Building a Personal Portfolio

🚨You want a job? ❌You keep getting rejected over and over? Here’s the hard truth: 👇 ✅(1) Clarity Open your portfolio for one second. Can you immediately tell, with 100% certainty, what role you’re aiming for? Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter who looks at hundreds of portfolios per day. For example, if you want to be hired as a Character Artist,⬇️ ➡️ ONLY post characters. ➡️NOTHING else. No props. No environments. No concept art. ✅(2) Presentation Imagine spending weeks, or even months, on a project, only to rush the renders in a single night.🤯 How much time do you spend on your renders? How many iterations before you land on something strong? 👉The answer is probably not enough. ➡️Sleep on it. ➡️Come back later. ➡️Get feedback. ➡️Study how your favorite artists render their work. ➡️What software do they use? ➡️ How do they frame and light their shots? 🚨The truth is: presentation can make a project look 100x better. 🔔 If you look closely, I added the same characters in both examples, but the twist is, in the first images, the renders were rapidly made and rushed. ✅(3) Background & Profile Picture ➡️If possible, give your portfolio a theme🎨 ➡️Something consistent. Something that catches attention. ❌ Not just random colors thrown together. ➡️The same goes for profile pictures: ➡️Use something professional or visually striking. ➡️Avoid random selfies, it looks unprofessional and can work against you. ✅(4) Less Is More You might be tempted to include every school or personal project. But often, that’s exactly what’s holding you back. ➡️Go through your portfolio and ask yourself: ❓If this was the ONLY piece in my portfolio, would I get hired? ➡️If the answer is no, cut it.  🚩Weak projects are like giant red flags. They pull attention away from your stronger work. ➡️Most artists need to remove 50–80% of what’s in their portfolio. ✅(5) Treat Your Portfolio Like a Job If your last project was posted 6–12 months ago⏳ your chances of getting hired are close to zero. ➡️Work on your craft like it’s a full-time job: ➡️Minimum of 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. ➡️Be willing to sacrifice. Many others already are, and they’re the ones taking the jobs. ➡️Post a major new project every 1–2 months. ➡️Share every step of your progress openly on LinkedIn. 🚨I can’t count how many times recruiters and lead artists reached out just because they saw how consistently I was producing. ✅(6) Connections, Connections, Connections The more people who see your work, the more opportunities you get. 👉Extreme example: ➡️Person A has 100,000 connections. ➡️Person B has 200 connections. ➡️They both post the exact same project. 🚨Person "A" has 500x more chances to get seen by a recruiter. So: send invitations. Comment. Talk to people. Do it daily. The snowball effect is real. 👉 That’s the difference between hoping and actually getting hired.

I used to think my portfolio had to impress other designers. So I filled it with sleek mockups, polished animations, and endless case studies. It looked beautiful...But it didn’t land me clients. Why? Because clients don’t hire you for aesthetics. They hire you for outcomes. 🚫 Too many portfolios still look like it’s 2015: → Pretty mockups → Trendy layouts → 10-second Behance loops But here’s the hard truth: Clients don’t care how cool it looks. They care what it does. 💡 Ask yourself: → Does my portfolio solve real business problems? → Am I showing results or just visuals? → Is it written for clients or for other creatives? What actually works in 2025: ✅ Highlight before/after results (data if possible) ✅ Explain your thinking, not just your tools ✅ Tailor your portfolio to your ideal client, not your peers Because great design isn’t just about craft It’s about clarity, strategy, and trust. ✨ Your portfolio shouldn’t be a gallery. It should be a sales tool. One that shows the value you bring, not just the vibe. 💬 Got a portfolio tip that worked for you? Drop it in the comments, let’s help each other grow. 📌 Save this if you’re about to redesign yours. It’s not about looking good. It’s about landing the right kind of work.

I get asked this all the time by aspiring AI engineers: “What projects should I build that actually matter?” So I put together 5 portfolio ideas that reflect what real AI teams are building in 2026. None of these are half-day projects. They are not meant to be. A strong portfolio project should stretch you. It should challenge your analytical thinking. It should force you to think in terms of system design, trade-offs, evaluation, latency, cost, and production constraints. If it feels easy, you are probably staying at the surface. When you build, go deep. - Do not just generate code and move on. - Define the problem clearly. - Choose the dataset/eval set intentionally. - Justify the model. - Explain your architecture decisions. - Document your trade-offs. - Add evaluation. Add monitoring. - Treat it like something you would ship in a real company. Then host it properly. GitHub, Hugging Face Spaces, wherever you prefer. And write about it. Share: - What problem you solved - What dataset you used - What models you chose and why - Your architecture diagram - Tools and frameworks you selected - What did not work That write-up is often more impressive than the repo itself. If you build one of these and share it here, tag me. I genuinely enjoy reading well-thought-out engineering work.

