Creating Your Own Portfolio
Why have a personal portfolio? What are the benefits? How do I create a portfolio? What does a portfolio include? These are all very important questions, and questions that ad/pr students should know how to answer.
A portfolio is a showcase of your current and past work. This can be graphic design examples, blogs, projects, campaigns, art designs, formal papers, or anything that you have worked on that adds value to your personal brand and reputation as a professional. Most portfolios are virtual nowadays, and with the pandemic and job market in the US, this would be the ideal avenue through which to create a portfolio.
Websites like wix, weebly, and wordpress allow you to create a FREE website where you can customize your portfolio to fit your needs. Personally, I have created a portfolio on both Wix and Wordpress, and their tools are super easy to learn and use. Both platforms have drag and drop, easy implementation of whichever features you choose. Want a scrolling slideshow of your graphic design work? Wix has some great features. Want a professional looking blog? Wordpress has this feature as well.
If you wish to choose your own domain name, you will have to pay for it. For my portfolio site: www.carsonkunnen.com, I paid $40 for a years’ right to this domain name. Each website host/provider can license a personal domain name, and prices vary.
Additionally, many employers are now requiring or highly preferring candidates to have a portfolio website. Recently, I applied to an internship that required candidates to have a personal/portfolio website for hiring managers to review. This means that it is increasingly important to have a website displaying your skills.
It is important to be intentional with the design of your portfolio website. You want to make sure your website accurately reflects your personality and personal brand. This can be shown through the use of typography (font), coloring, images, page design, layout, video content, or whichever feature that shows who you are. For example, during ART 209, a graphic design class I took my junior year, we were required to create a personal logo as a part of a project. These logos that I created in class, I currently use for my portfolio website because:
I am proud of them.
They accurately reflect my personal brand.
They are good examples of my graphic design skills.
Overall, creating a portfolio website is essential for showcasing your skills, creating your presence on the web, and advocating for your personal brand. I strongly recommend that you create your own portfolio as soon as possible to get ahead of the curve and stand out in a saturated job market!
About Carson:
Carson Kunnen is a senior studying advertising and public relations with a minor in digital studies. Currently, Carson is serving as the programming director for GrandPR, working as the Team Lead at the Technology Showcase, and interning as a Media Communications Assistant for his church. Carson enjoys coffee, creating community, and coin collecting. His passions are project management, social media, graphic design, and blogging.
