How to build your remote job portfolio and stand out online
Published
Follow these 7 tips, best practices, and real-world examples to create a job portfolio that attracts remote jobs, impresses hiring teams, and showcases your best work.
Every professional in the digital age needs an online job portfolio - and that goes double for applicants in the world of remote work.
An application portfolio offers you the best opportunity to leave an unforgettable first impression of your professional life. It also increases your clout and credibility. And it's a fantastic way to introduce yourself to people you may never meet in person.
But if you're like most job seekers, the thought of creating a top-notch resume may be too overwhelming or intimidating to tackle. That's why today we want to help you stop procrastinating and inspire you to get started.
In this guide you'll find our top tips and best practices, as well as some real-world examples to see how others in your industry are tackling this task.
But before we get to that, let's first make sure we're all on the same page.
Getting Started: Remote Job Portfolio FAQ
You can't imagine your job portfolio if you don't know what it actually is and what you can achieve with it. So let's go through these frequently asked questions so you get the basics:
What is a job portfolio or work portfolio anyway?
A work or job portfolio showcases your best professional examples, achievements and career highlights. It should give someone a comprehensive understanding of your greatest skills and abilities while showcasing your unique personality and perspective.
While physical portfolios were once the norm, today this type of tangible evidence can be found online on your website or on industry-specific portfolio pages.
Is a job portfolio the same as a personal website?
Yes and no.
The goal of a job portfolio should be to capture the interest of hiring teams. Once they see your professional accomplishments, they should feel compelled to add you to their network or invite you for an interview.
On the other hand, a personal website allows you to express yourself and share your interests outside of your professional life. It doesn't necessarily have the same focus (e.g. expanding your network, helping you find an external job, etc.).
But sometimes your personal website can turn into an incredible job portfolio. For example, writers Sam Woolfe for example. He began writing on his blog about his interests in philosophy, mental health, and travel.
When the media saw these prime examples of his work, they hired him to write features for their websites. This ultimately helped Sam build a collection of links to his work online that visitors can browse when they click on his portfolio.
Although the boundaries between the personal website and the job portfolio are blurred, it fulfills the same tasks: securing a place in his field and attracting key decision-makers to work with him.
What should a job portfolio contain?
Those: sodapdf.com
A portfolio contains specific examples of your work, so it will contain different materials depending on your industry and career path.
The most common items added to a job portfolio include:
- Article
- Videos
- Photos from advertising campaigns
- Case studies
- Code examples
- Artwork
- Market valuations
- Presentations and white papers
- Annual/quarterly reports
- Press releases
- Charts and surveys
- Lesson plans/training materials
- Workflows that improved processes/saved money/etc.
- What you are currently working on
And if you're at the beginning of your career and don't have any examples yet? No problem! You can create mockups that show what you would do if you get the chance. You can show your skills and your imagination, and that you are a self-promoter.
Do I really need a job portfolio to get a remote job?
Those : ryrob.com
Yes! A job portfolio:
Helps you stand out from your competitors . No two portfolios are the same, just like the applicants. When applying for the same jobs, a memorable online portfolio gives hiring managers insight into your skills and personality, making it easier for them to envision you on their team.
Allows you to expand your resume . Space on your resume is limited. An online portfolio expands the scope of your diverse skills and speaks to the quality of your skills. You can write about how good you are at designing websites in your cover letter, but tangible evidence shows potential employers, hiring managers, and clients that you can really do something.
Promote organic job opportunities and network connections . A keyword-rich website will take your search for a job abroad to the next level. When hiring teams look for candidates like you, they will come across your portfolio, contact you, and possibly discuss new opportunities not advertised on remote work job boards.
Now that you know why a resume will help you get hired, let's walk through the process in 7 steps.
How to build your remote jobs portfolio and stand out online
Follow these seven steps to create a portfolio that will help you land interviews and impress potential employers:
1. Choose a home for your portfolio
You have a wide range of options for where you want to make your portfolio available online.
If you work in a specific field, there are portfolio websites where you can display curated excerpts or snippets of your work:
- Muck Rack (journalists)
- Clippings.me (Copywriters, bloggers and editors)
- Behance and Dribbling (graphic designer)
- CodePen (Front-end designer and developer)
However, most people will get more benefit from a personal website.
Sites like Webflow , Squarespace , WordPress , Wix etc. each offer personal portfolio options, which are often the cheapest tier. These options allow you to show more than just a few snippets or codes. You can add pages of information to give someone a comprehensive look at your passions, interests, and skills.
2. Think about your branding and goals
Those : careeraddict.com
If it feels strange to market yourself, consider how you would describe yourself to a visitor if you were a brand. What are the three most important impressions you would give your visitors? How can these qualities or skills help a potential employer?
