{"id":8728,"date":"2019-04-18T13:45:11","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T17:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=8728"},"modified":"2019-10-24T13:26:57","modified_gmt":"2019-10-24T17:26:57","slug":"how-to-build-a-portfolio-for-a-job-in-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/how-to-build-a-portfolio-for-a-job-in-tech","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Portfolio for a Job in Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re looking for a new role in technology; you have the skill set and you\u2019ve done the prep work, so how do you set yourself apart from the competition?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answer: Your portfolio. Job postings for technical roles will most often require a portfolio of your work. Creating this digital portfolio is both a necessary and strategic way to showcase your skills, style of work, and what you bring to the table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building a professional portfolio that\u2019s going to stand out to a hiring manager can be daunting, which is why we\u2019ve rounded up the top tips from experts in the field. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep these three things in mind if you want to build a standout portfolio for a technology role:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 1px solid #CCC; border-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"\/\/www.slideshare.net\/slideshow\/embed_code\/key\/HrNUoyYje6zflA\" width=\"595\" height=\"485\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"> <\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>1. Include a Diverse Selection of Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It can\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">be difficult to determine which work to include in your portfolio. One thing is for sure \u2013\u00a0you don\u2019t want to use every project you\u2019ve ever worked on. Your professional portfolio should be a highlight reel that not only demonstrates your best work, but shows your versatility. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the past, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/how-to-build-a-data-science-portfolio-4-dos-and-donts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we interviewed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Adam Thorsteinson, BrainStation\u2019s Lead Data Science Educator, who shared the dos and don\u2019ts of building a data science portfolio. \u201cYour portfolio should be a curated, well-rounded showcase of your best work that\u2019s capable of catching an employer\u2019s eye,\u201d he said. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jay Eckert, Founder and Creative Director of Parachute Design seconded this point when providing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/5-tips-for-building-a-standout-web-developer-portfolio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tips for building a development portfolio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cThe broader you can keep it, the more people you can appeal to. It\u2019s kind of a fine balance you want to manage between showing diversity, but not too much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, you want to be selective and highlight your best work, but your selection should be diverse enough that it demonstrates a solid understanding of the various elements of the position.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>2. Make the Portfolio Uniquely Yours<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to what content you include in your portfolio, how the portfolio is built, and presented, counts for more than you may think. For example, if you\u2019re applying for a design role, your portfolio website should have a solid user experience and a beautiful interface. That means taking the time to build a custom portfolio rather than using a template. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eduardo Tovar, Senior Experience Designer at Konrad Group, explained that using a template is not a good look for a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/5-dos-and-donts-for-building-a-design-portfolio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">design portfolio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf I\u2019m able to tell your portfolio is not a template \u2013 that it\u2019s custom \u2013\u00a0and I start to see some of your design style and it shows in your portfolio, that\u2019s a huge plus,\u201d said Tovar. \u201cBecause you don\u2019t only take the time and care and attention to work on projects that are work-related, but you also focus on your personal brand and presentation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same idea applies if you\u2019re applying for a development role \u2013 you\u2019ll want to make sure that your portfolio is displayed on a flawless site. That means no messy code. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf you want your portfolio to shine, consider breaking the boundaries of commonplace grid design by creating custom pages so it\u2019s a well-knit story from start to finish,\u201d said Eckert.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>3. Show Your Process<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most employers aren\u2019t just looking at the quality of work you produce, but at how you approach problems. Don\u2019t be afraid to frame each piece of work as a case study, providing a narrative of your thought process and the problem you were trying to solve with the project. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWrite down some of your insights \u2014 a combination of problem statements with what you\u2019ve learned. Tell how you\u2019ve created a strategy,\u201d said Tovar in our post about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/5-dos-and-donts-for-building-a-design-portfolio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">building a design portfolio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cWhat we look for is what type of a critical thinker you are. How do you approach problems? How do you strategize?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharing some background about how your projects were created will help recruiters and hiring managers make sense of your work, and say more than just a standalone piece. This is also a great opportunity to demonstrate your communication skills \u2013\u00a0an important part of excelling in a position. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA huge piece of data science in the workplace is being able to communicate,\u201d said Thorsteinson. \u201cYou could write a whole blog post around a piece of work you\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea behind sharing a portfolio is to show what you\u2019re capable of and set yourself apart. So, when building your portfolio, take the time to create something that not only reflects your work and skills, but also who you are, and what you can bring to the table.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building a portfolio can be daunting. We&#8217;ve rounded up the top tips to create a standout technical portfolio that will help you land your next tech role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[343,157,97],"tags":[782,848,88,726],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Build a Portfolio for a Job in Tech | BrainStation\u00ae Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Building a portfolio can be daunting. 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