I'm a fresh B.Arch graduate and currently looking for job. But I have a feeling my portfolio needs a serious critique. This was made while I was looking for an internship in my 4th year and so there are stuff that need to be added, like - my thesis project and my office works etc. But I'm unsure whether to go with the same layout and just make the additions or change the whole thing altogether. I was satisfied with it back then, but now it seems amateur to me and simple/ modest, for want of a better word. I'm considering a much bolder presentation, since that's what my designing has turned into recently and would like companies to get the same message.
What I really need to know are my pages legible? Are there too many images cluttering the layout? should I reduce them and enlarge just the important ones? Is the text enough or am I lacking in explanation?
An honest criticism is what I'm looking for. Please feel free to call it trash if that's what it looks like. But Also do let me know how to improve. Any help would be appreciated.
Congratulations on not having a behemoth 80page "portfolio" filled with unnecessary quotes and random photography. With that said... you need to learn how to focus each page on one or two images, not plaster every square cm with content. For example, use the left page for a full-bleed rendering/plan/sketch and provide some supporting content on the right. The way you have it just screams that you have no idea how to organize information.
Second to that, lose the photograph of yourself at the beginning and make a simple table of content along with your CV. Allow the best parts of your projects to speak for themselves with ample white space so that things don't look like you vomited the entire content of a studio's project.
Hope this helps.
BulgarBlogger
Sep 24, 15 11:27 am
You passed your boards with a 64% and yet you are the first in your class?
The contents and skills you exhibit in this portfolio are horrendous... The work is unimaginative and downright boring. Your graphics are unattractive and disorganized. Whether or not you add your thesis, the end result is kind of like one of thise horrible auditions that people like to make fun of while watching American Idol.
A few pointers-
1) people eat at a restaurant for the food, not the ambiance.. Never decorate your portfolio in any way..!
2) Lose the resume and the photo...it doesn't belong there, and frankly of your work is good (if the food is good) no one will care what you look like.
3) renderings and linework is all flat... There is no depth in any of your drawings.
I would never hire you with this portfolio. You need to seriously revise it.
Discouraged
Sep 24, 15 12:16 pm
Bulgar, or anyone...
Are you able to show any examples of portfolios of applicants that you would consider hiring?
StarchitectAlpha
Sep 24, 15 12:21 pm
In my experience the portfolio thing they emphasized in school was a waste of time. Every job I've gotten was because of contacts I made and a basic portfolio showing some rendering skills and revit skills. It's well laid out and shows technical knowledge of programs. Now go network by printing a copy and walking into firms with it and letter to the partners or principle asking for a professional interview to learn more about their firm. This will work only about 1 in 10 times. But each time it works, you've just made contacts with principles of a firm and you'll for sure get into interviews. Why should you listen to me? Because I graduated in 2011 with an absolutely horrific portfolio but had two job offers for full time and benefits before I even graduated. Good luck, seriously don't sweat the portfolio so much!
no_form
Sep 24, 15 12:44 pm
64% is not good. remove that. unless you were 90% or higher do not include it.
your layout is really cluttered. white space is important.
do not include photograph of yourself if applying for jobs in the U.S. no one does that here. very unprofessional.
the subtractive model is ugly but interesting in terms of process compared to the rest of the work. the rest of the projects read like a bland corporate portfolio. but that is not a-typical for South Asian students, sorry, the education system there seems to focus on being tediously practical.
regarding text in portfolio. do you read everyone else's text in their portfolio? my guess is no. no one does. so no more lengthy descriptions or manifestos.
good luck!
Spoons
Sep 25, 15 1:01 am
I don't understand why everyone feels the need to write "PORTFOLIO" in huge font on the cover of their portfolio. If you are submitting it to a job what else could it be mistaken for?
Kwitkatts
Sep 25, 15 1:43 am
Non Sequitur, Bulgar, Starchitect and Rob,
Thanks for commenting! That was fast. And yes its horrible, that's why I posted it here for some honest feedback. Nobody around me has any sense of what a portfolio should be like! I can now clearly decide how to proceed thanks to you guys.
Now about the "64%" in high school, well it's a decent score in my state. (if comparing with US gpa system, then its a B+ or B or somewhere in that range) 90% or up? Thats ridiculously high and rare for Science students [math group not biology group]. You'll top the state with that score! And no I didn't come first in class. I got a first class [ an A as per gpa]. The class above first class is 'distinction' [A+].. We dont have GPA system here.