7 INSTANT IMPROVEMENTS FOR STAFF PRODUCT DESIGN PORTFOLIOS I just reviewed 100 Staff Product Design portfolios. Most of them looked exactly the same. For many companies, Staff level isn't about years of experience. It's about impact and craft at scale. And your portfolio needs to show that. 1 - First impressions ✅ Case studies visible without scrolling ✅ Perfectly fitted to the screen ✅ Strategic keywords that showcase your expertise ✅ Clear TLDR's and blurbs 2. Storytelling Clear language ↳ I don't have to guess what your abbreviations mean Less is more ↳ Instead of paragraphs of text, I see short sentences. ONLY truly senior folks do this. The rest write their newsletters in portfolios Every case study has a table of contents that decreases my cognitive load ↳ I know exactly where I am in a case study and what's ahead 3. Consistency All case studies follow an identical structure: → Same headers → Same sections → Same flow Save the creativity for your solutions. Not your formatting. 4. Reverse storytelling Impact first. Approach/Process second. Start with what changed and WHY it's important for the business AND the user. Then tell me how. Most portfolios make me dig through 10 pages to find the results. 5. Beyond basic UX They know how to add life to their work. • Animated prototypes • Changing modes • Microinteractions • Animations But it's not vulgar. It's JUST enough to wow. 6. They ARE the brand They show me who they are. Through their design (not selfies) That means: → Consistent visual language → Personal brand that stands out → Attention to every detail "I'm not a visual designer" isn't an excuse at the staff level. Excellence is excellence. 7. Scale → 0 to 1 AND 1 to many → Mobile AND desktop → B2B AND B2C → Feature work AND system design But here's the key: Every project shows ownership of the entire product stream. Not just your slice of the pie. Sounds like a lot? Well, not everyone is a Staff. Junior portfolios show tasks completed. Senior portfolios show problems solved. Staff portfolios show businesses transformed. If you're still showing individual features without business context... If you're still hiding your metrics on page 12... If you're still thinking in screens instead of systems... You might have good level of experience. But it's not a staff level case study that will get you hired. And in this market? That's the difference between getting interviews and getting ignored. P.S. Think this is useful? Wait until you see my plan for the next 2 months of 2025. Sign up for my newsletter to know more. Link in comments

Tired of employers not seeing your value? The "Portfolio Strategy" will fix that (in 7 simple steps): [Context] Companies hire people for one reason: They believe they'll bring the most value to the role. Resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn are traditional ways to illustrating that value. But they're not the best. If you're struggling to see results with them? You need a portfolio. 1. Choose Your Platform First, choose the place where you'll host your content. I recommend a place that: - Allows you to create the way you want - Maximizes your visibility If you're job searching, it's tough to beat LinkedIn. Medium is another solid option. 2. Identify Your Target Companies Next, brainstorm your list of target companies. You're going to be researching them and creating value that's directly tied to their goals, challenges, and vision. I recommend starting with 3-5. Bonus points if they're in the same industry. 3. Align Your Projects Start with one company. Research the heck out of it from a high level. Then dive deeper into researching the specific product and team you're targeting. Your goal is to identify: - Goals -Challenges - Initiatives Learn as much as you can about them. 3a. Align Your Projects (Examples) Marketer? Perform site audits and recommend 3 ways for companies to get more leads. Software Engineer? QA your favorite apps / tools to identify bugs or improvements. Graphic Designer? Refresh the branding for your favorite products. 4. Map Out The Process Start with your methodology: Why this company / product? Break down your research, brainstorming, and solution process. Find and include reputable data. Project outcomes / ROI if you can. Finally, make a compelling case. Don’t just summarize, sell! 5. Show Your Work Now turn that process into content! Write up a "case study" showing: - The problem / opportunity - How you identified it - Your solution(s) - How you came up with them - The process for implementing them When it's ready, hit publish! 6. Share Your Work Now your case study is out in the world! First, add it to your LinkedIn featured section. Next, break it down into bite sized pieces of content. Start writing posts around: - Your research process - Your solutions process - Insights you came across - Etc 7. Systematize It This works best when you consistently work at it. Create a daily schedule and commit to it. Before you know it, you’ll have a body of work that includes *real* results and clearly illustrates your value. That’s going to get you hired!

