Getting to know each other is an obligatory stage of communication with people around you. Of course, it is easier to contact old friends: these people are aware of your character, habits and other individual characteristics. And the new ones have to tell everything again. It’s also good if we are talking about a casual conversation in the company of friends! But you often have to talk about yourself in writing, sometimes even in official documents. All kinds of profiles, resumes, accounts and interest clubs can’t wait for you to tell them information about yourself. For some, this is a mere formality, limited to a couple of standard sentences. But it happens that a lot depends on your description. In this case, you need to write about yourself not only honestly and competently, but also as interestingly as possible, so that your story does not get lost among other similar autobiographies.

Telling a story about yourself, whether spoken or written, is not easy for everyone. There are people for whom self-presentation is a habitual and even pleasant thing; they willingly share facts from their biography and present them in an exciting way, like a literary work. But for most, the need to write about themselves, and even in a special, non-standard style, is a serious test of their natural shyness, creative imagination, and simply their writing talent. For such people, we have prepared a kind of “cheat sheet” with hints and small tips on how to start, build and design your work, so that readers would be interested in reading about you even if no outstanding events occurred in your life, the description of which can become the basis of an adventure novel. In fact, everything is much simpler: even the biography of an average person who leads the calmest and most peaceful life can be read avidly if it is written in an interesting way.

Telling a story about yourself: rules, nuances and tips
An interesting feature of autobiography as a genre is that the same person can have any number of descriptions of his life. Moreover, life also remains one, and all the events that happened in it are true. But, depending on the style, purpose, and writing conditions, these works turn out completely different. As in any text, while maintaining one plot, an almost infinite number of plot development options are possible, where the narrative will be chronologically sequential or artistically distorted, logically correct or creatively adapted. As they say, there is a time and place for everything, and an autobiography when applying for a job has little in common with self-presentation when applying to a theater school. The only factor that unites them is you, or rather, the actual events of your life. Therefore, let’s first determine why and for what purpose you needed to write about yourself. The most common options are:

1. When applying for a job, study or service. This is the shortest, essentially formal and therefore simplest option. It is not difficult to cope with it even without special tips, especially since in such cases the autobiography, as a rule, is written according to, right down to filling out the fields of the questionnaire. But even if you have a blank sheet of paper in front of you, you are only required to present in chronological order basic information about the time and place of your birth, education received, professional experience and, briefly, marital status. Formal autobiographies do not require more. An exception may be biographies of representatives of creative professions: journalists, copywriters, editors. They are more demanding in terms of vocabulary used and possibly examples of work. But a portfolio is a separate task and it is also formed according to its own standards, independent of the autobiography.
   
2. When joining a thematic organization/club/section More detailed information about the candidate may be required. Depending on the direction of the establishment, include the relevant data in the list. For example, tell us about the sports awards, diplomas, medals and certificates won for participation and victories in Olympiads, intellectual games and competitions. If we are talking about a creative workshop, then it would not be amiss to talk about your preferences and tastes, favorite genres and techniques, idols and role models. The task of your life story in this case is to reveal your own character to people who still don’t know anything about you, and to join their formed team. Therefore, the more friendly and open your written story is, the more likely it will resonate and you are more likely to receive an invitation to an in-person oral interview.
   
3. When registering on a social network/dating site There are not and cannot be any hard and fast rules. But there are certain techniques that can be used to make your story about yourself interesting and attractive to other users. For example, many representatives of the fair sex use poems, lyrics of their favorite songs or quotes from literary works for this purpose, which, in their opinion, correspond to their character and worldview. This tactic should be considered quite ingenious, because, in the absence of confidence in your own literary talent, you can take advantage of the win-win creation of a recognized genius. One way or another, your task is to create the image you need in the eyes of strangers, and even invisible to you, people. And for this it is not at all necessary to adhere to documentary accuracy. Allow yourself a little invention, complete your own image in your imagination so that you like it - then others whose tastes coincide with yours will also like it. But don’t get carried away with fantasizing - you are still writing about yourself, and not creating a fictitious image of an ideal, but, alas, non-existent person.
   
