Copyright and Open Educational Resources Librarian
Featured Sources
LinkedIn Learning tutorial on updating your resume and digital portfolio
- Elements of a Successful Online PortfolioA guest article by Jenifer Moline from Jacob Cass' Just Creative. It covers 4 strategies that will help anyone build their digital portfolio.
Featured Portfolios by Madison College Students
Featured Portfolios
Professional Social Media
- Create a Professional Facebook ProfileTips for setting up a professional Facebook page.
- How to Setup TwitterA guide for beginning Twitter users.
- How to Use Instagram Like a ProTips and tricks to get a professional Instagram account off the ground.
- How to Use Snapchat for BusinessDiscover ways to use Snapchat for business.
- How to Use Social Media in Your CareerGuide to the most popular social media platforms and their uses in a professional context.
Start Your Digital Portfolio
Start Your Digital Portfolio
According to a recent Association of American Colleges & Universities survey, most employers say they would find digital portfolios useful. You can use your digital portfolio to build a professional online identity and demonstrate your relevant experience. These strategies will help you get started in almost any field.
Research and pick the best platform for you
Unless your instructor specifies they want you to use a particular platform in the assignment instructions, find what works best for your skill set and audience. There are platforms that allow you to create free professional portfolios without extensive web design knowledge. You can start with a blogging platform like WordPress or Tumblr or try something like Behance, Wix, or Weebly.
"Wix vs. Weebly" from James Madison University (https://www.jmu.edu/_images/digicomm/content-pictures/resources-images/ww-comparison.pdf)
For help working with these platforms or web design, try an online tutorial from youtube.com or check out LinkedIn Learning.
Keep your layout and navigation simple
Employers are looking for portfolios that are easy to navigate and organized to tell your story.
Basics include:
- a clean and simple homepage
- an "about me" section
- your resume
- samples of your work
- contact information
Read more about what employers are looking for in a digital portfolio and find examples.
Be selective and think about organization
Only include your best and most relevant work. Develop an organizational strategy with examples that makes sense for your story and your audience. Avoid chronological schemes. Instead group your work thematically, and always put your best examples first.
Consider your audience
Keep your audience in mind throughout the process. Your portfolio should address the "why should I hire you" question, so focus on your career goals and aspirations to tell your story.
Check your work
Proofread your work carefully and get feedback from others (like a career adviser, instructor, and internship supervisors). You'll need to continually revise it and keep it up to date to ensure your experience is relevant to the job market.
Connect your online presence
Use the contact section to refer to your LinkedIn profile and other social media or Web sites (and vice versa) connected to your professional identity. Think about building a professional relationship with potential employers, consider how to best leverage resources like LinkedIn, and don't make these mistakes.
Don't wait to get started
You don't have to wait until your last semester to start building your digital portfolio. Telling your best story will take time, and besides, there are always internships and work opportunities along the way.
More help:
- Madison College Career and Employment ServicesCommitted to providing support to students and recent alumni in the life-long career development process, they provide a wide range of resources and services to help you.
- Jobs & CareersThis research guide on the subject of gaining information about careers provides links to sites that offer avenues to explore all aspects of careers that you could consider or you might be in training for. Perhaps you are wondering how your experience and skill set could bring you success in a career you have never imagined for yourself.
Use the library's Business Databases to research companies you are interested in working for:
- Business Source Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Subject Areas: Business, Finance, Economics, Marketing. Scholarly business database covering all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance, economics, financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more.
The Graphic Designer's Guide to Portfolio Design
Landing a job in graphic design or multimedia starts with the creation of a portfolio that showcases a student′s best work. With sample portfolios, interviews with leaders in graphic design and advertising industries, and step-by-step instruction for creating professional print and digital portfolios, this book helps students successfully transition from design student to design professional. Now fully updated, it is the only guide to creating job-winning print-based and digital portfolios specifically for graphic designers.
ISBN: 9781118428146
Stand Out: Design a personal brand. Build a killer portfolio. Find a great design job
The design marketplace has never been more competitive, or demanded more from emerging talent. To succeed, you must navigate the transition from learner to professional with purpose and precision. In Stand Out: Building Your Design Portfolio, Denise Anderson offers a hands-on, three-step, full-color action plan for establishing your unique brand, crafting a killer portfolio, tailoring and delivering your message, getting your perfect design job, and excelling once you're hired. In this superbly organized and beautifully designed book, Anderson distills 20+ years of experience as a graphic designer, entrepreneur, instructor, and mentor, offering you powerful insights and easy-to-use tools for successfully launching your career. Whether you're in graphic design, advertising design, interactive or web design, fashion, or any other design field, Anderson will help you identify what makes you unique, and use it powerfully differentiate yourself from everyone else. Stand Out's step-by-step approach, hands-on work exercises, and short, easy-to-absorb chapters guide you through: Clarifying your brand purpose and unique attributes Designing your brand identity, encompassing all brand touchpoints Creating an online presence that showcases you at your best Self-promoting your brand, from social media to print "leave-behinds" Optimizing your portfolio for the industry and company where you want to work Discovering what's hot in portfolio design and strategy - and what's not Understanding what employers want from you Producing your digital and/or print portfolio Choosing your mentor(s) and creating your personal advisory board Developing a personal job plan you can start executing right now Protecting your work against theft Identifying your dream job Writing and designing outstanding resumes and job-specific cover letters Interviewing and presenting your work effectively Accepting a position and negotiating salary Succeeding in your first job, and preparing for the next Stand Out brings together all the easy-to-use forms, checklists, and tools you'll need... multiple examples of great student and young professional portfolio work to show you how it's done... dozens of great tips and tricks... "in the trenches" insights from recent graduates... all you need to get where you want to go!
ISBN: 0134134087
