Having a portfolio in the fashion, film and journalism field is just as important as a résumé and college degree.
The world has become so competitive that anyone that is striving to be successful needs to have a leg up on the competition.
Since I was a clothing designer back in 1999, I knew the importance of having a portfolio that potential clients could access easily. In today’s world of technology and apps it is almost obscene not to have your own online portfolio.
I overheard a professor say to a student “I’d like to suggest you for this photography job, but you do not have a website of your work.”
Students and newcomers to any industry at this point have to make their abilities stand out among the crowd. One of the ways to do this is to build a portfolio of work and publish it online.
A poll taken of Pierce College students where the question was “Which element do you think is most important to succeed in the entertainment industry?” With the selection of answers being:
A) A Degree
B) A Portfolio/Internship
C) Networking
D) Determination
E) Talent
The majority of students said C) Networking was the most important.
In my experience I find that this is true, but all the networking in the world is not going to land you a job if you do not have a portfolio of work to sell yourself.
Every time you work on anything of quality, consider adding the project to your portfolio.
In my case I have a website that I built very inexpensively and maintain myself from the very first fashion style project I did. This portfolio over the years has help get me get paying work and established credibility in a very hard industry to break into, such as fashion.
It is always a work in progress, as is life and a creative career, but with some motivation, inspirations and determination anyone can make it if they really work at it.