i've been out of school and working for a few years. i'm currently contemplating a change of location/company and am digging around in my old portfolios and archives... ah, nostalgia
i've also been searching these boards for portfolio advice. unfortunately, i don't see much discussion of portfolios for people changing jobs mid(early)career.
when people have come looking for work at my firm, they have brought drawing sets, and maybe asome sketches, but mostly have been hired to do a bit of drafting/modeling and if they are good they get to stick around.
in fact, i don't think that portfolio i spent weeks on after grad school even got looked at. but i fear that where i work is an anomoly, and that portfolios are looked at carefully before hiring someone.
how much time and effort should i focus on my portfolio? what about (for example) about 10 color 8.5x11 renderings and 10 11x17 prints of conceptual, developmental, and construction drawings i've worked on?
i'm so busy i don't have time to make a fancy ass portfolio - but i'll do it if deemed important. any insight greatly appreciated - thanks.
I worked for a year after my degree and then ( due to a sudden possession of my soul by a fantasy demon)..I applied to Norman Foster and Partners.
I had given 10 Color and B/W A4 sheets. a very swanky portfolio.
well they did get back to me ( a PR dude called Robin Panrucker with the comment-->Nice Portfolio, but you'r too young ..( Little experience )
So sometimes just making a fancy portfolio doesnt count ..content and experience also matters
I have worked for 3 very big corporate big firms after that ( in my 3rd job at the moment ) ,Of course there's no general rule as to what offices look for , before recruitment but i have observed that...
1)u should give around 25 % of school /college work and 75 % of previous professional work .( if you have around 1-2 years experience )
that would be good cos most big firms like to compare how much your style ( work )has grown after college/school.
2) portfolio of 100 % professional work after u have completed 3 years of work in the industry.
3) If ur using colours in ur portfolio, make them very subtle ...A garish portfolio is more or less always a putoff.( unless ur going for an interview to an amusement park design office)
4)and dont forget to put in your reference letter/s
Just before graduation I took the time, money and photography to invest in (about $400) a decent portfolio. The guy was so blown away at my first interview he wanted me to start immediately. I told him I better finish off the last month since I'd worked so many years to get the degree. After graduation I went to work for them and built-up a good amount of work, 2-1/2 years worth, but only photographed about 5% of the projects... added them to the portfolio, with a letter of recommendation to future employers. Have kept adding photos (various sizes) since then. In the past year or so have taken out 1/3rd of the school work, may take more out soon, don't want to make the portfolio too fat. The past year added some nice photos of fancy restaurant design, large university building renovations, mixed-use buildings, etc. In the front of the portfolio, in one of the pockets, in a small black clip, I bound 20 +/- 8-1/2x11 sheets of various projects from the past 6 years, Plans, Elevations, Sections, Details ONLY. Just simple black and white reductions of Final CD's.
The photographs are not all necessarily superb, some more recent ones are even from my home color printer of jpegs of medium to low quality. I guess my portfolio is less organized than many, except for being in chronological order. You have to just take your best shot. When I go for interviews I bring as much as I can comfortably carry. If I run out of time then I don't have to show them everything. If they have lots of time then I just show them whatever I feel like at the moment, without really planning any presentation. That way there's no pressure on yourself for trying to remember what to say about a particular project. They can ask you a question or you can make a comment about what the picture or drawing is showing etc. Just a sideline comment- I knew a guy who invested about $3000 dollars in his portfolio, and I wasn't that impressed, I think he overpaid and I don't think it got him any better job. Of course it could help impress someone if you're applying to be one of their top designers.
well, thank you for our honest replies. you remind me...
after reviewing how piss poor the prints of girlfriend taken and developed shots of my models and drawings were, i scrambled, took them myself, got them developed at shutterfly, glued them to some heavy black paper and bound the ~20 seets in a dark manila binder. i got in to a good MArch program and the rest is history.
so thanks, if nothing else, for the reinspiration to do whatever seems right at the time and hopefully it will work out (and I'll spend the $1000) on a bike with shocks.
I suggest Manitou's, you can get good quality for good price. I had Rock Shox for a long time but didn't like the new models. Some people I know have had good luck with Marzocchis, some not. Fox is too expensive unless you ride all the time, then it may be worth it. http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/bike_detail.asp?series=trail-genesis&bike=Rig
this is a good site if you want the whole package already together. Gary Fisher's frame geometry is pretty comfortable. Be sure to get the kinds of pedals you want though, many of these are clipless, require the shoes, are you doing MTB Downhill, Cross Country, flat trail / single-track or combination? Have fun!
