Portfolio Critique Thread

Thirty years ago, I sent out 30-40 resumes and got one very short response… no one else answered at all. The lesson. Don’t send out a resume and expect a response. Many offices get several resumes a week…. it can be a burden trying to respond to them all.

To get a job, you need to know the name of the person you are writing to… Dear Sir or Madam makes the receiver feel old…. try Dear Marion, or Bill or whatever…

So you need to do your homework. Preferably in person. Go to an office(s), meet the people there…. find out what they need from a new employee and then go home and reinvent yourself/your portfolio (without lying) to fit into the profile of the person they need … to highlight that you have the skills they need.

Personality and knowing you can work with people helps an employer decide as much as a portfolio or the marks. If the employer is good, they can help you with the latter … but a nice smile, good presentation, friendly hand shake, good sense of humour… all sell …

Anyway, hope these comments help.

PS I have endeavoured to be the guy that does respond to every resume I get as I wish everyone the opportunity to enjoy a life in the industry as I have.

Tim~

2. Hand graphics. You’re quite accomplished at photoshop and other electronic tools. I’d like to see examples of hand sketching, simple cross-sections, details, etc. An employer will want to have a sense that you can think on your feet..quickly.. since you will not always have to luxury of the time it takes to complete digital renderings. Your Viral Green project has some wonderful pencil sketching… I’d like to see a lot more!

3. Alternative solutions. There should be an example or two that shows how you developed alternative plans for the same program. I totally agree with an earlier responder who stressed the need for process images. Examining a variety of alternatives is an important part of the process of design.

4. References. Include people who know you as an individual and as an office employee. You may want to reduce the number of academic references down to three.

5. Work Listing. Include an address, just to give prospective employers a better sense of where you’ve worked.

6. Resume Pages. Each page should follow the 3-30-3 rule of thumb that is used for interpretive signs… i.e., reviewers will either spend three seconds; 30 seconds; or 3 minutes examining each page. The text and the images should give the reviewer an increasingly greater understanding of your design / intent through attention to captions, typeface, and layout. Many prospective employers will only spend a few seconds on each page… but that should be enough time to let them know that the work is well thought-out and competent.

7. Project descriptions. Read, and re-read each of them. Then have a non-landscape architect friend / colleague do the same with a very critical eye. Avoid run-on sentences, repetitive use of the same phrasing, and jargon!

8. Inspiration for Forms. What is the source of inspiration for the forms that you use? E.g., the Community Gardens, with their flowing leaf-patterns? How do they fit their intended function?

9. Legibility. Some of the text is very difficult to read… e.g., the Garden of Flowing Fragrance. Most reviewers will not print your pdf out, so it needs to create a great first impression. The font size is too small to be legible.

10. Design + Build. Is the top image a photo? It’s a testimony to your earlier work that I ask the question. But it doesn’t really do much for me, with the spotty plantings, block wall, expansive grass panel….

Good luck! You’ve obviously on the right road.

Hi Tim!

Do you have a separate entity with a separate name that you’ve set up to do free-lance work? I’d be inclined to play it up, since it shows initiative on your part and an understanding of marketing. Definitely show your logo//website/other graphics. Versatility is a highly sought-after quality.