A brief guide to what a portfolio should be and how to use it
Prepared by Antonio Owen (MFG ’05)

• A portfolio is to enhance what you have to say, it is not a substitute.  You are there to be excited and add meaning to the pictures in your portfolio.  If they can read everything you have to say, why are you there?

• Don’t feel that you have to talk about all or anything in your portfolio during an interview.  Answer the question presented to you with the best answer even though it may be about something that is not in your portfolio.

• To entice people to ask about your portfolio, one tip would be to keep your copies of your resume in the front pocket.  That way you have to open your portfolio to hand out a resume.

• Less text, more pictures and bullets; people looking at your portfolio are not professors, they do not have to read your work.  Simple, consistent and visually pleasing backgrounds are more effective then loud ones.  “If you emphasize everything, you emphasize nothing.”  Don’t be afraid to ask your friends what they think of it.

• Work on explaining the main points of a project and try to guess how it can be used to answer many different questions.

Hopefully, by keeping these things in mind you will end up with a portfolio that is both a great representation of the caliber work you do and is eye-catching enough for people to take notice and remember you.  Keep in mind that this is your time to shine; you must present the qualities that make you a good candidate for the job in a brief encounter.