What to include in your UX Portfolio
So you’ve been working on improving your skills, completing a few projects, and are now ready to apply for a full-time position. However, every job advertisement states that you must submit a portfolio; you have your high-fidelity designs ready and are unsure what more is required. This article will outline everything you’ll need in your portfolio when looking for jobs.
Projects you’ve worked on
The Interaction Design Foundation recommends having three to four projects in your portfolio. Your portfolio should demonstrate that you have the necessary skills and experience for the position you’re applying for. Keep in mind that most recruiters will be looking through a large number of portfolios, so keep your work brief. Make sure you only show work that is yours and about which you may be questioned.
Make sure to include your best work to make a positive first impression, and even start with your best work to spark your recruiter’s attention.
To improve your chances, make sure your portfolio includes some work that is relevant to the position you’re seeking for, as well as a variety of projects that demonstrate your various skills.
Tell your story
Hiring managers want to get to know the people with whom they’ll be working. They want to know what makes you special, what talents you have that will be valuable for a specific position, and what your goals, hobbies, and passions are in relation to that employment.
Educational background
Your educational background might demonstrate the information you’ve gained in this sector or what kind of background you have. Include details about your educational background as well as any skills you have. Include any relevant certificates you’ve acquired from reputable institutions, as well as a link to allow others to verify them.
PS: While many hiring managers do not place an emphasis on whether or not you have a degree in that industry, it is still a good idea to include it if you do.
Work history
Include any relevant or key responsibilities you’ve held in the past that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. But what if you have a job that has nothing to do with the one you’re applying for? Use that employment to demonstrate related experience, such as leadership, team coordination, or time management. Make a point of highlighting any significant accomplishments you have made. You may also provide a link to your resume in your portfolio so that others can look at it in detail or download it.
Contact Information
You must add contact information so that people can contact you after browsing your portfolio. This might be your email, a link to your Behance or Dribbble portfolio (where people can see your other work), or a social network profile ( as you probably know most techies prefer twitter and LinkedIn)
Other work relating to your role
Other work you’ve done that’s relevant to the role. Do you have a blog where you write articles about user experience? Include that as well in your portfolio. Do you manage a designer community? If so, mention that as well. Do you participate in open source projects? You guessed it, it also includes that. Having extracurricular activities related to your career demonstrates that you are a true design enthusiast. Also you never just never who’s looking, make sure they see all your great stuff.
Final tips to make your portfolio stand out
Instead of a pdf document, create an online portfolio. You can include live prototypes of your ideas in your online portfolios, as well as links to your other social media pages or blogs. A link to a specific website is also easier to share than a whole document.
Keep it short and clean — make sure your portfolio contains only the most important information and is simple to explore. After all, you’re a designer, and it’ll be judged as a piece of your work. Make sure it accurately represents you.
So, where and how can I start building my portfolio?
Read my article on How to Create an Online UX Design Portfolio with no code. I’ve put up a list of five tools that will help you get your online portfolio up and running quickly.
