By: Fiona White  is a freelance journalist based in Waterford.

Freelance Guide Series: Creating a Portfolio

Having a portfolio is extremely important if you’re thinking about freelancing in your field of expertise, especially if you are currently unknown to prospective clients.

It helps to showcase previous work that you have been involved in and allows potential clients to see what level of work you are capable of. It works in the same way as having references from previous employers but with extra emphasis on the individual pieces of work that you have completed. It allows clients to see if you are the right fit for the job.

If you have been working in your chosen field for a while you may already have examples of your work that you can put together to make a portfolio, if you don’t now is the time to start collecting.

It’s easier in some industries to build a portfolio for example if you are a writer, you will probably have copies of articles that you have written but in some areas this may not be the case. If you are in an industry where you think it is not possible to create a portfolio you may be right taking into account the traditional portfolio but think of other ways to showcase your work; instead of having a picture or cut out of work, you could write a synopsis or a case study of a project explaining in more detail what your involvement was. You could also include recommendations from colleagues or employers. This could be a nice addition to a CV.

If you are starting out in an industry and do not have much previous experience that you feel you can showcase in a portfolio, create some. If you are a writer, write an article that you have always wanted to write. If you are looking to work in a specific company then tailor the piece to them. If you are a web designer then do a mock up of some pages and include screen shots and background information on the work. It’s great to be able to show what you are capable of to a prospective client, and to give them a reason to hire you over your competitors.

Another great way to start to build a portfolio of work is by volunteering your services! Perhaps a local group needs a website built, or needs someone to write a press release for the local newspaper, use your skills to help others while helping yourself to create a portfolio. Do whatever you can think of to showcase your talent and let people know what you can do, get your name out there. Remember to always be as professional when volunteering as you would be on a paid job, let people know that you are a hard worker; its all part of building both a portfolio and good press for you.

If you want to start freelancing but don’t have a specific client you’d like to nab then go online with your portfolio. There are endless options online and the more places you advertise yourself the better! You can make a business page on Facebook, create your own website, use business social networking sites like LinkedIn, behance and freelance sites like Freelance Ireland!

Once you’ve built up your portfolio you can incorporate selling and marketing into it, and sell your product/service to potential clients.

Some portfolio tips

Don’t hold back, if you’re making a hard copy of your portfolio (which you should) get a nice folder and make it look professional. At an interview it could be what makes you stand out.

The layout is also important; it needs to flow correctly so you should think about it before you put it together. Make sure that the sequence of items makes sense and use a table of contents if you have a large number of items.

You don’t need to have your portfolio printed professionally; you can do it at home if you have the right materials. Depending on the industry your aiming for you will need different things but a basic portfolio just needs a folder/binder, some plastic sheets, quality a4 paper, and the use of a printer.

A nice addition to a portfolio would be some matching business cards. Websites like www.vistaprint.ie allow you to create your own card, which may also help to impress potential clients. Its also an easy way of passing on your details so always have a few with you, you’d never know when you might need one.

About the Author

Fiona White  is a freelance journalist based in Waterford Specialising in all aspects of radio production and print services. She has worked at Today FM, 98FM and has written for online and print publications.