How to Streamline Your IT Portfolio

Regardless of what stage you're at in your career, creating and maintaining a strong portfolio is important. Portfolios demonstrate to others the skills you've learned, the certifications you've earned, and the technologies you've mastered. 

What to Include in Your IT Portfolio

Work Samples

Work samples best demonstrate your skills to potential employers, as they reflect all the work you've done professionally. Seasoned professionals will have many projects and samples to choose from, but when you've just started you might not have much to add. Employers understand that everyone needs to start somewhere, so until you get more experience, you can use hypothetical work samples for a certain company or client. If you do this, make sure you understand all the details and nuance the hypothetical work sample requires. Samples from certification prep courses or IT bootcamps are also good to include. 

Links to Public Profiles

Linking your different online profiles is important. Initially, if a company or manager is considering you, they're going to look you up on LinkedIn or Github, so you might as well link your profiles on your portfolio. 

An (Awesome) Bio

Bios are only a few paragraphs, but you need to talk about who you are, what you do, and the reason recruiters should consider your profile. For many people, this section represents their title as an IT expert and outlines the basics they are familiar with and how they got into the field.

A Call to Action

Even the most remarkable portfolio is not complete without a Call To Action (CTA). To put it simply, now that you have demonstrated to individuals what you have accomplished, you must offer them what should they do with your profile, or how can they approach you. All the same, in case you are struggling to attain a job, your CTA may say, I’m in search of new opportunities at the moment.

Final Thoughts

IT portfolios should include work samples, whether from your professional experience, academic experience, or hypothetical projects if you've just started your career. Link to your public profiles to consolidate all relevant information. A good bio will clearly and succinctly explain your IT background, and a CTA will encourage potential employers to consider you.