How To Make A Professional Portfolio

By Jailyn Ragland
Spectrum Staff Writer

     Whether you are preparing to start college or preparing to graduate from college, making a great impression on admissions counselors, professors, coaches, peers, employers, clients, etc., is something that we all want to do. What better way to do so than to make a portfolio?
     Some may think that portfolios are only for art students, but this is not the case. Other majors like communications, business, marketing, sports and more can benefit from a strong, eye-catching and highly organized portfolio. 
     When creating a professional portfolio, it is important that it not only showcases your skill set, but presents it in an organized and readable manner. Be sure to use precise language, engaging color schemes and unobtrusive backgrounds that don’t overpower your work.
     Not all portfolios are made the same, so here are some examples the different types of portfolios:
     Art/Design
     If you are a current or aspiring art student, you have the option of making a physical or a digital portfolio. Lavender Towne on YouTube gives a great demonstration of how to build your own website to showcase your art in this video below: https://youtu.be/-IKbfz5kBuo
     Maryland Institute College of Art also goes in-depth with tips and things that they are looking for in a portfolio. These things not only apply to potential and current MICA students, but they also apply to potential and current art students at any college or university. Check out this video for more tips: https://youtu.be/EukWywAx65A
     Business/Marketing
     If you are business student, you may know that your form of portfolio would be a business plan. Gillian Perkins on YouTube gives great tips on how to build successful business plans here: https://youtu.be/ZEMbKzy7FD8
     Communications
     Whether your focus is on print journalism, broadcast journalism, podcasting, digital media or social media, you will benefit from having a well-organized portfolio.
     Dr. Otis Thomas, communications professor and director of BSU-TV and WBSU Radio shared that when making your radio air check, it is a good idea to record your entire show, edit your best bites, collapse it into a 1.5-minute soundbite for the best results. Cloud Radio also shows you how to put together an air check:https://www.cloudrad.io/air-check
     If you’re focus is on television, YouTube or podcasting, then your version of a portfolio is a demo reel. Sports TV Jobs breaks down what a demo reel is and gives tips on the dos and don’ts to consider when making your demo reel. Read this article to learn how: https://www.sportstvjobs.com/fa-how-to-make-an-on-camera-demo-reel-2/
     Print journalism students’ portfolios may be a compilation of articles in student-produced print or digital newspapers or magazines such as Bowie State University’s The Spectrum news site and FLOW magazine. Share the links to prospective internship coordinators or hiring managers in your cover letter.
     Sports
     Portfolios for athletes are similar to those of broadcast students in that they are clips of your highlights, compiled into one video. These portfolios are called highlight reels. Matt Sheldon on his YouTube channel Become Elite shares a video of small changes that he made to his high school highlight reel and touched on the reasons why his small improvements made a big difference in the quality of his highlight reel: https://youtu.be/q6TEDn4VAwM
     No matter your career path, having a portfolio that is neat and well-structured will stand out, and help to make a great impression on anyone who sees it.