5 tips on presenting your portfolio

After reading this great article by Lee Newham, via David Airey, I got to thinking about interviews for graphic design jobs. When I used to teach a college graphic design portfolio class, one of the things I had my students do each semester was present their portfolio to the class. Several times. If you’re headed to a job interview soon, here are some tips on how to put your best foot forward:

1. Never say anything bad about your design work. And I mean never. I used to do a whole fake presentation to my class where I’d get up in front of the room and say something like: “Well, here’s my advertisement. I think it’s OK, but I’m not really happy with the type I used, and I think that the picture could be better. My teacher liked it, but it’s not really my best work.” Then I’d ask them what they thought of the work. Inevitably, they’d say they liked it, but… They were looking for ways to improve on it. Then I’d come in again and present the same piece. “This was an advertisement I did for a graphic design class. I’m really pleased with the way it came out, especially the typography. I used a serif face here to emphasize the traditional values of the company, and I created a color scheme based on the photo that was provided.” When I asked the class what they thought of the work that time, they said that they saw it in a much better light. If you say negative things about your work, your interviewer will only agree with you. If you can’t think of anything positive to say about your work, don’t include it in your portfolio.
2. Practice your presentation. You should tell your interviewer briefly what the assignment or project was, what was provided, and what your objective was. Don’t feel like you need to make a ten minute presentation for each piece, but thirty seconds or so of explanation is very helpful. “This CD cover was designed for my Computer Illustration class using Illustrator and InDesign. We were asked to create an allegorical illustration for a band of our choice using a supplied CD template. I chose The Decemberists because their existing album covers showed that they like to push the design envelope. They’ve used some really great illustrators in the past.”
3. Pick only your best pieces. You should have 10-12 pieces total, and they should all be your best work. If you don’t have that many good pieces from class (or your last job), give yourself assignments. Rework an older piece. Design a book cover. Make a brochure. Don’t include anything that you’re not 100% proud of.
4. Show variety in your work. If everything you show has a photograph with a vector illustration over it or all of your pieces use grunge typography, you look very limited. You don’t have to be all over the map, but make sure your pieces show a breadth of work.
5. Consider showing some sketches. It’s very interesting to see the process behind the work. Don’t do it for every piece you have, but if you have a nice progression, starting with sketches and moving through some conceptualizations to the final work, it may be a good idea to include it in your portfolio.

Of course the inevitable advice also applies — make sure your portfolio is immaculately clean, bring extra copies of your resume (CV), send a thank you note to your interviewer the next day, thanking them for their time.

What are your tips for giving good interview? Any horror stories?

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