You want to figure out how to create your online portfolio that is going to get you noticed and be just as beautiful and as unique as you are? Your online portfolio is the place that says it all in the eye of a potential employer and there really is a fast way to creating this without having a whole lot of website skills.
Finding a job that you can work remotely is hard enough, so I think your portfolio shouldn’t be. It will, however, be the easier way for you to start applying to potential job opportunities that showcase your skills, your unique personality, and your outlook on what that possibility will do for you.
Before I get started I want to mention that when applying to any online job the employer may only accept a digital copy of your resume. For this, I advise you to place a URL to your portfolio on your resume. This gives them the chance to further look into your skillset and it also shows them that you are motivated.
The Benefits Of An Online Portfolio
Networking is a huge way for employers to seek out potential employees. I think everyone nowadays only seeks employment online. Gone are the days of the newspaper classified ads.
- Professionally Showcases Your Work
- First Impression For Employers
- Proves You Are More Than A Resume
- Boosts Your Presence & Visibility
- Shows Your Accessible
4 Free Online Portfolio Websites
To get you started, here are 4 free great choices for a beginner that will make creating your portfolio a breeze.
Behance is great for you if you seek to illustrate your designs. Designers, artists, and photographers. It is simple to use and organize your work. You can also link your portfolio to your social media accounts. They also have job listings. Need more info about Behance before you sign up? More info here.
Carbonmade is another great choice for illustrators, designers, makeup artists, and photographers. Here are some examples of what you can create on Carbonmade.
Crevado is the simplest to use for any beginner. You won’t get social media functions or any bells and whistles, but you will get a quick solution for hosting your profile in a linkable format.
Muckrack is great if you want to become a writer or you are a writer. Muckrack is a free media database that connects journalists/ writers with PR professionals. You could network and receive PR pitches.
What Is A PR Pitch?
A PR Pitch is when a publicist or public relations professional reaches out to you through email or other ways with ideas of how you and your story can benefit both parties involved. They understand the audience to which you write. For the sake of this post, I am going to stick to its foundation and tell you it is a great place to build your portfolio.
Basics You Should Include
Upon picking out what theme you want to use and maybe a logo. Create a logo free with canva and keep it simple.
Create an About Me Page. Use this page to simply introduce yourself. Tell visitors who you are, what you believe in, and maybe some of your hobbies.
Tell your story about what led you to your employment choice or hope to find it. What kind of employment you are seeking? Maybe even what inspires you. Talk about what you can do to help them, and be specific with links or photos. Talk about how you solved solutions.
Help others understand the benefits of working with you. The idea here is to keep in mind how someone else is going to read what you writing and to think about it from their perspective. They will be thinking about your experiences and how they relates to the job you are seeking.
This is also the place you want to add relevant education, courses, and certificates you may have gotten, even college classes. Add previous jobs that have some transferable experience.
Don’t forget to put a professional-looking photo of yourself on this page.
∗Bonus Tip: If you really want to step up your A-game, you can upload a video of yourself just as a quick introduction and why you are best suited for this job. Sometimes employers really like to see who you are; it’s a great way to show off your personality as well.
Include a Contact Page. This is the most obvious for allowing someone to get in touch. Most of these free Portfolio websites have contact forms or a template for you. This is if you plan on sending out your portfolio on other platforms where maybe they are searching for your skills.
If you’re looking for some great examples of what an online portfolio can look like, Collegeinfogeek.com has a great post on that.
If you’re looking for photography work or just want to eventually sell your photos, then add pages to your portfolio and then your photos to showcase that. For those, I suggest adding some words about where that photo or photos originated from and the story behind it.
If you’re a college student, check this post out for 15+ online jobs for college students without investment.
Wrapping It All Up
These tips will give you a great first foundation to start your online portfolio. Did I miss anything or anything you think you would add? All-in-all, there are a lot of other websites that can bring your work experience to life in a digital way and make it easier for you to connect to more possibilities. Did you also know you can link your portfolio to LinkedIn? You just never know where your next opportunity is gonna come from.