How to Create a Portfolio Site That Will Get You Hired

Create a compelling personal portfolio website to enhance professional competitiveness!

Core points:

• The portfolio website is a personal marketing tool that displays skills and works in a unique and personal way to help you stand out.
• Successful portfolio websites should reflect your personality, include relevant works, letters of recommendation and work philosophy, while maintaining a professional style.
• Essential elements of the portfolio website include names and photos, brief introductions, contact information, recent works and skills lists. Creativity makes these elements more vivid.
• Regular updates and search engine optimization can improve the visibility and effectiveness of portfolio websites. Adding a resume will fully demonstrate your experience and skills.

(This article was revised and updated in 2017)

For developers, designers or writers, freelancing is a good way to make a living. But what if you need to find a new job or client? Today’s market is fierce and you need to stand out.

Having a professional LinkedIn profile is a good start, but if you really want to get people’s attention, you need to market yourself through your portfolio website. This is basically your personal LinkedIn page, just with more space to showcase your skills.

Developers, designers, and writers each have different skills and work to be displayed, but they all have one thing in common: they need to market themselves to potential clients.

In this article, I will show you some useful tips for creating portfolio websites, as well as some excellent cases.

Why do you need a portfolio website?

Having a professional LinkedIn profile is one thing, but you can use your portfolio website to really show your skills. Why? free! You can do whatever you want and leave a lasting impression. You can even win awards for it.

You want potential customers to visit your website and immediately think: "I want that too!" This is your virtual showroom where potential customers can even show it to others when they need to convince others.

Even the most professional LinkedIn profile looks the same as other profiles on the service, but your website is how you express “I am me, that’s what I can do for you”.

Need more persuasion? Well, this is the LinkedIn profile for people who have the best portfolio sites I've ever seen.

It's all about selling yourself

It sounds like a cliché, but you are your best salesman. This means you have to sell yourself without losing your personality.

As you will see in the example below, there are many ways to show yourself. You can choose to be a cartoon character, use a large number of photos, show off your technical abilities, or impress with your writing skills.

Taiming your website to your personality

It is important that you feel comfortable on your website. If you're a little shy, make your own cartoon so you don't have to use your photos online. If this describes you best, make your website wild and luxurious. Make your website your online equivalent. Give it personality while maintaining a professional style in terms of wording.

Keep relevance

Make sure your portfolio contains relevant works. Only list team work if you have made a significant contribution that can be identified to your work. Never steal other people's works. Specify what you did and how it benefits the entire process. If possible, make a screenshot to show your section.

Remove redundancy

If you only show your favorite works to craft your portfolio, that's OK. We all need to make a living, and sometimes we take on the jobs we would rather avoid to make some money. Use your portfolio to locate the type of work you prefer to do.

Add context

Let potential customers know what it feels like to work with you. When working on the spot, please include a letter of recommendation from a previous client or colleague. When working offsite only, let people know what to expect when it comes to communicating, managing deadlines, or your working hours.

Leave a good impression

Think of your portfolio website as the equivalent of submitting a job application, convince potential clients why they should hire you. Try to make the best first impression possible and the added benefit is that when it's excellent, potential customers will come back to visit your website for fun.

Oh, don't use the word "we" when you're alone...

What are the contents?

Each portfolio website must contain some basic content:

• Your name and photos
• Some information about who you are
• Your contact information
• Recent works
• Your skills

Sounds easy, right? Let's look at some examples and see how a little (or in some cases very large) creativity can make this list come alive.

Developer portfolio example

Keith Clark

This is Keith Clark's website, a CSS master of some type. Here is an example of his work using HTML and CSS3. This is exactly what is used for "recent works".

Jean Helfenstein

Meet Jean Helfenstein, a highly creative and experienced front-end developer, as his portfolio website shows.

Timothée Roussilhe

This award-winning portfolio demonstrates Tim's development skills while also providing a fun interface full of personality and humor. (There is a Don't press this! link to see what happens when you try to highlight Tim's name with the cursor!)

Kenji Saito

This creative portfolio website, produced by Kenji Saito in Tokyo, cleverly presents examples of his amazing CodePen work.

Example of designer portfolio

Robby Leonardi

I have mentioned Robby’s website above because it is indeed the best portfolio site I’ve ever seen. The design part is beautiful, but his interactive resume is simply a work of art. Robby is both a design expert and a coding expert, and his website won’t let anyone question his skills.

Heraldur Thorliefsson

Haraldur works for a design agency that works closely with Google. While his homepage may not seem that impressive, his project description is certainly impressive. Here he shows the details of the project and more importantly his role in the project.

