The Future of Portfolio

A transcription of my answers in ‘The Future of Portfolio’, by Slavconf.

Do you really need a portfolio?

I’ve never known anyone get a job as a creative any other way. But it’s worth remembering that it’s about more than a single portfolio. It’s about multiple iterations. The journey of the portfolio, so to speak.

Breaking into advertising has always been tough. It’s a great industry that offers a plethora of interesting jobs for minds that want to be challenged. Role demand is high, candidate supply is high and role competition is fierce.

Expect a lot of portfolio critiques. I’m yet to meet someone who got all their placements simply by sliding their first attempt at a portfolio across a desk. Placements come as a result of relationships; seeing the same people, at the same agency, repeatedly, and repeating that exposure to improve our portfolio until it’s placement worthy, whilst simultaneously building their emotional investment in us.

What is the portfolio now and how it is changing?

It’s now easier than ever to be creative in a very public way. Social media accounts are free, and if we are prolific in creating interesting, valuable things, our audience will come to us. Then, if we have an idea, and we need some capital to support it, there’s Kickstarter. Again, if it’s a solid idea, and we’ve thought through a plan for realising it, our audience will come to us, and they will actually…