for those with or without online digital portfolios (as well as hardcopied standard ports) : is having one valuable?...beneficial in the job search?...adventageous over those without? - thoughts...
I love having access to digital portfolios as part of the early stage screening process. Anymore, before I will even consider inviting somebody in for an interview, I really want to see some images - and, more and more, I'd rather get to those images through the internet -- I'm really tired of having to download and save multiple JPG's; uncompress ZIP files, and fumble with (and store) CDs.
I recognize the images I view on flickr or elsewhere aren't going to be of the same high resolution I seen in your printed portfolio -- but, they're going to tell me what I need to know -- i.e. are you somebody I want to invest the time to interview.
In the end, this is a timesaver for the candidate, too. Nobody wants to get dressed up for an interview, spend an hour driving across town, pay for parking and then learn 10-minutes into the interview the fits just not there.
An online portfolio is just one piece of the process -- it doesn't replace the other pieces -- it supplements those things you otherwise will be doing anyway.
if you're going digital, i prefer the emailed pdf. most architects are not trained to have the web design skills to effectively communicate over the internet. it usually comes off to my eye as amateurish. on the other hand, most architects do have some experience and training with basic layout. if you keep your file size reasonable, an emailed pdf is just as effective as a website and likely better represents your skill set.
ive got my portfolio online, its nice to send more than just a few samples sometimes, esp. if i'm really interested in the firm...different people are attracted to different images and they can choose to read about the projects if they want.
so basically i send a pdf w/ cover letter, cv, one page work samples and one page design studio samples....and include a link to the entire portfolio online in the email.
it works well for me and i think people appreciate it, sometime to print out if they choose, something to forward on to other partners if need be.
what justavisual outlines above also works well, from my perspective as a hiring manager. simple and just enough to grab my attention (or not).
however, there are times when it is appropriate to make accessible more images than may be appropriate for a PDF. that's when an image website like coroflot or flickr can come in very handy.
it's important to note that different firms approach credential review in different ways. in very small firms, it's easy to circulate a package of printed materials and keep track of its progress. however, in larger firms (such as mine) it's impossible to circulate paper and not have it get lost - for that reason, we prefer electronic distribution internally. that way, our senior people can review credentials at their own convenience, including when they are on the road or from home.
when i was looking for work last time i made a portfolio on line cuz i was looking overseas. it was html based because i dislike flash.
i sent cvs and cover letters and a link to website to offices i was interested in.
at interview i took a binder/portfolio with me and everyone loooked at it as well as website. i don't know if this was a good way to go or not. i did get a job within 2 weeks of landing in london. my feeling is that the website was more appreciated by the corporate firms than the boutique offices i sent it to.
somehow i would not use flickr; a sign i might be getting old?
my friends hired this guy, after looking at his online website. this was also an example of a aperson looking for work overseas and using website to make easier.
I find it handy if you've just met someone who wants to see your work, but you don't have a portfolio handy at the moment. You just write down the address you're at online and they can peruse at their liesure, instead of either a) saying you'll bring a copy for them and forgetting about it, or b) spending time on portfolio materials and then learning that it was just an idle interest and they don't really have anything for you.
I have to admit I just loaded the pdfs of my portfolio and work samples onto an openly accessible server and gave them the link to download it. I didn't bother with the website. Nobody complained, and I didn't lose any interviews as a result.
I used to have an online portfolio a few years back, while looking for Part 1 jobs in London (between undergrad and diploma). The site was extensive, highly designed and... completely over-the-top and bloody awful. It took me ages to make and almost as long to update. After I got a job that time I took it offline. Building it was a good learning experience and it did the job in the end.
At the end of my diploma I didn't have time to build an online portfolio but I did update a site I'd previously made for Unit 22, my diploma design unit at the Bartlett.
When I started looking for a job, I was in a bit of a rush. I'd got back from a roadtrip across the USA (with lots of advice from Archinect users!) and needed to get some money fast. I had no time to be sending out portfolios and deciding who I wanted to work for (that would have to come after I'd un-maxed my credit cards!).
Luckily, a friend showed the website to his bosses and they said "get him in". I had an interview and took the job. The fact that my work was on the web circumvented the whole back-and-forth of e-mails and/or letters.
Someone else from the class of 2007 is currently learning to update the site and U22.org should be updated soon. If you have an opportunity to learn web design, do it. Keep it simple though, and don't expect it to be easy. There's a reason why most architects' first attempts at it look crap.