Adham Dannaway

Adham, both a designer and a programmer, found a perfect way to present his work directly on the homepage. He also found a great way to use one of his interests (the Jedi) to evaluate his skills. He also produced a very good overview of recent works.

Example of writer's portfolio

Kristi Hines

Although Kristi's website may not be as dazzling as those of those above, it is the perfect site for her writer. She shows exactly what you can hire her to do, and her website makes you feel like she is a trusted writer who knows how to deliver high-quality works.

Sally Bacchetta

It’s great to see how writers express themselves in words, because that’s exactly why you hire them. Instead of placing pictures everywhere, Sally makes sure everything she does is properly described. And she uses two magical little words that make you feel the quality immediately: award-winning.

Aubre Andrus

Aubre is a versatile writer with a very personalized website. She made it clear what she liked to write and had an active social media account to support her claim.

Carolyn Wood

Carolyn Wood’s Pixelingo portfolio of writing and editing is primarily text-based, which makes sense if you try to market writing and editing skills. Her website clearly, concisely, and directly explains the services she provides and why potential clients may want to work with her. The website also conveys a strong personality and uniqueness.

Joy Castiglione

Sometimes, especially if you have a strong portfolio, you have to let the work itself speak. That’s what Joy Castiglione did, showing her meticulous artistic skills in illustrations, 3D and photography. Joy uses large thumbnails in a grid that spans the entire screen to maximize visibility of the work, with little to imagine. As for the UI, Joy provides simple navigation on a simple black background, and although I noticed she is using the stylish .design domain, it's really cool!

Conclusion

Different skill types allow you to present your work in different ways, which is certainly true. I hope these examples inspire you to make the most of your own portfolio website. The sky is the limit (yes, let's add another cliché). The competition is intense, but the portfolio website is a great project you can work on in your spare time. Just make sure to create amazing factors (the last cliché, I promise) and you're successful.

---

Want to learn more about online work and freelancing? Please check the following link:

• Book: "On-inside and Outside Online Marketing"
• Book: "The Principles of Successful Freelancer"
• Book: "Web Design Business Toolkit"
• Course: "Building a Successful Web Design Business"
• Book: "Web Designer Roadmap"
• Course: "Project Management for Freelancers"

View SitePoint Premium for more books, courses and free screen recordings.

---

Frequently Asked Questions about Creating a Portfolio Website

What are the key elements of a web developer portfolio website?

Web developers' portfolio websites should contain some key elements to make them stand out. First, it should have a clear and concise introduction to who you are, what you do, and your area of ​​expertise. Second, it should showcase your best work. This can be a screenshot, a link to an active website, or a case study detailing the project and your role in the project. Third, it should contain a list of technical skills you have. Finally, don't forget to include contact information so that potential employers can easily contact you.

How to make my portfolio website more attractive?

To make your portfolio website more attractive, consider adding interactive elements such as animation or hover effects. You can also include a blog where you share your thoughts on industry trends or explain the process behind the project. Including a letter of recommendation from a previous client or employer can also add credibility to your website.

What platform should I use to create my portfolio website?

You can use multiple platforms to create your portfolio website. Adobe Portfolio and Wix are popular choices because they have a user-friendly interface and customizable templates. If you have coding skills, you may prefer to build your website from scratch to showcase your abilities.

How to optimize my portfolio website to suit search engines?

To optimize your portfolio website to suit search engines, make sure to include relevant keywords in your content and meta tags. Also, make sure your website is mobile-friendly, as this is a factor that search engines consider when ranking websites.

How often should I update my portfolio website?

It is recommended to update your portfolio website regularly, ideally when you complete a new project. This shows potential employers that you are active in your field and constantly improve your skills.

Should I include all my projects in my portfolio website?

While it may be tempting to include all items, it is best to focus on quality rather than quantity. Choose the project that best demonstrates your skills and abilities and explain each project in detail.

How to make my portfolio website stand out from the competition?

To make your portfolio website stand out, focus on creating unique and memorable designs. Also, make sure your content is well written and engaging. Including video introductions or behind-the-scenes workflows can also make your website more fun.

Should I include my resume on my portfolio website?

Including a resume on your portfolio website may be helpful as it provides a comprehensive overview of your experience and skills for potential employers. However, make sure it is up to date and matches the information on your website.

Can I use the templates of the portfolio website?

Yes, using templates can save you time and ensure your website has a professional look. However, make sure to customize it to reflect your personal brand and style.

What should I do if I don't have any items to show?

If you're just starting out and don't have any projects to show, consider creating some personal projects or providing your skills to nonprofits. You can also include any relevant courses or certifications that you have completed.

The above is the detailed content of How to Create a Portfolio Site That Will Get You Hired. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!