4. When creating your own blog and/or literary work It’s interesting to write about yourself, it’s easy and difficult at the same time. On the one hand, for a professional writer, telling a story about yourself is not even work, but a pleasant relaxation bordering on subtle intellectual pleasure. And, since you dared to become an independent “parent” of an entire book or tool mass media(and a blog can easily be equated to an information publication), then writing an original and fascinating autobiography should not be a problem for you. On the other hand, it is self-narrative that takes many professionals by surprise. Because it’s one thing to analyze and present information within the framework of a well-studied and interesting topic. And it’s quite another thing to reveal yourself to readers as a person, to demonstrate to them not only your fundamental knowledge, erudition and talent, but also the traits characteristic of mere mortals, sometimes far from the qualities of an ideal creator. Plus, not all creative individuals are the same in their desire to speak publicly. And for writers, unlike actors and musicians, this causes many internal barriers: embarrassment, fear of excessive frankness, etc. In this case, it is advisable to call on your sense of humor to help. A successful joke can disguise unsightly facts and even turn them into advantages, or it can simply fill a pause or fill the content with unexpected meaning.
   

These recommendations were not invented yesterday or even last week; biographies have been created according to similar canons at all times, starting with the most ancient events in human history. Depending on the incidents and cultural values ​​of that time, not only and not so much facts of personal life were documented, but socially significant achievements. Thus, the eastern kings wrote down stories about their military victories, the ancient military leaders took over the baton from them, and Julius Caesar subsequently created “Notes on the Gallic War,” which is both a manual on military affairs and a fascinating story about the events of those times.

Medieval philosophers, travelers and even skilled craftsmen described their lives for students and descendants. The genre of autobiography then gained such popularity that it even became independent. literary direction, a classic and witty parody example of which still remains, for example, “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” by Rudolf Raspe. It is difficult to remember at least one writer who did not publish a description of his own life in his books. It was possible to find out a lot of details about even the most mysterious personalities through their personal diaries and correspondence. By the way, the epistolary genre is an inexhaustible source of inspiration when writing a story about yourself. After all, people try to be sincere in letters and trust the recipients with a lot of secret things. This can serve as a good school and a storehouse of ideas for you. So don’t be lazy to read biographies famous people, feel free to borrow interesting techniques and speech patterns from them.

An example of an interesting story about yourself
So, we have dealt with the theoretical aspect of writing a story about ourselves, it’s time to move on to practice. Because no one but you will write a biography about you in such a way as to reveal to readers all the facets of your character and bright individuality. Don’t forget that the most difficult thing is to start, to overcome the resistance of a blank sheet of paper. And then, word by word, the story will flow by itself if you allow yourself to surrender to creativity. You can gain such emancipation gradually; to do this, start with something simple: first write a formal autobiography, then expand it with introductory phrases and artistic vocabulary, and then completely color it with beautiful images and literary devices. Moreover, save each next option separately, it will be useful to you in the appropriate situation. This way, you will receive the blanks of several stories about yourself at once and will be able to use and modify them as necessary.

Example of a formal autobiography:

“I, Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich, was born on June 13, 1980 in Kiev. In 1987, he was admitted to the first class of secondary school No. 13, from which he graduated in 1997 with honors. In the same year he entered the Kiev National University. T.G. Shevchenko to the Faculty of Philosophy, majoring in Political Science. During my studies at the university I passed full preparation In the reserve officer training program, he received the rank of junior lieutenant. He graduated from the university in 2002 with a degree in political science. Immediately after completing his studies, he began working in a news agency as an analyst and consultant to the editor-in-chief. In 2008, I took the position of editor of the politics department, which I hold to this day.

I am married and have a 7-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. Wife, Anna Valentinovna Ivanova, born in 1986, a journalist by training, works for a monthly publication. I am interested in photography and painting, and love to travel. I'm leading healthy image life, I regularly go to the gym and go on bike rides. I don’t have any bad habits; I prefer to spend my free time from work with my family and on active recreation.”

