Hey, friend.
It's 79F and I am angstily* crawling through my to-do list before I absolutely, definitely, completely shut it down and head to the pool for the rest of the afternoon.
One of the things I already successfully checked off my list was shipping off a quick portfolio to a potential new client.
The whole ordeal took approximately four minutes, after which I high-fived myself profusely for having a current portfolio at the ready. It was as easy as hyperlinking one sentence. Send. Bam. Done.
This is what the top of my portfolio looks like right now. Don't believe me? See for yourself.
It took a while to get to this point, though. The first time someone asked me for me a portfolio, I was horrified. Actually, the hundredth time someone asked me for a portfolio, I was horrified.
But, as it goes with so many things, it just gets easier the more you do it.
If you are a copywriter, graphic designer, UX designer, back-end developer, front-end developer, journalist, photographer, wedding planner, community organizer, illustrator, documentarian, social media marketer, content creator, SEO specialist, or one of approximately one billion other career identifiers: you need a portfolio.
Doesn't matter if you're still in the "aspiring" phase or at a totally senior level.You need a portfolio. And it has to be online.
I promise it's not as scary as it sounds. Why?
- It's never been easier to create a beautiful-looking portfolio website for literally zero dollars. When I made my first portfolio ever, I had no idea what I was doing--but I still managed to find a free drag-and-drop portfolio-building website and figure it out.
The fact that I managed to figure it out got me hired.
- There are no rules. See how my portfolio has changed from 2012 to 2015 to 2016. My work has changed too--but more importantly, my portfolio now actually has very little to do with past clients. It has a lot more to do with me.
- No, really. There are no rules. There is no portfolio police. Trust me, I've asked around. Meaning? Get creative. That's kind of the whole point.
And here's the hidden Easter Egg best advice of the entire year: you. can. make. it. up. If you want to show off your chops, go design your own ad campaign from scratch for a brand like Coca-Cola or Absolut or Target. There is literally no one out there to tell you you can't. Really.
Now then. Don't say I never told you anything good.
In the next few days, I'll be telling you more about The #entrylevelboss Academy, a game-changing two-week bootcamp that will get you out of the job search grind, and quickly hired into pretty much whatever career makes you feel most special. Until soon!
Big love,
Alexa
*Angstily. Is this a word? Should be a word, I think.