Coming to the photograph, I never had it in my initial resume. But it turned out that firms were asking for it (no not US. I never applied there. I pretty well know where I stand)
So yeah, I'll make some good renderings (hand + digital) which I had been planning to do anyway, omit most of the stuff crowding my layout and leave just the basics with some good white space. [I love uncrowded layouts you know! Its just that we were discouraged to leave white space when in school, so there is this nagging voice in my head asking me to fill every inch available! - I'll ignore it ]
Starchitect: Yeah, what you said is true here too. It's getting next to impossible to get a job without contacts. You have to know someone who knows someone. People are getting accepted just because they are somebody's somebody! And they might not even have a portfolio!
Sorry for a long post! But thanks again for your time guys. I appreciate it :)
Kwitkatts
Sep 25, 15 1:44 am
Spoons
I'll get rid of that too. Now that you said it, it looks pointless to me. Thank you!
Sep 25, 15 2:46 am
Kwitkatts,
I'll simply agree with rob_c.
Think about your audience. If you are applying for employment in the U.S., most employers will not know anything about your high school education system. Employers don't care about your high school GPA otherwise they be asking for GED scores for example. That's irrelevant stuff that most employers simply don't have the time to deal with that and try to make systematic comparison. 64% or scores in the 60.0%-69.9% will cognitively come off to employers as a D grade given the cultural experience in academic grading here.
You don't want them to be get the wrong impression.
Kwitkatts
Sep 25, 15 3:04 am
Richard
Yes, thank you. I got that idea, since I had to look up the grading system and then find a way to compare the two, it was tedious. I'll keep it in mind if and when I apply for jobs abroad. Hadn't I posted this here I wouldn't have ever known!
Thank you for taking the time. I agree too, coming across as an under-performer is the last thing I want to happen.
thearchitectsguide
Sep 25, 15 4:09 pm
Hi Kwitkatts,
Everyone here has done a great job of critiquing your portfolio content and layout so I won't go into detail on that. However, when applying to any architecture job I advise applicants to use the shortest portfolio possible.
For the first contact architecture application I recommend a “sample portfolio”, usually two to five pages long. Just like the resume, it is only a snapshot of your greatest work and experience.
I am only talking about the initial introduction to a firm, not the in person interview. For that I recommend a full length printed and bound traditional portfolio.
As for what to include in this short portfolio try to think about the process in reverse. Instead of building a portfolio and looking for a job, find a firm or specific job you are interested in and build a relevant, targeted portfolio for that role. A portfolio to a high design firm would look very different compared to a more conventional office.
I also suggest reaching out to anyone and everyone you know in the architecture community. You must know some professors who could put in a good word for you? Do you have any current or former classmates at firms you want to work for? Hopefully this will help you get your foot in the door!
It's not a portfolio and I haven't put anything on there at this time.
Sep 26, 15 1:52 pm
The high school GPA / GED point. LOL!
cgheintz
Sep 27, 15 10:37 am
Btw it is funny how the view changes from continent to continent. In Spain, a lot of teachers want ONE big panel where every centimeter has information. On my exchange year in the US, I did that and teachers said like Non Sequiter, dont put too much per page.
Also in Spain people use the exact same graphical style with focus on thin lines, black and white, helvetica + very faded out colors on every panel which is a nice style but man oh man do you get tired of all panels looking exactly the same.
Regarding portfolio then it also appears to be mixed regarding what people want. Some say 3-4 pictures of 3-4 projects while some people say 20 pages, others do a book.
I guess I am trying to say that it seems to be country-based so try to find out what they like in your country.
Kwitkatts
Sep 28, 15 12:39 am
cgheintz
Yes it certainly seems "country-based". I'm sure my professors wouldn't be very happy with white spaces. But since I don't plan to work for them, I guess it's alright. I would like to have an uncluttered layout myself. So I'll go ahead with that.
I'm also thinking of revising a few projects, There were many things that could have been done differently, I guess it's time to work on it.
The firm in which I was working as a trainee, I had noticed them reviewing portfolios; so I think I know what they were looking for.
Also I've been making and decorating furniture lately. A brand new portfolio is what I see :)
Hello everyone!
