As a tech professional, having a portfolio is a critical advantage in today's job market. There, I've said it. Thanks for reading, see you next week.
WAIT!
Let me explain WHY...
A portfolio is a tool that allows you to showcase your technical skills, technical knowledge, and experience to potential employers and helps them understand your potential as a candidate. However, simply having a portfolio is not enough. It's crucial to make sure your portfolio is working hard for you.
A digital portfolio should be a reflection of your current/best work and an opportunity for you to demonstrate your abilities to potential employers.
Portfolio Structure
One of the key components of a successful portfolio is to include three to five quality projects that detail the brief, your approach to the problem/solution, the rationale behind the approach and the methodology in your thinking. To finish you'll need to provide an outcome or results.
The points mentioned in the paragraph above are the key elements that employers are looking for when they assess your portfolio. By including these elements, you are giving the employer a clear understanding of your thought process leading up to the results you were able to achieve.
The brief is important because it provides context for the project. It allows the employer to understand the background and objectives of the project, and how it fits into the broader picture of client needs. The rationale and approach to the problem/solution give the employer insight into how you think about and solve problems. This is particularly important for tech professionals, as problem-solving is a key part of the job. The methodology in your thinking and the outcome are important because they demonstrate the results you were able to achieve.
Choosing A Project
When choosing the projects to include in your portfolio, it's important to think about the impact each project has had on your development and demonstrate the set of skills you used to execute.
Choose projects that showcase your strengths and that work to highlight your potential. If possible, it's also a good idea to choose projects that are relevant to the type of role you are applying for. This will help the employer see how your skills and experience are a good fit for the role.
It's also important to keep your portfolio up-to-date. It's not easy! But by keeping things fresh and regularly adding new projects and updating existing ones it will keep your portfolio relevant and show that you are actively developing your skills and knowledge. This will help you stand out from other candidates who have stale and outdated portfolios...there are many of these!
Your portfolio should include context around the project and, most importantly, show your potential to future employers. Employers are not just looking for someone who can do the job; they are looking for someone who has the potential to grow and develop with their company.
Utilise The Power of Your Portfolio!
Don't let your portfolio work against you. Make sure it's working hard enough for you by including relevant, up-to-date projects that showcase your skills, knowledge, and potential. The job market is competitive, and having a strong digital portfolio will give you a competitive edge and help you stand out from other candidates. So start creating your digital portfolio today, and give yourself the best chance of success in your tech career.
To finish, a digital portfolio is an essential tool for tech professionals to showcase their skills, knowledge, and experience to potential employers. By including three to five quality projects that detail the brief, your rationale and approach to the problem/solution, the methodology in your thinking, and the outcome, you can demonstrate your potential and show why you are the right candidate for the job.
So, if you haven't already, start creating your own digital portfolio today?
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Thanks for reading.