Hiring managers will not connect the dots for you. If you leave it up to the hiring manager, they will not make the connection between your experience and their needs. Your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile must spell it out for them. - Clearly. - Simply. - Quickly. Here's how to do that. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 and note the key hard skills and experience the company values. I recommend that you identify at least 3 major needs the employer has that this position will address. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 3 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 that align with the needs you’ve identified and demonstrate an example of how you’ve met them in the past. Use the CAR format to make it easy for employers to see how you’ve solved similar problems. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞: What problem did you face? 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: What steps did you take to address it? 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: What was the outcome? 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 3 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 at the top of your resume. I recommend a Signature Accomplishments section separate from the other content, perhaps set off in a shaded border. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬. If you're looking to switch industries or roles, identify the skills that are transferable. List these prominently and provide context for how they can be applied in the new role. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. It’s so important, especially if you’re switching industries, that you make sure your resume isn’t full of jargon from the industry you’re leaving. Use the language of the industry you’re trying to transition into. I also strongly recommend that you choose 3 high-priority keywords and place these at the top of your resume right underneath your target job title. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟. Add metrics to quantify your results. Even if you’re not responsible for revenue generation, you can add in how much, how many, size, time, or comparison to work in numbers. 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲’𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. Explicitly draw lines between your experience and the company’s needs. State specifically what they need and how you have relevant experience doing that. Give an example. This leaves no room for doubt that you are a fit for the role. How do you connect the dots? #resumes #Careers #LinkedInTopVoices

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲?  You’re not alone.  Recently I’ve been receiving countless inMails asking for advice on making an industry switch.   A recurring theme caught my attention, so I dug into the data.  1. 𝟳𝟴% 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟰𝟬 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰.   2. 𝟳𝟳% 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.  The pandemic didn’t just shift routines. It shifted priorities.  But here’s what I hear most often:   “𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 10+ 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺?”  My answer? Yes, it is. And if you’ve successfully pivoted before, you’ve already proven your ability to adapt, learn, and excel in new environments. That’s a message employers want to hear.  Here’s how to approach it:  𝟭. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀.   What have you mastered that transcends industries?   Leadership, communication, problem-solving - these are gold everywhere.  𝟮. 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.   If you’ve pivoted before, showcase it. Success in new settings proves your adaptability and resilience.  𝟯. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽.   Learn about your target industry.   Take courses, join webinars, or find a mentor to sharpen your knowledge.  𝟰. 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.   Align your CV, LinkedIn, and interview pitch to the industry you’re targeting.   Be clear about the value you bring.  𝟱. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆.   Connect with professionals in your desired field.   Join groups, attend events, and start meaningful conversations.  𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: Be crystal clear on your WHY.  I once had a candidate tell me they wanted to pivot because “I live close to your office.”   A career change takes courage and commitment from both sides. Your reasons need to reflect your vision, not convenience.  What about you?   Are you considering a career change in 2025?   Or did you successfully pivot in 2024? Share your story, I’d love to hear it!  

At my cousin's wedding, I watched the photographer work. 3,000 photos taken. 47 delivered. "Why so few?" I asked. "Madam, people don't want to see everything. They want to see the best version of their story." That's when it clicked me🔻 This is exactly how we should manage our careers. We're taking 3,000 skills, and showing all 3,000. Result? Confusion, not clarity. 📌As per LinkedIn’s data: Profiles with 5 focused skills get 17x more views than those listing 20+. The paradox: More is less when everything matters equally. So, here’s the "Portfolio Curation Method" I now teach: Capture Everything (backstage) -Document all projects -Track all learnings -Note all connections Curate Strategically (frontstage) -Show 3-5 signature strengths -Highlight pattern of impact -Tell a cohesive story Archive Wisely (storage) -Keep records for depth -Pull when relevant -Update quarterly Example transformation: BEFORE: "Experienced in project management, data analysis, team building, Excel, presentation skills, communication, leadership, problem-solving..." AFTER: "I transform complex data into stories that drive million-dollar decisions." Understand the pattern: Same person with a curated story getting 10x more interviews. Last quarter, a client reduced her LinkedIn skills from 23 to 4. Recruiter messages increased 300%. Why? Because when you stand for everything, you stand out for nothing. The photographer was right: People don't want to see everything. They want to see the best version of your story. P.S. What would happen if you showed only your best 47 photos instead of all 3,000? #CareerPortfolio #PersonalBranding #StorytellingInBusiness #ProfessionalBrand #CareerStrategy #LinkedInTips #PortfolioCuration

