How to build a UX portfolio that gets you hired?

Ever wondered about how to build a magical UX portfolio that helps you get hired? A portfolio which dazzles the hiring managers, and they can’t help but interview you.

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We will now spill some of those secrets. Are you ready?

The first thing that all of you must understand is that hiring managers see a lot of portfolios. A LOT!!! So the problem you need to do is to produce a portfolio that stands out from the rest of the crowd.

An essential tip for all UX career aspirants - 5 Great Portfolio Projects >> 15 Mediocre Portfolio Projects

Reframe your portfolio as a UX project

Please think of the user experience of the hiring managers and the elements which catch their attention. When building a portfolio, it does not matter where you build it - UXFolio, Notion or PDF. Make the decision quickly and stick to it. Design your portfolio like a designer would - make a wireframe before you build out the actual portfolio.

Questions your portfolio must answer for the hiring manager

• Why should I look at your portfolio when I have a hundred others to go through?
• What value can you bring to my company?
• Does your portfolio reflect your level of experience and expertise?

For the actual portfolio, you can use inspiration to build yours. Don’t think of building it from scratch. Use Bestfolios and pick a portfolio that appeals to you and replicate its design. Redesign it over and over again.

Must-have sections for the UX portfolio

1. Title: Make the case study title short and snappy. Take inspiration.
2. Problem Statement: Explain why this is a problem worth solving and what is the goal of the project. If it is a multi-member project, clearly articulate your individual contribution.
3. User research and design process: Show how you went through the complete design process - users you talked to, insights etc. Stand out by showcasing your thought process.
4. Intermediate and final designs: Show how your design evolved and over how much time. It is a good indicator of speed and adaptability.
5. Results and takeaways: Showcase the impact of your work. If it is not an actual business project, then do a simple survey and showcase the results. Include what you would do to further improve the project.

Include one case study in your portfolio on a redesign/audit of the product you are applying for - it showcases stronger intent.

Tool of the Day

Image Downloader: Browse and download images on the web automatically. You can further filter by width, height or URL and organize them into a subfolder.