Now let’s imagine that this person, already a little familiar to us, decided to join the ranks of the club of travel photojournalists. The club is virtual, the main communication between its participants takes place on its own forum on the Internet. And now our friend will have to register and greet the old-timers of the club, at the same time explaining to them who he is, why and why he came to the forum. The text of the story about yourself in that case will differ significantly from the one given above. It could be, for example, like this:

An example of an interesting autobiography:

“Dear friends, allow me to introduce myself! My name may seem funny to you at first glance, but believe me: it is real. That’s exactly what my parents named me, thanks to their sense of humor, and that’s what it says in my passport - and this, by the way, is an official document! In general, my name is Vanya, my last name is Ivanov. You can start making fun. But it will be even easier to remember me this way J

I have been interested in photography for quite a long time, for about seven years now. But, unfortunately, I only recently learned about your community. I really hope that you don’t have hazing and that newcomers are not barred from entering the club. Because your work and accumulated experience interested me extremely. I had the courage to look through the photo gallery presented on the site, and I am ready to take off my hat to the authors of these photographs. The accuracy of the reporting, the quality of the photographs, and the artistic flair of the photographers are very impressive. For my part, I promise that I will make every effort to live up to this high level and present your creativity with dignity.

As for me personally, I am a very ordinary person and practically not outstanding in anything. I make a living doing what I love most and what I know best: building hypotheses and making forecasts about the political situation in our country and beyond. It’s a troublesome and thankless task, but someone has to do it. But at home, waiting for me is an almost adult son, a first-grader, a sweet daughter, and, of course, my beloved and only wife, Anya. All three of them, by the way, also know a lot about travel and beautiful photographs.

In general, if I have not yet tired you too much with my biography and can be at least somehow useful to the respected community, then I will be very glad to be accepted into its ranks. I promise to be disciplined, polite and obediently follow all the rules of the club. A special greeting to all Kiev residents and an invitation to Sunday bike rides. To everyone else - just my immense affection and best wishes J"

Do you feel the difference between the first and second text? It is completely justified and caused by the specifics of communication and the purpose of the story about oneself. Analysis of the features of the given texts will help you understand the nuances of presenting information and in the future can be used by you when writing your own biography:

1. In both cases, the author did not sin against the truth and provided truthful information about himself. But in the second story, he deliberately omitted those facts that were not relevant to the case. But I included in the first paragraphs what might be of interest directly to this group of readers. A very correct tactic from the point of view of self-presentation - it takes into account the interests and characteristics of the audience’s perception.
   
2. The same goes for presentation style and vocabulary. In the first case, it is dry and official, as required by the documents. In the second, it is replete with colloquial expressions, figurative expressions and other means of language that are unacceptable in business correspondence. But for a group of friends with similar interests, this language will be the most understandable and pleasant.
   
3. Unlike the first, strictly text, in the second story the author makes full use of humor and personal charm, expressed through language. He verbally paints before the readers the image of a kind of joker and an easy-going person who is endearing to himself. This is a great way to make talking about yourself interesting because it takes away the rough edges of writing with the ease of friendly chat.
   
4. In the second story, the author constantly maintains contact with readers. Talking about himself, he managed not to focus on his beloved self, but to always address the audience. Use this technique to interest the reader, because every person enjoys being given special attention.
   
5. The author even took into account the fact that his story about himself would be perceived not aurally, but visually, and on a platform intended for interactive communication. That is why he allowed himself to use graphic symbols that were unacceptable in printed correspondence or a handwritten note. You can do the same: if you need to write about yourself on the Internet, then feel free to use emoticons and Unicode characters. But use them sparingly, do not overload the text, because an excessive number of pictures irritates the reader.
   

