Optimize your digital portfolio and conquer your job search battle

If you are seeking employment in a creative field, having a well-optimized digital portfolio is essential. Digital portfolios are a favorite among freelancers, remote workers, and independent contractors, as they allow these professionals to exhibit the full range of their skills, expertise, and capabilities. In the modern world, hiring has moved almost entirely online, making digital portfolios more common than ever.

Why is your digital portfolio important for the hiring process?

Did you know that by the year 2022, 26% of the US workforce was working remotely? While many offices have initiated hybrid work schedules, remote work is here to stay for a long time. If you want to shine among your competition as a remote worker, a stunning digital portfolio is your golden ticket. Your digital portfolio gives you a chance to display the very best of your projects, emphasizing many skills and experiences in the process. Also, a digital portfolio allows you to make a lasting impression on the recruiters.

How should you optimize your digital portfolio when you want to get hired?

Just like you tweak your resume for each job application, you should customize your digital portfolio for the occasion.

Showcase your best work

Keep in mind that less is more when you are creating a digital portfolio. Your aim must be to create the biggest impact with the least number of pieces. Provide a good range of samples so that potential employers can grasp the full extent of your skills, but don’t go overboard with it. You can categorize the entirety of your work in 7-10 categories, based on the skills that each piece emphasizes. Then, select the best piece out of each category. These will be the samples that you display on your digital portfolio.

Your personality must shine through

Your resume is a purely factual document. Your cover letter is slightly more personal, with just a splash of your personality. However, your digital portfolio must be an explosion of your individuality. You must strive to bring out your uniqueness, your special talents, and your personal brand through each page of your digital portfolio.

Include a range of material

You don’t have to stick to just still shots of your work on your digital portfolio. Customize the material you include so that you can express the full extent of your skills. If you are a performer applying for a dancing or acting role, you can incorporate a short video of your work into your digital portfolio. If you are an artist, add captions which describe the meaning behind your work to your portfolio.

Highlight the skills you have used

The primary goal of your digital portfolio is to convince potential employers that you have what it takes to be a valuable member of their team. Therefore, you should highlight the skills you have used to complete each piece of work. If you are an artist, you can talk about the molding techniques, brushstrokes, or textures you have employed to create each piece on your portfolio.