Balance Between Content and Design of Portfolios
[Part 6 of 7 of
Career Portfolios:
Proof of Performance]
For most job-seekers, focus-group respondents agreed that content
is the most important element of portfolios -- but the design has to be
functional. For certain job-seekers, such as those in design or creative
fields, design plays a larger role.
"Content is uppermost in importance. Of course, for the portfolio to be as
effective as possible, the design must carry it. Presentation is important,
but presentation of the content needs to stand out beyond the façade of the
design," states one respondent.
"Obviously, the content has to be there," adds the university career
counselor. "If there's nothing to sell, a fantastic design won't help. But,
over-design can be a negative, too, and can make great content difficult to
find, or seem confusing."
"Just as in a strong resume, design is a critical component of any marketing
material," states the community-college coordinator-instructor. "Portfolios that
encourage interest in non art/creative industries tend to be simple and classic.
Too many pictures, flowers, and bright colors distract from the purpose. A simple,
well-organized portfolio enhances and supports the image of the person and
showcases their organizational skills."
"Poor navigation within an online portfolio is a serious hindrance and too
much 'design' may take too much time to get from one place to another within the
portfolio," states one respondent.
For the passive job-seeker, an online portfolio can be a tool to foster interest
from recruiters, but the key, says a career facilitator, executive coach, speaker,
and trainer, is using the proper keywords. The "portfolio needs to contain
keywords… the question is whether the client understands that the words
need to be changed according to the job description. We have to recognize
'words' carry different meanings for people – thus, important to match."
Navigation:
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search
terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate
publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author,
and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers,
edits QuintZine,
an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling
in the job search at A Storied
Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior
from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic
Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking
Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press),
as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with
Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your
Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide
to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit her
personal Website
or reach her by e-mail at
kathy(at)quintcareers.com.
Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers,
one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of
EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of
MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and
EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of
Quintessential Careers Press,
including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter,
QuintZine. Dr. Hansen is also a
published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often
quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is
also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years. Visit his
personal Website or
reach him by email at randall(at)quintcareers.com.