As you can see, with the right attitude and preliminary theoretical preparation, writing about yourself in an interesting and not dry way is not at all difficult. Finally, let me give you one final piece of advice. Before you start your story, make a list for yourself in which you list several of your most striking and characteristic features. These could be personality traits, outstanding achievements, or just fun facts from the past. By describing each of them, you will be carried away by the memories and involuntarily make the text fascinating and expressive. And it will be much more interesting for readers to learn about non-standard situations than about the average “born/studied/worked”. In general, write in such a way that it would be interesting for you to read about yourself, as if in front of you was the biography of some other, unfamiliar, but witty, cheerful and friendly person.

Today I want to show you a sample of filling out a student’s portfolio. I will describe what photographs and texts to place on the pages. In the article I will use .

The portfolio template consists of 42 pages. Of course, you can fill out all the pages that are included in the portfolio, but this is a lot. We create universal templates from a variety of pages. We strive to meet all the requirements of schools and kindergartens. Also, do not forget that the pages must be printed, and the price of each A4 sheet varies from 30 to 50 rubles.

1. TITLE PAGE

On the title page you must write: The name of the educational institution in full. (For example: " Municipal budgeteducational institution"Secondary school No. 35"); Last name First name Middle name of the child; Date of birth; city, the beginning of maintaining a portfolio and its completion. The child’s photo can be placed in a frame, or you can completely cut it out from the background and place a full-length photo of the child (depending on the template).

SECTION “MY WORLD”

• My portrait

On the “My Portrait” or “Meet Me!” page, we post the most beautiful photo that reflects the child’s character. We write interesting story about the child, his autobiography, character, hobbies, habits.

• My name

On the “My Name” page, write the meaning of the child’s name (can be downloaded on the Internet) or the story - Why did you name your baby that way? A photo of your child.

On the “My Family” page, write a story about your family, traditions, travel, hobbies, everything that you like to do together. Or simply describe each member of your family, grandparents, brothers, sisters. Place a general photo of the family here as well.

• My parents

On this page we talk about dad and mom. What they do, what they are interested in and who they work for. We talk about common activities with children.
For example: “Mom and I do yoga,” “Dad and I go to football,” “Mom taught me to cook,” etc.
It will also be interesting to write short story about your family, about family traditions and customs.
Photos of parents with a child, and general photos of the whole family are suitable here.

• My city; My village

Page “My city”, “My village”, “My little homeland”. It can be called differently, depending on where you live.

What do we write on this page? Of course, all the most interesting things about your city, town, region. Historical facts, interesting stories that happened in your city, everything that your favorite city or town is famous for. If you don’t know how to write, then don’t be shy, you can always find a lot of information on the Internet!
It is possible that you yourself will learn a lot of new things about your city!
And of course, on this page you need to place photographs of all or only the most beautiful places in your city.

This page should make your child proud of his city!

• My friends

"My Friends" page. One of the most interesting portfolio pages. Place photos of cheerful children playing on this page. if there are a lot of friends, then you can simply limit yourself to writing the First and Last Names of the children. Well, if there is space on the page, then be sure to write interesting stories about how children met or some joint adventures. Children quickly forget such events, and after reading this story in a couple of years, the child will seem to live it again.

• My hobbies

On the “My Hobbies” page, write a short story about what your child is interested in. Here you can write about classes at sports section, studying at a music school or other educational institutions of additional education. And photographs, the more the better.

Read the next article on how to fill out the remaining pages.

A portfolio is a great way to show your creative and professional abilities to future employers. The components of a portfolio vary greatly depending on your industry, but there are a few universal aspects. First, you will need to gather materials, including work samples, references, and a resume. Then create a portfolio online or in print (or both).

Steps

Part 1

How to collect materials

1. Select 10–20 high-quality samples of your work. This is the most important part of your portfolio because samples demonstrate your work ability. There is no need to overload your portfolio with a complete list of your past works. It is enough to limit yourself to the best 10-20 examples, from which you can judge not only the breadth, but also the depth of your abilities.

   • Specific work samples depend on your industry. Thus, a model should choose high-quality photographs, while a writer should prepare a variety of examples of articles or other written materials.

