to the type of things that the company specializes in. Do research on the company that you are interviewing with. Know what they do and who their clients are. I believe that this can help you dramatically.

When you are a recent graduate (like myself), you want to show what you are capable of, and how you can contribute at an entry level position. In the same way your resume focuses on your specific goals, qualifications and how they complement a potential employer's needs, your portfolio should showcase and tie to the same goal. Many people have multiple resumes, I think designers should consider multiple versions of their portfolio, if not, then at least different types of work, One for those who want more traditional and business type websites, then also one for those who want something more unique and extravagant. This is not something that is absolutely necessary; I just think that it would be beneficial in looking for a job. I know this can be a lot of work. My plan is to have 2 tabs under my main portfolio tab. I will have one for "traditional" websites, then also one for "unique" websites. This way I will not have to work on two different websites, but yet I have them separated for the different potential clients.

I do think that the tasks and responsibilities of a job depend on how you develop your website in a few ways. If the potential job that you are applying for is looking for someone who can create graphics along with maintaining a website, you want to make sure that you showcase your best graphics as well as websites in your portfolio. I also think that the skill sets that are necessary to execute a task or a project is important in looking for a job. For example, If an employer needs you to be able to use flash or fireworks, it is important to show them that you know how to utilize these tools. It is one thing to put on a resume, saying that you know how to use these. However if you have a website that actually shows you using these skills, it will have a much bigger impact on them, which will have a bigger increase in you getting the job.