Matthew Warzel Featured in Another Forage Article!

The online portfolio is just one part of your application, and one you shouldn’t rely on solely to get you the job — especially because it’s not guaranteed that a hiring manager will look at it.

“Some do, and some do not,” Warzel says. “The nature of staffing in general is that there are tons of personalities involved in hiring, each with a method of discovering or vetting a candidate in his or her own way. Some will want to see as much as they can before diving further into the interview process. Some just want a resume or LinkedIn URL to view.”

Make Your Skills Visible

Like adding keywords to your LinkedIn profile, creating an online portfolio may help recruiters find and learn more about you.

“It can boost your online visibility during searches,” Warzel says. “Plus, you can include the portfolio’s URL on all of your job-hunting collateral as a quasi-business card or extended ‘digital’ resume.”

Choose Carefully

This is arguably the most challenging part of creating your portfolio. Start small and opt for your best pieces rather than breadth. Every piece should add value and showcase a different skill you’ve acquired.

“Take your time,” Warzel warns. “Be strategic and understand what message you are sending when creating the content. Do not just throw items in that do not sell your abilities for a certain role you are targeting.”

Online Portfolios: The Bottom Line

Online portfolios are a great way to add value to your job applications by showcasing your work — especially if you don’t have much (or any) real work experience.

“If it’s cost-friendly, use an online portfolio to your advantage,” Warzel says. “More likely than not, you will be the sole applicant using one as part of your application. It can’t hurt unless you build a sloppy portfolio. Make sure it’s sound and effective toward your brand marketability.”