2. Do high quality photos their works. Original work may be too valuable to risk handing over to employers along with a portfolio. Take photographs of 3D and 2D work, as well as photocopies of written work. Photograph subjects with a tripod to prevent accidental camera movements, and position your lighting assembly to avoid glare.

   • If you are attaching an article published in a newspaper or magazine, then in addition to the text of the article, also make photocopies of the first page of the publication and the contents page.

3. Collect documented evidence of achievements. If your achievements were featured in articles, please include copies of newspaper clippings. National newspapers and magazines will be the most compelling sources, but don't shy away from articles in local, university, or online publications.

   • If you served in the military, please include your service record. Include information about awards, titles or distinctions.
   • If you have recently completed your studies or are enrolling in an educational institution, you can include a diploma or certificate supplement in the kit.
   • Include any relevant awards or certificates.

4. Ask 3-5 people to give you recommendations. You should prepare a list of professional and academic sources who can confirm your skills and abilities if contacted. Choose wisely and get permission from each person to be included in such a list. Please include your full name, title, email address, mailing address and telephone number. Also briefly describe how you relate to the person.

   • Such a list should take no more than one page.
   • This type of information should not be posted online, but it will be useful in a printed portfolio or in an email to an employer who has seen your online portfolio.

5. Write a personal statement. Write a paragraph with brief personal information, long-term and short-term goals, and your approach to work. Depending on your industry, you may also want to include your creative, management, teaching, or similar philosophy.

   • If you are going to show your portfolio to a large number of employers, then your personal statement should be broad enough to cover all the necessary aspects.
   • Use specifics instead of generalizations. For example, write: “My experience producing a feature-length student film has taught me the perseverance needed to succeed in the challenging independent film industry,” instead of: “I have worked on various film sets and would be a good candidate.”

6. Update your resume. If you haven't updated your resume in a while, now is a good time, as your resume can be made part of your portfolio. Your resume should reflect your current work experience, skills and academic achievements.

   • If you don't have extensive work experience, you can bolster your resume with academic awards or volunteer experience.
   • Don't forget to update your resume on online platforms.

   Part 2

   How to create a website with a portfolio

   1. Create a website based on the template. There are many companies that will allow you to create your own website. Some platforms may charge for advanced features and additional services, but a simple portfolio website can be created for free. There are also convenient sites with payment every month or every year (Squarespace).

      • It is best to choose a template with a simple design and minimal animation, rather than overloaded pages with flashy effects.

   2. Create a home page with examples of work. This should be the first page that site visitors see. Experiment with different sample placement options and find the most attractive solution. Arrange examples in a grid, frame-by-frame slides, or scrollable list. Use brief captions or job descriptions. You can also add a concise subheading indicating your type of activity on the main page, but the bulk of personal information should be provided on the “About Me” page.

      • Upload small files to help the page load faster.

   3. Create a Contact page so people can contact you. You can create a form that allows people to send you emails, or you can simply enter your email address. If you don't already have a work email address, now is a good time to fill that gap.

      • It’s better not to list your phone number online to avoid becoming a victim of spam. You can provide your phone number to people who contact you by email to clarify details.
      • Please understand that once you publish your email address, you will receive a lot of spam emails.

   4. Experiment with the settings to find the best design. Most website creation services allow you to change the font, colors and layout of elements. Choose a simple, legible font because examples of your work, not headlines, should grab attention. Choose a color scheme and website theme that best reflects your professional goals.

      • For example, if you want to become a children's book illustrator, then you can use pastel colors on your website, but for a financial copywriter, a dark color scheme would be more suitable.

   5. Collect feedback on the site before launch. Show your site to a friend, family member, teacher, or colleagues. They will help you make the necessary improvements and correct any mistakes you may have made.

      • For a general rating like “good site,” ask for more specific feedback and explain that you won’t be offended by criticism. Ask clear questions like: “Should I change certain text? What do you think about the arrangement of examples of work? Can you get the right impression from the “About Me” page?”