How to Pick the Right Cybersecurity Project While Learning Not every project will get you hired. I’ve seen many people build great things, then wonder why it didn’t translate into a job offer or interview. Here’s the truth: Not all projects are equal. Some will build real skills. Others just look nice but teach you nothing. The right project is not just technical, it’s strategic. It solves a real-world problem, shows your ability to think, and positions you for the role you want. Let’s break it down. 1. Start with the end in mind Are you targeting a GRC role? Then focus on policies, risk assessments, compliance mock audits. Dreaming of a SOC Analyst role? Simulate incident response, build alerting dashboards, analyze log data. Want to go into cloud security? Secure an AWS lab, set up IAM policies, run vulnerability scans on EC2. 2. Pick problems that companies actually face It’s not about looking fancy. It’s about showing you can solve problems businesses care about. What skills do employers expect? Grab 3 job descriptions, list the common skills. Your project should mirror those skills. Example: Build a phishing simulation for a fictional company and write a report on user behavior and controls. 4. Document your process like a consultant The value is not just in the result, it’s in your thinking. Write it up as a case study. Add visuals. Share lessons learned. That’s what makes it “portfolio-worthy.” 💡Use the 3R Rule for picking projects: 1. Relevant → Align with the job role you’re aiming for. 2. Realistic → Something you can complete with your current tools + time. 3. Relatable → Something you can explain clearly in interviews (“Why did you build this?”) One project > ten tutorials A focused, end-to-end project that shows initiative, decision-making, and communication is 10x more powerful than just completing labs. If you’re learning cybersecurity and want to get hired, don’t just build… build with direction. #CybersecurityCareerGrowth

Case Studies – they can make or break a feature. In theory, they should be simple to do, but it reality, they’re often tricky to get right. For my Media Training Monday this week, here’s all you need to know to create the perfect case study. ❓Decide why you’re including a case study: They can add weight to your story, prove a point, bring some excitement to an otherwise dull subject matter or layer on human connection. Your why will inform how to approach your case study. ✅ Ensure the person you choose is reliable: There’s nothing more frustrating than a case study dropping out last minute. Appearing in the media isn’t for everyone, so please check they are genuinely willing to do it and not being pressured. 📸 They need to be named and pictured:  We can’t run a case study without personal details, so we may need to know their age and where they live too. This isn’t being intrusive but reassures the audience the person is genuine. ✅ Ensure your case study fits the story: I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been offered the PR’s friend who doesn’t quite fit the narrative, but it’s all the press office could find. This makes us doubt the veracity of the original story. 🤳 Great photography helps your pitch:  Tight budgets mean we’re relying more on PR-provided photos. Whether the case study is a CEO, a customer,  or a normal person who has done something extraordinary, it’s essential to have clear colour images where you can see the person’s face and where the setting relates to the story. If you’re PR-ing a business, invest in a proper photo shoot for key voices. I'd recommend Nick Morrish. For one-offs, a phone photo will suffice, but be mindful of lighting and what’s in the background.  Please don’t send images lifted from social media, a tiny LinkedIn headshot, or inappropriate to the story. This week I’ve been sent photos of a person lounging bed for a Times business story – not one I needed to see nor one that I can use. ⏱️ Timing is everything: If you’re a PR-ing a story which may need a case study, have a selection to hand. If we have to chase you to get one, the story may go cold. ✅ Be honest: If the case study has appeared elsewhere before, then tell us. It’s not always a deal breaker – for example if there is no crossover in the audience of the old and new titles -  but we do need to know. It earns you respect from the journo when you’re upfront. ☎️ Email, phone or in-person interview? Each of these work but the advent of fake AI-driven case studies, we’re veering more towards talking on the phone 📣 Let them speak: While it’s tempting to use the case study interview to land key messaging, it’s not what it’s for. We want to hear what the case study has to say – and if you’ve found the right case study, they’ll say what you need in a natural way. And yes, I know it’s Tuesday but life got in the way this week! Any suggestions for what you’d like me to talk on next week, please pop them in the comments below.