I might suggest also linking to portfolios, as simple PDF files through an online website or file repository. That way:
you can maintain a better workflow by keeping print portfolios formatted uniformly (and just optimizing the PDF for the web to reduce file size and download time - saves the time needed to upload things to flickr or design a website)
you can maintain one format of presentation within the document (and be cognizant of this while designing the portfolio so that you can prepare for online and print views)
you can present a potential employer with something to print if they chose (althought the resolution won't be as high, employers can pick-and-chose which pages/portfolios to print until they decide to see you in person)
you can send a recognizable, standard format (believe it or not, sometimes people don't have the right flash version in their browsers and compatability can be an issue...this can be their personal choice, or it may be the company policy of the IT department where they work. either way, it is something that is out of your hands unless you design for the web's lowest common denominator to be safe)
you won't flood someone's inbox with attachments (and sometimes, email servers/clients can filter attachments, and they will exclude them or simply delete the email)
you can give prospective employers a choice in which portfolios to view (you can break pieces of the portfolio out as separate items, to show to different organizations based on need, and emplyers can chose to view smaller pieces or a larger document)
flickr is good, but I never liked their format for viewing online. by linking to a PDF somewhere, you retain a bit more control over how things look.
i think it is invaluable these days. i got my last job quickly that way - started out as a pdf that i emailed (under 5mb for 12 pages) and then my web buddy put it on his website with a link for nothing in about 5 minutes. that became an amazing tool. send people the link and they love it.
my mentor is the hiring principal at a big firm and agrees. but if it doesnt load images in a few seconds, forget about it.
so now i am turning it into a full blown simple eyecandy fast loading slick website portfolio that i can one day upgrade into my private practice website. until then i am using it to secure a position across the country so i can safely move, buy a house, transition into a new city without necessarily having to make the trip. i have gotten phone interviews that way so far.
one of my profs has claimed that he wouldn't hire anyone who didn't have a designed website. i don't have my portfolio up, but certainly plan to put it up before i start interviewing next year. i'm doing flash tutorials online...it's not too difficult to learn...anyone know of any good ones to look at?
as for flickr, i know a lot of people who have networked through it, so it can't hurt...
i would only have hired that guy jump linked if i was looking for a website designer. the site is better than the work - which leaves me puzzled at best.
true enough, steven. he was being hired as a partII architect/intern to work in an office that needed someone with presentation skills. and they liked the cow ( i think ). they wanted someone with a personality that allowed cows.
Nov 8, 07 9:16 am ·
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Online Portfolios: thoughts
for those with or without online digital portfolios (as well as hardcopied standard ports) : is having one valuable?...beneficial in the job search?...adventageous over those without? - thoughts...
I'd like to weigh in, as an employer.
I love having access to digital portfolios as part of the early stage screening process. Anymore, before I will even consider inviting somebody in for an interview, I really want to see some images - and, more and more, I'd rather get to those images through the internet -- I'm really tired of having to download and save multiple JPG's; uncompress ZIP files, and fumble with (and store) CDs.
I recognize the images I view on flickr or elsewhere aren't going to be of the same high resolution I seen in your printed portfolio -- but, they're going to tell me what I need to know -- i.e. are you somebody I want to invest the time to interview.
In the end, this is a timesaver for the candidate, too. Nobody wants to get dressed up for an interview, spend an hour driving across town, pay for parking and then learn 10-minutes into the interview the fits just not there.
An online portfolio is just one piece of the process -- it doesn't replace the other pieces -- it supplements those things you otherwise will be doing anyway.
what is the method for doing this procedure???
if you're going digital, i prefer the emailed pdf. most architects are not trained to have the web design skills to effectively communicate over the internet. it usually comes off to my eye as amateurish. on the other hand, most architects do have some experience and training with basic layout. if you keep your file size reasonable, an emailed pdf is just as effective as a website and likely better represents your skill set.
ive got my portfolio online, its nice to send more than just a few samples sometimes, esp. if i'm really interested in the firm...different people are attracted to different images and they can choose to read about the projects if they want.
so basically i send a pdf w/ cover letter, cv, one page work samples and one page design studio samples....and include a link to the entire portfolio online in the email.
it works well for me and i think people appreciate it, sometime to print out if they choose, something to forward on to other partners if need be.
*something to print out
what justavisual outlines above also works well, from my perspective as a hiring manager. simple and just enough to grab my attention (or not).
however, there are times when it is appropriate to make accessible more images than may be appropriate for a PDF. that's when an image website like coroflot or flickr can come in very handy.
it's important to note that different firms approach credential review in different ways. in very small firms, it's easy to circulate a package of printed materials and keep track of its progress. however, in larger firms (such as mine) it's impossible to circulate paper and not have it get lost - for that reason, we prefer electronic distribution internally. that way, our senior people can review credentials at their own convenience, including when they are on the road or from home.
when i was looking for work last time i made a portfolio on line cuz i was looking overseas. it was html based because i dislike flash.
i sent cvs and cover letters and a link to website to offices i was interested in.
at interview i took a binder/portfolio with me and everyone loooked at it as well as website. i don't know if this was a good way to go or not. i did get a job within 2 weeks of landing in london. my feeling is that the website was more appreciated by the corporate firms than the boutique offices i sent it to.
somehow i would not use flickr; a sign i might be getting old?
if anyone is interested in an example...
my friends hired this guy, after looking at his online website. this was also an example of a aperson looking for work overseas and using website to make easier.