   Part 3

   How to Create a Print Portfolio

   1. Use quality printing paper. You will need quality paper and a color printer. As a general guideline, glossy paper is best for displaying fine art, while for business, teaching, or writing, matte paper is better suited for printing work. Some creators choose matte paper for their creations, so it's up to you.

      • Make sure that the orientation of all portfolio pages is the same (either horizontal or vertical). It should be convenient and easy for a person to view portfolio pages without having to expand.

More and more often, lately we have seen a trend where well-written texts on the main pages “make” us a tempting offer that seems impossible to refuse.

But here's the problem...

There is a natural desire to get more information about the “source of such a sweet offer” in order to understand whether it can be trusted.

Therefore, we look into the “about ourselves” section.

And here we are greeted by a real “disaster text”, presented in one of three forms: modest, boastful, and stereotyped.

And none of these formats can convince us that the service needs to be ordered in this particular place.

Let's look at these three standard "About Me" texts and think about how we can strengthen them.

Modest. Undoubtedly, modesty is a good character trait, but not in sales. Why are we talking about sales? Yes, because the text “about yourself” is an important link in the chain of converting a potential buyer into a real one. If one link breaks, the order/purchase fails.

Now about modesty. Imagine searching for a computer technician:

- I need the BEST computer repairman. I came to the right place, didn't I?!

- Well, what are you talking about! I'm the most ordinary...

Excessive modesty in sales is inappropriate. Therefore, you cannot modestly sell yourself through text in the style of “full name, born, married and achieved nothing else.”

Boastful. It just so happens that boasting, to one degree or another, is characteristic of, perhaps, each of us. We boast about new toys, then about our school successes, and then about our significant others and careers.

However, you should always remember that “to boast means to say to others without any courtesy: I am better than you”.

Would you want to collaborate with a person who, albeit inadvertently, still exalts himself above the earth, describing all his merits in such a way that you feel embarrassed about his life achievements? Would you like to use the services of an author who tried to sell himself with text in the style “I can do EVERYTHING, and you can do nothing”?

Unlikely!

Excessive self-confidence and bragging irritate, repel and in every possible way hinder sales.

Template. Oh, such texts are found most often. Faceless and monotonous. They literally copy each other, competing with each other for the variety of synonyms used.

Having not found anything better, some site owners simply copy, and not the most successful, texts “about themselves” from the resources of their competitors:

"My name is ____. I am a professional with extensive experience and many satisfied clients.”

We talked earlier about creating advertising at the expense of competitors. This is a good approach. But the main idea here is not copying, but a deep analysis, based on the results of which weak and strengths competitors. Against this background, unique “corporate differences” are being developed.

Do you recognize the text posted on your website in these “models”? This only means that you are ALREADY losing customers.

We need to act.

8 selling elements

We invite you to pay attention to 8 selling elements that will turn the “dummy” located on the site into.

No. 1. Introduction

Standard scheme: greeting + full name. For example, "Let's get acquainted! My name is ____" or "Welcome to ____". Classics are always relevant, but...

Our task is to interest the reader, to “draw” him into the text. We must be different so that a person will note for himself from the first lines: "Oh, this is something new".

Use an intriguing introduction. Think about WHAT visitors want to know, and WHAT you personally want to tell them from the very beginning.

Here's how Denis Kaplunov, the founder and ideological inspirer of our Studio, did it on the pages of his blog:

You can’t even imagine how difficult this text turned out to be for me.

At one time, I prepared serious analytical articles on legal topics.

There were days when I spent all night long writing advertising poems.

I even remember writing several articles in the style of “How to seduce a woman in 5 minutes without spending a single penny and earning thousands of dollars”? ...

My name is Denis Kaplunov.

Full name: Kaplunov Denis Aleksandrovich.

No. 2. What do you do?

“And it’s clear that this is a mandatory element”, - you say. Understandable, but not for everyone. Some manage to skip it, arguing: “Why, in fact, duplicate information? The site header says what I do ____.”