I'm a fresh B.Arch graduate and currently looking for job. But I have a feeling my portfolio needs a serious critique. This was made while I was looking for an internship in my 4th year and so there are stuff that need to be added, like - my thesis project and my office works etc. But I'm unsure whether to go with the same layout and just make the additions or change the whole thing altogether. I was satisfied with it back then, but now it seems amateur to me and simple/ modest, for want of a better word. I'm considering a much bolder presentation, since that's what my designing has turned into recently and would like companies to get the same message.
What I really need to know are my pages legible? Are there too many images cluttering the layout? should I reduce them and enlarge just the important ones? Is the text enough or am I lacking in explanation?
An honest criticism is what I'm looking for. Please feel free to call it trash if that's what it looks like. But Also do let me know how to improve. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance :)
Link : http://issuu.com/kavitavarier/docs/portfolio_kavita_varier
Congratulations on not having a behemoth 80page "portfolio" filled with unnecessary quotes and random photography. With that said... you need to learn how to focus each page on one or two images, not plaster every square cm with content. For example, use the left page for a full-bleed rendering/plan/sketch and provide some supporting content on the right. The way you have it just screams that you have no idea how to organize information.
Second to that, lose the photograph of yourself at the beginning and make a simple table of content along with your CV. Allow the best parts of your projects to speak for themselves with ample white space so that things don't look like you vomited the entire content of a studio's project.
Hope this helps.
You passed your boards with a 64% and yet you are the first in your class?
The contents and skills you exhibit in this portfolio are horrendous... The work is unimaginative and downright boring. Your graphics are unattractive and disorganized. Whether or not you add your thesis, the end result is kind of like one of thise horrible auditions that people like to make fun of while watching American Idol.
A few pointers-
1) people eat at a restaurant for the food, not the ambiance.. Never decorate your portfolio in any way..!
2) Lose the resume and the photo...it doesn't belong there, and frankly of your work is good (if the food is good) no one will care what you look like.
3) renderings and linework is all flat... There is no depth in any of your drawings.
I would never hire you with this portfolio. You need to seriously revise it.
Bulgar, or anyone...
Are you able to show any examples of portfolios of applicants that you would consider hiring?
In my experience the portfolio thing they emphasized in school was a waste of time. Every job I've gotten was because of contacts I made and a basic portfolio showing some rendering skills and revit skills. It's well laid out and shows technical knowledge of programs. Now go network by printing a copy and walking into firms with it and letter to the partners or principle asking for a professional interview to learn more about their firm. This will work only about 1 in 10 times. But each time it works, you've just made contacts with principles of a firm and you'll for sure get into interviews. Why should you listen to me? Because I graduated in 2011 with an absolutely horrific portfolio but had two job offers for full time and benefits before I even graduated. Good luck, seriously don't sweat the portfolio so much!
64% is not good. remove that. unless you were 90% or higher do not include it.
your layout is really cluttered. white space is important.
do not include photograph of yourself if applying for jobs in the U.S. no one does that here. very unprofessional.
the subtractive model is ugly but interesting in terms of process compared to the rest of the work. the rest of the projects read like a bland corporate portfolio. but that is not a-typical for South Asian students, sorry, the education system there seems to focus on being tediously practical.
regarding text in portfolio. do you read everyone else's text in their portfolio? my guess is no. no one does. so no more lengthy descriptions or manifestos.
good luck!
I don't understand why everyone feels the need to write "PORTFOLIO" in huge font on the cover of their portfolio. If you are submitting it to a job what else could it be mistaken for?
Non Sequitur, Bulgar, Starchitect and Rob,
Thanks for commenting! That was fast. And yes its horrible, that's why I posted it here for some honest feedback. Nobody around me has any sense of what a portfolio should be like! I can now clearly decide how to proceed thanks to you guys.
Now about the "64%" in high school, well it's a decent score in my state. (if comparing with US gpa system, then its a B+ or B or somewhere in that range) 90% or up? Thats ridiculously high and rare for Science students [math group not biology group]. You'll top the state with that score! And no I didn't come first in class. I got a first class [ an A as per gpa]. The class above first class is 'distinction' [A+].. We dont have GPA system here.