I find it handy if you've just met someone who wants to see your work, but you don't have a portfolio handy at the moment. You just write down the address you're at online and they can peruse at their liesure, instead of either a) saying you'll bring a copy for them and forgetting about it, or b) spending time on portfolio materials and then learning that it was just an idle interest and they don't really have anything for you.
I have to admit I just loaded the pdfs of my portfolio and work samples onto an openly accessible server and gave them the link to download it. I didn't bother with the website. Nobody complained, and I didn't lose any interviews as a result.
I used to have an online portfolio a few years back, while looking for Part 1 jobs in London (between undergrad and diploma). The site was extensive, highly designed and... completely over-the-top and bloody awful. It took me ages to make and almost as long to update. After I got a job that time I took it offline. Building it was a good learning experience and it did the job in the end.
At the end of my diploma I didn't have time to build an online portfolio but I did update a site I'd previously made for Unit 22, my diploma design unit at the Bartlett.
When I started looking for a job, I was in a bit of a rush. I'd got back from a roadtrip across the USA (with lots of advice from Archinect users!) and needed to get some money fast. I had no time to be sending out portfolios and deciding who I wanted to work for (that would have to come after I'd un-maxed my credit cards!).
Luckily, a friend showed the website to his bosses and they said "get him in". I had an interview and took the job. The fact that my work was on the web circumvented the whole back-and-forth of e-mails and/or letters.
Someone else from the class of 2007 is currently learning to update the site and U22.org should be updated soon. If you have an opportunity to learn web design, do it. Keep it simple though, and don't expect it to be easy. There's a reason why most architects' first attempts at it look crap.
I might suggest also linking to portfolios, as simple PDF files through an online website or file repository. That way:
you can maintain a better workflow by keeping print portfolios formatted uniformly (and just optimizing the PDF for the web to reduce file size and download time - saves the time needed to upload things to flickr or design a website)
you can maintain one format of presentation within the document (and be cognizant of this while designing the portfolio so that you can prepare for online and print views)
you can present a potential employer with something to print if they chose (althought the resolution won't be as high, employers can pick-and-chose which pages/portfolios to print until they decide to see you in person)
you can send a recognizable, standard format (believe it or not, sometimes people don't have the right flash version in their browsers and compatability can be an issue...this can be their personal choice, or it may be the company policy of the IT department where they work. either way, it is something that is out of your hands unless you design for the web's lowest common denominator to be safe)
you won't flood someone's inbox with attachments (and sometimes, email servers/clients can filter attachments, and they will exclude them or simply delete the email)
you can give prospective employers a choice in which portfolios to view (you can break pieces of the portfolio out as separate items, to show to different organizations based on need, and emplyers can chose to view smaller pieces or a larger document)
flickr is good, but I never liked their format for viewing online. by linking to a PDF somewhere, you retain a bit more control over how things look.
i think it is invaluable these days. i got my last job quickly that way - started out as a pdf that i emailed (under 5mb for 12 pages) and then my web buddy put it on his website with a link for nothing in about 5 minutes. that became an amazing tool. send people the link and they love it.
my mentor is the hiring principal at a big firm and agrees. but if it doesnt load images in a few seconds, forget about it.
so now i am turning it into a full blown simple eyecandy fast loading slick website portfolio that i can one day upgrade into my private practice website. until then i am using it to secure a position across the country so i can safely move, buy a house, transition into a new city without necessarily having to make the trip. i have gotten phone interviews that way so far.
do it.
you can do it yourself with something quick, easy and free like simpleviewer
http://www.airtightinteractive.com/simpleviewer/
one of my profs has claimed that he wouldn't hire anyone who didn't have a designed website. i don't have my portfolio up, but certainly plan to put it up before i start interviewing next year. i'm doing flash tutorials online...it's not too difficult to learn...anyone know of any good ones to look at?
as for flickr, i know a lot of people who have networked through it, so it can't hurt...
i would only have hired that guy jump linked if i was looking for a website designer. the site is better than the work - which leaves me puzzled at best.
dump the paper. go digital.
get your name domain b4 someone beats u to it.
check this instant-website app tool:
indexhibit
(cribbed from newstoday)
true enough, steven. he was being hired as a partII architect/intern to work in an office that needed someone with presentation skills. and they liked the cow ( i think ). they wanted someone with a personality that allowed cows.
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