PORTFOLIO – chronological order?

[Wes Arola, RLA]

How do you all suggest arranging a portfolio of works. Should your most recent work be at the front of your portfolio, or should you should your progression from school work to your current professional work? In these times, I would assume an employer just wants to see your current experience and skills and where they came from or how they were developed can wait.

[Jason T. Radice]

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.  

[Rob Halpern]

It’s important to think of the portfolio as a sales and marketing piece rather than a professional biography.

If a project (or your ability to present it) isn’t great then leave it out.

Open with something impressive, followed by a couple of less impressive but very good projects, then a great one or two.

I wonder how necessary it is to mass twenty presentations together (no employer will look at the last 15 I bet) rather than show the best and list the rest.

 

 

[Jon Quackenbush]

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

[Alan Ray, RLA]

Your profile info says you are a landscape architect. (registered I assume) In the case of a practicing l.a. I would not show any student work….

I wouldn’t want to see anything except built projects that you designed and provided construction administration. This way I can see YOUR work…..Oh, and group like project types  regardless of age….

If you only have student work then by all means show everything you have since this is probably your first job.

If you are not a student, I would not care about your student work if I was the interviewer…besides I have interviewed graduates that showed school work that was a “team” project….that was confusing trying to figure out what he actually did….so…..I wouldn’t include such work unless you specify your exact involvement.

[Jon Quackenbush]

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.

[Matthew Latham]

Whatever you do, put your best, most impressive projects first.

[Edward Flaherty]

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.

[Wilson R. Bailey]

I actually have my portfolio arranged to showcase specific skills.  The first pages are for hand illustration, then categories for photoshop, landscape design, planning, 3d modeling, etc.  I lead with my best work as others have mentioned.  I figure since I have little experience and hiring managers will be looking at a hundred other portfolios I should cut to the chase and present the skills they’re looking for.  I’m not positive this is the best way to present my work, but I think it will make my portfolio stand out overall.  I also don’t bother with paragraphs explaining my projects in detail as I can do that on my resume or, ideally, in an interview.

[Jason T. Radice]

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.  

[G. Ryan Smith]

no, no, no. put your best foot forward. you can arrange your portfolio by types of projects or types of images, but always put your best pieces first in each section. there’s really not any need to put dates in them either.

[Author]

Posts