PORTFOLIO – chronological order?

Professional work first….always. Your school work is, well, academic. I group mine by project type, so I essentially have chapters. I don’t think I actually have any school work in mine at all, but I have substantial experience with many built works. It is good to keep your portfolio purged. If you are working, unless it is a substantial project, you should remove (but not discard) older projects.

For interviews, I actually have a few portfolios, and bring along a simple paper storage box with everything in it, that way I am prepared for every question or any project type. I keep a few sets of 11×17 const. docs in there as well, and I would highly recommend having CDs in either your portfolio proper, or as a supplimental.  

put your best foot forward as they say, no matter when that may fall chronologically.

I like the hypothetical project concept alot, it makes sense on a lot of levels, especially when showcasing your design chops.  As a working professional, I find that the bread and butter projects are often forgettable when it comes time to compile your portfolio –sure they pay the bills but they very often aren’t really challenging conceptually, so why not spice it up and showcase what you could bring to the table? 

I had been considering going through all of the parks that my firm has done and taking the survey cad work and going to town on them the way I would want to if given free reign.  It would be great practice for programming, line work and grading.  I would also develop site renderings and even 3d models / perspectives.

In these days of digital portfolios…it might be wise to focus your portfolio on:

1) the specific job opportunity and company; and,

2) your own objectives for pursuing the opportunity.

Your work that addresses the opportunity requirements most directly should be shown first. This shows respect for the time of the person interviewing you; and it shows that you know how to focus on the company needs.

My portfoliio is text free, but I have created an 8 page marketing slick for myself in inDesign and Photoshop that is sent via e-mail highlighting particular projects with a paragraph or two of text. This is what I send for an “online portfolio” in order to give the prospective employer and idea of the role I had in the design, when it was built, and the particular challenges in the project that had to be overcome. It is easily e-mailable as a PDF and also for mailing hard copies (warning, @ about $11 and application, including priority mail postage, this CAN get expensive…fast). Seems to work well and has gotten my foot in the door a number of times, and actually GOT me a job a number if years ago at a firm who also had me start to do their marketing.

I agree that brevity and organization is paramount. A simple easy to read resume or CV, lots of white space and no flowery explanations in the text. Listing of particular skills/software, acheivements/publications, and a list of significant works that are BUILT and where they are (city, state and year) are all helpful. Prospective employers are innundated with applications, and if they have to dog too much for the basic info, you will get passed over.