Freelancer! How to Build a Stunning Professional Portfolio?

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Professional portfolios are a way to highlight your innovative projects. They help recruiters to see what you can do by showcasing the projects you've developed. It's a vital part of the job hunt to build a professional career portfolio.

Don't miss your lifetime career chance because your portfolio doesn't represent you correctly. Here are the best tips to build a stunning professional portfolio.

What is a professional portfolio?

A career portfolio is a way to show a detailed list of your professional performance to future clients. Portfolios are commonly considered during the recruiting process for positions in the design, fashion, marketing, and technology sectors. Some of the occupations that could want a portfolio include:

Many of these roles have a kind of creative factor. If you apply for one of these positions, companies may ask about your portfolio. It's the main aspect that helps them see what you would build to see if you'll add value.

It is your responsibility as a job seeker or as a creative professional to develop your unique portfolio. It will boost your online presence and make you shine in the market for job hunting. Build yours right now before being asked.

You can include in your portfolio: Samples of your previous accomplishments, copies of your work, recommendation letters, best samples of your work, testimonials, and feedback. The table of contents should be valuable.

Your portfolio could be in a physical portfolio or digital portfolio on any online portfolio platform.

Also, students with relatively no job experience should start building up their portfolios. This can involve student assignments, school and university projects, seminars, event attendance, illustrations, or articles in newspapers.

Building a competitive portfolio takes too much time and effort, but it is essential to be successful.

Below you'll find tips that will help you build A professional portfolio:

Select The Right Platform

Typical choices are blogs, pages, or portfolio websites. A blog is an excellent way to help you showcase your portfolio and identify yourself as an expert in your field. A website is a perfect way to highlight your work and the willingness to improve. A portfolio platform is uniquely designed to promote your projects.

Select A Catchy Domain Name

 Suppose you decide to have a portfolio website. You will need to purchase a domain. Our domain is drjobs.ae. Select a catchy name that simply demonstrates who you are and what is your field of specialty.  

Add "Social Sharing" Buttons

 Make it easy for anyone browsing your profile to share your portfolio everywhere on social media platforms. It's a powerful way to maintain your personal branding.

Add A Creative "About Me" Section

Craft a well-organized, creative summary about your career development. Demonstrate your educational background, work experience, and quantify your achievements. Showcase your skills and talents in 4 to 5 lines that compel prospective employers to contact you.

SEO Your Portfolio

 You have to understand how to make your portfolio rank higher in Google search results as it is an essential part of strengthening your digital presence. This is what technical professionals called SEO. Search engine optimization will help potential employers and hiring managers to find your portfolio on the first search results page, which adds to your authority.

Don't Be Jack of All Trades

 As part of your online presence, you should be professional in many skills like marketing, branding, accounting, and maybe design. However, you should focus only on one skill that you are an expert on it.

For example, if you are a content writer, focus on blog writings, articles, and other writing types you are specialized in. Add links to your writing samples. In terms of SEO, this helps in getting higher ranks and more traffic.

Highlight Your Accomplishments

Include anything that shows that you can add more to the company you're planning to join. These accomplishments can be videos, articles, photos, or copies of your most viewed works. This emphasizes your exceptional skills and experience.

Keep It Very Simple

 While creating your portfolio, keep in mind the term "KISS" or "Keep it Simple Silly." Don't be showy or exaggerate your skills and experience. Keep t well organized and visually appealing.

Add Call to Action Button

 Since your portfolio is a way to sell yourself, you should add a call to action, which is "Hire me" in this case. Try to make it easy for the potential employer to reach you and hire you, whether as a full-time employee or a freelancer.

Every professional understand the importance of having a catchy portfolio, so spend more time tailoring a portfolio that attracts your target employer and demonstrates your talents and skills. Publish its URL on all platforms, and you can add it to your email signature, resume, and business card. Ensure updating your portfolio so that you could showcase your work perfectly.

What to add to your portfolio when you've nothing to add?

Build a portfolio by working for free, checking your hard desk; you may find any previous samples you forgot. Register on freelance websites and start working with little lower prices so that you could build a portfolio and receive reviews on the platforms to gain project owners' trust. Whether you've physical copies or creating an online portfolio, it will add value and authority to your job applications, resume, and cover letter. 

Do you have any other tips that may help others to create a professional portfolio? Please share with us in the comments box below.

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