Sean O'Connor , a marketing strategist, created a catchy mission statement that gets attention. He then selected three bullet points under the umbrella terms of marketing and product to outline how it specifically helps with brand positioning, market research, and more.
This concise summary immediately introduces his skills and shows potential employers what's in it for them. The black and white color palette also contributes to his personal branding.
If you create a distinct color palette It reflects your personality and helps you stand out. So choose a handful of colors that work well together and don't distract from the pieces in your portfolio. Need a little inspiration? Experiment with Refrigerators , a free color scheme generator.
3. Plan your navigation
While planning navigation - Source: newyorker.com
Your online portfolio needs to be organized and presented in an aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly manner that encourages visitors to interact and engage. At a minimum, visitors will look for information on these specific pages:
About me . Here you can share your background and tell potential employers more about your passions and experiences. Fill this page with your personality, industry keywords, and all the weird things that make you special.
CV . You can copy and paste your resume here (with the most sensitive information redacted) so that visitors can see your work history and previous roles. You can also include a link to download your resume as a PDF or Google Doc.
Achievements, notable awards, and other professional perks . Do you have any accomplishments or little things that don't quite fit on your resume? Use this site as your online trophy room for honors and recognition, such as: E.g.:
- Professional certificates and licenses
- Training courses, workshops and conferences you have attended
- Organizational memberships/industry associations to which you belong
- Public service and social engagement
- Professional competitions you have participated in
Contact . Give visitors the best way to reach and engage with you by either including a form that goes directly to your email or by adding links to your professional social channels.
Work examples . This is the bread and butter of your job portfolio (and we’ll get into that next!).
While most website builders will ensure that your website is optimized for desktop and mobile devices, it's always smart to check whether these pages look good on multiple screens. You never know where a key decision maker will be when they stumble upon your site.
4. Create a visually appealing portfolio of your best work
Each work in your portfolio should give visitors the best representation of your work and show them what they can expect if they hire you.
This means you should gather all of your options, rank the patterns you are most proud of, and bring those to the forefront. Visitors have limited attention spans, so you shouldn't hide your most impressive pieces.
Try limited to a single page of thumbnails so that visitors get a bird's eye view of the best pieces of your career. If visitors need a little more context, you can describe each work in a sentence or two and then link to a separate landing page where you can add more details and images.
What if your portfolio materials don't contain a visual element? For example, if you work in network security or finance, you should choose a site Eina Onting book. This developer showcases her best work by describing her client and detailing what she did to help them:
Visitors can then follow the links to see Eina's work live.
You can experiment with both types of portfolio display to see which works best for your works. Just make sure the layout is attractive and easy to read, like these two examples.
5. Include a few pictures of yourself
Let visitors get to know the friendly face behind your great portfolio pieces by including a few photos of yourself.
An example of a personal picture - Source: get-licensed.co.uk
When potential employers see your smile, they automatically think you're friendly, good to work with, and worth recruiting for their team. And including photos of you at work or volunteering will further boost your credibility (and prove you're not a robot!).
Andrew Huang , a music producer who has created branded content for Google, Netflix, Disney, Apple and more, uses his photo shoot to show off his creative side (pictured above).
6. Provide social proof
Those : arc.dev
Unlike a review from your mom or your best friend, hiring teams sit up and take notice when they see reviews and recommendations from industry leaders.
Testimonials from customers, managers or previous employers and teachers show why working with you is different. If you have worked for big and well-known brands, you can do the same with the company logo.
Writer and journalist Kristin Wong not only her personable picture and resume, but also adds a media logo section to showcase her impressive attributes in media like Die New York Times (see image above).
7. Keep your portfolio updated
Your online job portfolio is not a one-time project, but an ongoing work. It should evolve as you progress in your career. So don't neglect it once it's online.
Schedule a time every month to update your portfolio with new works and your current work. Also check that all links work, that images are displayed, and that your contact information is up to date.
Final considerations for creating an online job portfolio
In addition to the physical process of creating a job application, some people are also hesitant because they are uncomfortable "bragging" about their accomplishments and accomplishments. But remember: if you don't do it, who will?
Potential employers and hiring managers will never know how good you really are if you don't give them the opportunity to assess your skills and past work for themselves. A great job portfolio will help you do just that.
When your masterpiece is complete, include a link to your job portfolio in your resume, cover letter, email signature, LinkedIn profile, social media channels, and anywhere else you can present yourself . Every time you apply for a remote job, your portfolio brings you one step closer to the interview stage (and a leg up on your competitors!).