Coming to the photograph, I never had it in my initial resume. But it turned out that firms were asking for it (no not US. I never applied there. I pretty well know where I stand)
So yeah, I'll make some good renderings (hand + digital) which I had been planning to do anyway, omit most of the stuff crowding my layout and leave just the basics with some good white space. [I love uncrowded layouts you know! Its just that we were discouraged to leave white space when in school, so there is this nagging voice in my head asking me to fill every inch available! - I'll ignore it ]
Starchitect: Yeah, what you said is true here too. It's getting next to impossible to get a job without contacts. You have to know someone who knows someone. People are getting accepted just because they are somebody's somebody! And they might not even have a portfolio!
Sorry for a long post! But thanks again for your time guys. I appreciate it :)
Spoons
I'll get rid of that too. Now that you said it, it looks pointless to me. Thank you!
Kwitkatts,
I'll simply agree with rob_c.
Think about your audience. If you are applying for employment in the U.S., most employers will not know anything about your high school education system. Employers don't care about your high school GPA otherwise they be asking for GED scores for example. That's irrelevant stuff that most employers simply don't have the time to deal with that and try to make systematic comparison. 64% or scores in the 60.0%-69.9% will cognitively come off to employers as a D grade given the cultural experience in academic grading here.
You don't want them to be get the wrong impression.
Richard
Yes, thank you. I got that idea, since I had to look up the grading system and then find a way to compare the two, it was tedious. I'll keep it in mind if and when I apply for jobs abroad. Hadn't I posted this here I wouldn't have ever known!
Thank you for taking the time. I agree too, coming across as an under-performer is the last thing I want to happen.
Hi Kwitkatts,
Everyone here has done a great job of critiquing your portfolio content and layout so I won't go into detail on that. However, when applying to any architecture job I advise applicants to use the shortest portfolio possible.
For the first contact architecture application I recommend a “sample portfolio”, usually two to five pages long. Just like the resume, it is only a snapshot of your greatest work and experience.
I am only talking about the initial introduction to a firm, not the in person interview. For that I recommend a full length printed and bound traditional portfolio.
As for what to include in this short portfolio try to think about the process in reverse. Instead of building a portfolio and looking for a job, find a firm or specific job you are interested in and build a relevant, targeted portfolio for that role. A portfolio to a high design firm would look very different compared to a more conventional office.
I also suggest reaching out to anyone and everyone you know in the architecture community. You must know some professors who could put in a good word for you? Do you have any current or former classmates at firms you want to work for? Hopefully this will help you get your foot in the door!
This article might be helpful for you.
3 Tips to Get An Architecture Job With No Experience
Good luck!
Brandon
www.thearchitectsguide.com
thearchitectsguide
Oh hi.. I follow your blog!
The reverse thinking is a good idea and will give it a try.
Thank you for your advice :)
Brandon,
Good additional thought. Better said than my longer version of my reply to Kwitkatts which I trimmed down. It is much more eloquent.
i like it when balkins gives portfolio advice.
his portfolio is just stunning: http://www.rickbalkinsbuildingdesigner.com/
You're welcome Kwitkatts, thanks for following
Thanks Richard, great point about the GPA.
null pointer,
It's not a portfolio and I haven't put anything on there at this time.
The high school GPA / GED point. LOL!
Btw it is funny how the view changes from continent to continent. In Spain, a lot of teachers want ONE big panel where every centimeter has information. On my exchange year in the US, I did that and teachers said like Non Sequiter, dont put too much per page.
Also in Spain people use the exact same graphical style with focus on thin lines, black and white, helvetica + very faded out colors on every panel which is a nice style but man oh man do you get tired of all panels looking exactly the same.
Regarding portfolio then it also appears to be mixed regarding what people want. Some say 3-4 pictures of 3-4 projects while some people say 20 pages, others do a book.
I guess I am trying to say that it seems to be country-based so try to find out what they like in your country.
cgheintz
Yes it certainly seems "country-based". I'm sure my professors wouldn't be very happy with white spaces. But since I don't plan to work for them, I guess it's alright. I would like to have an uncluttered layout myself. So I'll go ahead with that.
I'm also thinking of revising a few projects, There were many things that could have been done differently, I guess it's time to work on it.
The firm in which I was working as a trainee, I had noticed them reviewing portfolios; so I think I know what they were looking for.
Also I've been making and decorating furniture lately. A brand new portfolio is what I see :)