It should not be. In the “about yourself” text, you must provide users with complete information, without abbreviations or understatement.

Tell us not just about what you do, but who will be interested in it, and HOW you can solve the problems of potential clients with your work/product.

No. 3. Advantages

But this, unfortunately, is generally very rare in texts “about oneself.” Many people don’t even think about the fact that in this way they can greatly enhance the written material.

First, identify your specific benefits (emphasis on the word “specific”!). Use facts, figures, useful data. Think about how they can be “presented” favorably.

By listing the advantages, you should automatically answer the question - WHY should a person contact you?!

For example:

Number of students - ____.

The learning rate is ____.

Guarantee: if after ____ you do not learn to speak English language, I will return the money for training in full volume.

No. 4. Achievements

Here, it seems to us, explanations are unnecessary. Show potential clients your capabilities and achievements (diplomas, diplomas, certificates, titles, awards, etc.).

This also includes all kinds of interviews, articles on third-party resources, trainings and seminars.

Learn to point out your victories with dignity:

2005 - Certificate of Honor ____.

2007 - Winner of the Republican competition ____.

2008 - Diploma of participation in the municipal competition ____.

2009 - Certificate from the Administration ____ for the preparation of the project ____.

Even better - not only list these victories, but also SHOW them in the form of links, screenshots or photographs.

No. 5. Personal qualities

This is a kind of analogue of the company’s mission and goals. If possible, briefly describe your tasks and important personal qualities that set you apart from your competitors.

We all want to work not with a robot, but with a person. Therefore, try to include such a block in the text “about yourself”.

No. 6. Photo images

It’s hard to imagine high online sales today WITHOUT photos. And how can you buy something that you have never seen, or from someone whose appearance remains a mystery to you.

Imagine a text “about yourself” without a photo. The same as talking to a person who is behind a screen.

The purpose of photographs is to create a sense of trust and maximum openness.

It can be:

• portrait;
• a photograph taken during the presentation of an award or in the process of work;
• photo image against the background of diplomas;
• and so on.

Use ONLY bright and high-quality photos (and not microscopic blurry pictures that are impossible to see).

No. 7. Call to action

Yes, yes, and here a call to action is needed. We must not forget that the text “about yourself” must not just show off, list and convince - it must work and guide along a given course.

This could be a feedback form, an offer to look at your portfolio, unobtrusive advice to read reviews, or a request to dial the specified phone number.

No. 8. Sincerity

It’s not for nothing that we pointed out this point. Whatever one may say, sincerity is a mandatory component of the material “about oneself”. Without it, compilation is useless.

If the text “seems” false, then users will certainly feel it. And instead of trust, a feeling of deception will be formed, turning into a firm belief that they are being fooled here.

Remember! Sincerity is the sign of an honest person and your guarantee of success.

Afterword

There is an opinion that writing a text “about yourself” on your own is quite difficult.

Undoubtedly! But it’s even more difficult to write a text “about yourself” on your own that will work for sales, and not just fill free space on the site.

This is exactly the kind of text you need. Then why waste your time - contact our Studio immediately, and we will develop an effective sales tool for you.

The best way to “sell” yourself as a designer is to make yourself a quality portfolio. In it you reflect your work and attract clients. Every designer should have a portfolio. If so, first ask yourself a few questions: How much time do you spend improving your portfolio? What do you think are the best works in it? One thing is for sure - no matter how your portfolio is presented, it can always be improved

There's nothing more important than presenting the best of your work in a clear, compelling way. This article will help you achieve all this. Below are 20 tips for creating the perfect portfolio. These tips are for both physical and online portfolios. Keep these tips in your mind. Let me know what you think in the comments - I will be glad to receive a response.

Physical design portfolio

20. Size

One of the main questions to answer is how much work should your portfolio contain? For a comprehensive portfolio you need at least 20 examples of your best works to make the best impression. Although practice shows that sometimes 5-6 really well-designed and best works are enough.