Jan 26, 06 6:35 pm ·
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i've been out of school and working for a few years. i'm currently contemplating a change of location/company and am digging around in my old portfolios and archives... ah, nostalgia
i've also been searching these boards for portfolio advice. unfortunately, i don't see much discussion of portfolios for people changing jobs mid(early)career.
when people have come looking for work at my firm, they have brought drawing sets, and maybe asome sketches, but mostly have been hired to do a bit of drafting/modeling and if they are good they get to stick around.
in fact, i don't think that portfolio i spent weeks on after grad school even got looked at. but i fear that where i work is an anomoly, and that portfolios are looked at carefully before hiring someone.
how much time and effort should i focus on my portfolio? what about (for example) about 10 color 8.5x11 renderings and 10 11x17 prints of conceptual, developmental, and construction drawings i've worked on?
i'm so busy i don't have time to make a fancy ass portfolio - but i'll do it if deemed important. any insight greatly appreciated - thanks.
subminimal--
I worked for a year after my degree and then ( due to a sudden possession of my soul by a fantasy demon)..I applied to Norman Foster and Partners.
I had given 10 Color and B/W A4 sheets. a very swanky portfolio.
well they did get back to me ( a PR dude called Robin Panrucker with the comment-->Nice Portfolio, but you'r too young ..( Little experience )
So sometimes just making a fancy portfolio doesnt count ..content and experience also matters
I have worked for 3 very big corporate big firms after that ( in my 3rd job at the moment ) ,Of course there's no general rule as to what offices look for , before recruitment but i have observed that...
1)u should give around 25 % of school /college work and 75 % of previous professional work .( if you have around 1-2 years experience )
that would be good cos most big firms like to compare how much your style ( work )has grown after college/school.
2) portfolio of 100 % professional work after u have completed 3 years of work in the industry.
3) If ur using colours in ur portfolio, make them very subtle ...A garish portfolio is more or less always a putoff.( unless ur going for an interview to an amusement park design office)
4)and dont forget to put in your reference letter/s
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the other hand....you can also
make only two sheets to your portfolio
1st sheet--> Curriculum Vitae
2nd sheet--> Put an enlarged image of your favorite firearm and type in bold below that--> I HAVE THIS BABY !
( Finishes off all the hassles of rendering/working drwgs /ref letters etc.)
Just before graduation I took the time, money and photography to invest in (about $400) a decent portfolio. The guy was so blown away at my first interview he wanted me to start immediately. I told him I better finish off the last month since I'd worked so many years to get the degree. After graduation I went to work for them and built-up a good amount of work, 2-1/2 years worth, but only photographed about 5% of the projects... added them to the portfolio, with a letter of recommendation to future employers. Have kept adding photos (various sizes) since then. In the past year or so have taken out 1/3rd of the school work, may take more out soon, don't want to make the portfolio too fat. The past year added some nice photos of fancy restaurant design, large university building renovations, mixed-use buildings, etc. In the front of the portfolio, in one of the pockets, in a small black clip, I bound 20 +/- 8-1/2x11 sheets of various projects from the past 6 years, Plans, Elevations, Sections, Details ONLY. Just simple black and white reductions of Final CD's.
The photographs are not all necessarily superb, some more recent ones are even from my home color printer of jpegs of medium to low quality. I guess my portfolio is less organized than many, except for being in chronological order. You have to just take your best shot. When I go for interviews I bring as much as I can comfortably carry. If I run out of time then I don't have to show them everything. If they have lots of time then I just show them whatever I feel like at the moment, without really planning any presentation. That way there's no pressure on yourself for trying to remember what to say about a particular project. They can ask you a question or you can make a comment about what the picture or drawing is showing etc. Just a sideline comment- I knew a guy who invested about $3000 dollars in his portfolio, and I wasn't that impressed, I think he overpaid and I don't think it got him any better job. Of course it could help impress someone if you're applying to be one of their top designers.
well, thank you for our honest replies. you remind me...
after reviewing how piss poor the prints of girlfriend taken and developed shots of my models and drawings were, i scrambled, took them myself, got them developed at shutterfly, glued them to some heavy black paper and bound the ~20 seets in a dark manila binder. i got in to a good MArch program and the rest is history.
so thanks, if nothing else, for the reinspiration to do whatever seems right at the time and hopefully it will work out (and I'll spend the $1000) on a bike with shocks.
I suggest Manitou's, you can get good quality for good price. I had Rock Shox for a long time but didn't like the new models. Some people I know have had good luck with Marzocchis, some not. Fox is too expensive unless you ride all the time, then it may be worth it.
http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/bike_detail.asp?series=trail-genesis&bike=Rig
this is a good site if you want the whole package already together. Gary Fisher's frame geometry is pretty comfortable. Be sure to get the kinds of pedals you want though, many of these are clipless, require the shoes, are you doing MTB Downhill, Cross Country, flat trail / single-track or combination? Have fun!
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