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PORTFOLIO SERIES - HOW TO PUBLISH AND MARKET YOUR ONLINE AND OFFLINE PORTFOLIO
(article 1)
by Rachel Goldstein
owner of Allfreelancework.com - 1000s of freelance jobs

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After a close examination of the Internet, I have had a hard time finding any useful information regarding putting together a portfolio. Consequently, I have decided to put together a series of articles related to creating not only a digital portfolio, but also a traditional portfolio as well. In the next few months, I will not only go over putting together your samples, but also I will relay to you how to photograph your art, make slides, digitize your art, make postcards, mailing your portfolio, placing your portfolio on CD, promoting your work and more. A portfolio is one of the single most important resources that a freelancer, especially a creative one, can have in his grasp, so please come back every week to see each issue.

Writers might call them "string books", artists might call them a "book", but in most cases, they are called "portfolios". In what kind of situations would you need to have a portfolio? If you are a creative professional, a portfolio is a MUST. However, portfolios are not only for creatives anymore. A portfolio is a collected sample of your work and there is no better way to showcase your talents. In this respect, I would say that a portfolio is for everyone in all lines of work, but especially for creatives and freelancers. A portfolio is a professional way to share projects that you are familiar with to a prospective employer. In the past, only artists and writers moved from job to job. Now, most of us only stay at a job a few years before moving on to a new position. A portfolio is a perfect way to showcase the multitude of projects you have worked on in your job experiences.

As I have said earlier, creatives must have a portfolio. After initial contact with an employer, he or she will probably insist on seeing samples of your work. Depending on the situation, the employer might want:

(1) Online Portfolio
(2) Drop-off Portfolio
(3) Portfolio Review
(4) Mailing Portfolio

All clients are different, so you should be ready for all scenarios when you are applying for a creative job. I will now summarize each scenario, and later on I will go into each option with much more detail.

(1) Online Portfolio

An online portfolio is a must these days, especially if you are preparing for an online job hunt. An online portfolio is very similar to a traditional portfolio, except with many perks. (For example, images can't get wet and damaged when they are stored in an online portfolio.)

The ease of viewing an online portfolio, in comparison to traditional methods, makes this a preferred method in most cases. Employers are always in a hurry these days, and waiting around for a mailed portfolio usually doesn't cut it anymore. So I suggest placing samples online somewhere, even if it is just through a free service.

In some cases, employers might search through potential candidates on freelance or portfolio sites. You should try to get yourself on as many online directories as you can. The more sites that you are listed on, the more likely that you will be found. At the end of this portfolio series, we will list sites that you should try to get listed on.

(2) Drop-off Portfolio

Yes, I am talking about dropping off your precious baby. Dropping off my portfolio has never been my favorite thing to do, but some companies insist on doing business this way. Additionally, some art directors will only look at books on certain days of the week and specific hours of the day. You might also have a scheduled hour that you need to pick up your portfolio.

If the art director is impressed with your portfolio, an interview might be arranged. Otherwise, you might have inserts within your portfolio with critiques of your work. Use the critiques as a learning experience. Most likely, the art director knows what he or she is talking about. You might even land a job with this company at a later time if you take advice from the hiring hand. Later on in this series I will go over with you how to set up your portfolio for drop-off.

(3) Portfolio Review

A portfolio review is essentially an interview where you present your portfolio. Unlike the "drop-off" scenario, here you will need to present not only your talents but your social skills. Make sure that you are confident of your talents and leave behind a good first impression. Take these suggestions with you:

- Rehearse First.
- Be on Time.
- Dress for the occasion.
- Shake interviewer's hand firmly with the opposite hand that you are holding your portfolio case.
- Don't sit until a chair is offered.
- Address interviewer formally.
- Look employer directly in eyes when speaking (not in a creepy way).
- Try to weed out the "ums".
- Bring all materials that are needed, such as your portfolio, extra resumes, references, business cards, pen, paper, etc.
- Pass out business cards at the end of the interview.
- Thank the interviewer.
- Stand out from other candidates and send a "Thank-you" card.

(4) Mailing Portfolio

"Ahh!! This is even worse than dropping off my portfolio!!" Don't worry, everything will be okay. You won't be mailing original artwork. Instead, you should duplicate original artwork. There are many ways to do this:

- Tearsheets
- Photostats
- C-prints
- Photocopies or Printing
- Transparencies
- Photography
- CD or Disk

I will go over all of the above later in this series.

Are you just starting out in the "real world"? Next week's topic :"How to Build Up Your Examples without Professional Experience". See you next week.

Any comments about portfolios - or do you want to share your knowledge with us? Please send questions and comments to allfreelance@comcast.net