I am having trouble compressing my portfolio to be under 4 mb without the quality going down. Since lots of firms are asking for the portfolio to be around 4-8 MB, would it be ok to just submit a link from issuu.com of my portfolio?
natematt
Apr 10, 15 6:26 pm
No.
natematt
Apr 10, 15 6:27 pm
How long is your portfolio? How are you making it, software/dimensions/resolution
archanonymous
Apr 10, 15 6:55 pm
Do a short portfolio/ work samples that hit your size limit, and put a link in the PDF to your full portfolio on Issuu. The first page/ inside cover should be a resume, that's where the link should live.
Make sure it is click-able and doesn't get flattened/ un-hyperlinked with the rest of the document.
Ahmed Almonsouri
Apr 12, 15 1:57 am
Natematt my portfolio is 48 pages. I used illustrator and in design.
natematt
Apr 12, 15 2:24 am
That's a really long portfolio for the way you are using it, not just because of the file-size but also because of the amount of information.
Non Sequitur
Apr 12, 15 8:37 am
48 pages? That's about 28pages longer than it should be. No one will browse it past the first few pages anyways.
placebeyondthesplines
Apr 12, 15 9:09 am
With a portfolio this hard to look at, something as disposable as an issuu link sounds just about perfect actually.
Ahmed Almonsouri
Apr 12, 15 2:26 pm
Placebeyondthesplines you are so hateful. I read your comments on other people's posts and they are not constructive and you are just bashing other users. What a sad life you live buddy :) cheer up and offer people helpful advice
kjdt
Apr 12, 15 2:45 pm
I agree with others that your portfolio is too long. 12 to 20 pages seems to be about typical of what I see from most candidates - enough to showcase 3 or 4 strong projects, and perhaps a few pages for some odds and ends to demonstrate specific skills and interest areas.
I wouldn't be thrilled with being directed to 48-page portfolio on issuu. We want to be able to put everybody's work in a file and be able to compare stronger candidates side by side - so if you don't send a pdf you're adding extra steps for us. Also, we see the instructions we put in our job postings as the first test for the candidate in attention to detail and following directions. Ok, if we say 4MB and yours is 4.5 nobody's going to bat an eye about it, but if it's 20MB or if we asked for a pdf and you sent a link to a huge portfolio on another site, it's not a great first impression - it suggests that you might be a bit difficult to work with.
Ahmed Almonsouri
Apr 12, 15 3:54 pm
Kjdt great points! Thank you, will def. take your advice.
samuel tanis
Apr 13, 15 12:28 pm
Well, a trick you may not know is to distill you PDF. Open the PDF, save as a PDF post script (in the pull down menue- the file will then be .ps) then drag and drop into Adobe Distiller. That will flatten everything - it will also overwrite a PDF with the same name so you may want to change it when you save as. Also it is too long...
seattle architect
Apr 13, 15 7:41 pm
As an employer and architect (Seattle) I can let you know that I greatly prefer it if prospective employees email a link to their own website or to their portfolio online. the last thing i want is to have to download and save someones resume/portfolio on my computer in order to review it initially. that being said there should be the option to do so on their site. it is far too easy to generate your own website these days...so i dont understand why there are so many who dont do it. also, as a tip to you all...ALWAYS bring a hard copy of both your resume and portfolio to the interview. my two cents.
Ahmed Almonsouri
Apr 13, 15 9:31 pm
Seattle architect thank you for the advice, I figured it would be easier to send in a link of my portfolio that has the option to be downloadable..
Paula G
Apr 15, 15 8:39 pm
48 pages is huge. Send out a work sample. 8-10 pages as a teaser. Bring in the bible for the actual interview.
Hey everyone,
I am having trouble compressing my portfolio to be under 4 mb without the quality going down. Since lots of firms are asking for the portfolio to be around 4-8 MB, would it be ok to just submit a link from issuu.com of my portfolio?
No.
How long is your portfolio? How are you making it, software/dimensions/resolution
Do a short portfolio/ work samples that hit your size limit, and put a link in the PDF to your full portfolio on Issuu. The first page/ inside cover should be a resume, that's where the link should live.
Make sure it is click-able and doesn't get flattened/ un-hyperlinked with the rest of the document.
Natematt my portfolio is 48 pages. I used illustrator and in design.
That's a really long portfolio for the way you are using it, not just because of the file-size but also because of the amount of information.
48 pages? That's about 28pages longer than it should be. No one will browse it past the first few pages anyways.
With a portfolio this hard to look at, something as disposable as an issuu link sounds just about perfect actually.
Placebeyondthesplines you are so hateful. I read your comments on other people's posts and they are not constructive and you are just bashing other users. What a sad life you live buddy :) cheer up and offer people helpful advice
I agree with others that your portfolio is too long. 12 to 20 pages seems to be about typical of what I see from most candidates - enough to showcase 3 or 4 strong projects, and perhaps a few pages for some odds and ends to demonstrate specific skills and interest areas.
I wouldn't be thrilled with being directed to 48-page portfolio on issuu. We want to be able to put everybody's work in a file and be able to compare stronger candidates side by side - so if you don't send a pdf you're adding extra steps for us. Also, we see the instructions we put in our job postings as the first test for the candidate in attention to detail and following directions. Ok, if we say 4MB and yours is 4.5 nobody's going to bat an eye about it, but if it's 20MB or if we asked for a pdf and you sent a link to a huge portfolio on another site, it's not a great first impression - it suggests that you might be a bit difficult to work with.
Kjdt great points! Thank you, will def. take your advice.
Well, a trick you may not know is to distill you PDF. Open the PDF, save as a PDF post script (in the pull down menue- the file will then be .ps) then drag and drop into Adobe Distiller. That will flatten everything - it will also overwrite a PDF with the same name so you may want to change it when you save as. Also it is too long...
As an employer and architect (Seattle) I can let you know that I greatly prefer it if prospective employees email a link to their own website or to their portfolio online. the last thing i want is to have to download and save someones resume/portfolio on my computer in order to review it initially. that being said there should be the option to do so on their site. it is far too easy to generate your own website these days...so i dont understand why there are so many who dont do it. also, as a tip to you all...ALWAYS bring a hard copy of both your resume and portfolio to the interview. my two cents.
Seattle architect thank you for the advice, I figured it would be easier to send in a link of my portfolio that has the option to be downloadable..
48 pages is huge. Send out a work sample. 8-10 pages as a teaser. Bring in the bible for the actual interview.