19. Relevant Examples

If you are applying for a full-time designer position, it is best to include examples that are relevant to the position. If, for example, you want to get a job as a web designer, then showing a potential employer a set of logos will not work. Real or fictitious sites and prototypes are what you need ideally.
Reference image: http://www.behance.net/gallery/14739489/PASCAL-QUIGNARD

18. Context

The designer or artist must be able to create graphics appropriate to the task. You must be able to understand the brief well. If you have lonely pictures in your portfolio, add context to them. Where did these images come from? How did the idea come about? What was your train of thought? Anything that supports the concept of the image is a must for inclusion in the portfolio.

17. Work for pleasure

The portfolio should include more than just work for clients. Design should also be your hobby. Post your own projects, because they often turn out much more interesting than custom work.

16. Keep it fresh

As experience grows, so does the portfolio, replenished with more and more new projects. This does not mean that the portfolio must contain all the work. Clean it up periodically, leaving only the best and freshest work.

15. Examples

A portfolio is not just about your work. Very good. when there are also recommendations. Highlight them boldly and attach them to your work. Moreover, provide transcripts and cases for your work; often they also serve as a plus. All this shows your capabilities. If you ever find yourself without a job, ask your previous place for recommendations, they always help.

14. Step back

Look at your portfolio from a third party perspective. Look at it with an experienced eye, instead of waiting for criticism from real clients. It is very important that you know your strengths and weaknesses. Based on this, you can prioritize graphics improvement and practice.

13. Demonstration of skills

Think of a portfolio as a creative biography. You need to make an impression, show that you are a professional. Make a strong note of your professional skills including communication and especially meeting deadlines. Try to give the impression that your skills include communication and meeting deadlines.

12. Sell yourself

What other creative talents do you have? Are you a good photographer? Or even a singer? You need your potential employer to know about your other creative abilities.

(picture from the site http://lizz.es/)

11. Portfolio indexing

When you read a book, or skim through it, or surf another website, you usually mark or add to your favorites pages that interest you. That is, exactly what your potential employer will do. This is easy to do - make sure that all pages have numbers (sites have unique URLs).

Online Portfolio

10. Platform

To build your portfolio online, there are several options. If you want a clean, personalized space, you can simply buy a domain and create a website for yourself. Or just set up a WordPress site yourself. If you are not ready to spend so much effort, try special sites, for example.

9. Goals

You need to make sure that you understand the purpose of creating an online portfolio. Is this a feedback tool? Or is it for employment? Answering these questions will help you better set up your portfolio and increase your chances of success.

8. Be selective

You don't have to post all your work online. Be selective - choose the best ones and different examples. No one needs to see everything. You have to make people want more, that's what your portfolio should do.

7. Present your work carefully

The London-based illustrator says: “Lay out your work carefully. The wishes for an online portfolio are the same as for physical ones: you must tell a story and show projects so that a common flow is created and everything interacts. If that means the old project has to be scrapped and replaced with a new one, then so be it.”

6. Show, don't tell.

A website, like a business card, says a lot about you. More precisely, it shows a lot about you. You need to make sure that your visitors see and receive their first positive visual impressions before they start reading.

5. Keep updating

It is very important to constantly update your portfolio with new works. If you leave your site without updating for several months, people will no longer want to buy what is already posted there.

4. Update quickly

You need an effective design to update your portfolio regularly. It should be simple, two or three clicks, no more. If not, then you will get tired of posting new pictures due to the complexity of the process.

3. Photos of printed projects

Have you thought about displaying printed work in an online portfolio? Take a good camera, place your work in good lighting, use equipment if necessary. Make sure the photos turn out really well, otherwise viewers won't be able to appreciate the finesse.

2. Marking

Publish your work online. This will allow your clients and visitors to refer to your work when they talk about you.

1. How did you work?

It is important to show the final product. But what's more important is to show how you managed to achieve the final product. Give your customers an idea of ​​how you made the parts

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