What to Put in a Portfolio
Most strong portfolios share the same few sections. Here’s what each one should contain, and what to add for your field.
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The sections every portfolio needs
An introduction
Your name, what you do, and who you do it for, in one or two lines at the top. Readers should know within a few seconds whether you’re the person they’re looking for.
Your best work
Three to six pieces that match the work you want next, strongest first. Give each one a title, an image or short video, your role, and a sentence or two about the result.
An about section
A short paragraph about your background, how you work, and what you care about. Keep it human. It’s where readers decide whether they’d like working with you.
Skills or services
A short list of the tools, skills, or services you offer. Only list what you’d be comfortable being tested on.
Experience
Your recent roles or clients, with dates. Keep it brief and link to your CV for the full history.
Contact details
An email address and one or two profiles you actually use. Put a contact link near the top and again at the end.
What to add for your field
Developers
- Links to live projects and their source code, with a line on the stack you used.
- One project explained in depth: the hardest problem and how you solved it.
- Open source contributions, if you have them.
Designers
- Case studies that show your process, not only final screens: research, options you rejected, and why.
- Outcomes such as a metric, a launch, or feedback from users.
Photographers and artists
- A tight selection grouped by style or subject, with large, fast-loading images.
- Clients, publications, or exhibitions, and how to book or buy.
Writers
- Links to published pieces, each with the publication and a one-line summary.
- A short note on the subjects and formats you write.
Students and career changers
- Course, personal, or volunteer projects treated like client work, with a problem, your role, and an outcome.
- What you’re learning now, and the kind of role you’re looking for.
What to leave out
- Work you can’t talk about, or that a client hasn’t allowed you to share.
- Old or weak pieces that don’t match the work you want.
- Skill bars and percentages, which don’t mean much to readers.
- Private details such as your home address or phone number, unless your clients need them.
Before you publish
- Open it on a phone and check every link.
- Read every line aloud to catch mistakes.
- Ask someone in your field what they’d remove.
Ready to build it? Read how to make a portfolio website, or pick a template and import your CV to fill in most of these sections automatically.