If somebody told you they were great at something, would you take them at their word when choosing to invest in their so-called ‘expertise’?

“Well Mr. Billen, I might not have actually performed any root canals as such, but I can assure you this first effort will be extremely well informed and enthusiastic!” I’m sure I wouldn’t be alone there in feeling slightly dubious about my rookie dentist’s capabilities, thank you very much. So we can’t really grumble when our attempts to break into the much-contested world of professional web design are met with similar disdain. Ironically, within a Creative Careers 2009 magazine issue where we’re espousing the virtues of academic gratification (see page 23 of issue 157 if you’ve managed to miss it), the message here is that experience counts big time with employers. The good news, however, is that it needn’t be the kind of formal experience of employment; most web designers start out as bedroom hobbyists, they just do it regardless. Others start out doing bits of freelance work, perhaps alongside their studies or another unrelated occupation. The common denominator is that assets or an outlet for that skill will have been produced to back it up, in many cases a personal site or home page. This is by no means exclusive to web designers, of course, but we in particular are expected to embrace such a notion of a digital CV to best effect – but do we?

Style Conscious

Well, Web Designer is normally full of eye-catching portfolio sites that at least look so good on the surface that they suggest the author knows a trick or two. The problem here is that these personal vanity sites tend to get so hung up on bombarding the visitor with every last skill they possess that they can occasionally miss the point. Showing off and being proud of what you can do is great but remember to be commercial in the way you present yourself, and a portfolio that can ape the wider appeal of practical real-world examples helps to route your ability where it counts. Think also about the people or agencies you want to impress and do some research into the work they are known for – what does their own site look like? Do their own projects suggest a style or trademark theme that you could tap into? Within this acknowledgment of the wider context, you can then find little ways of injecting originality and talking about what fires your own inspiration. Too many portfolio sites miss this last point completely and just present some quite beautiful stuff without any kind of commentary or, even worse, credit. We’ve found some gorgeous URLs in our time that leave you staggered but completely in the dark about the person behind it. It’s insane to think that superbly talented people go to all this effort to show off work without naming themselves or saying where they can be found! Tell the visitor about yourself, where the passion and talent comes from, why you want this to be your life, what the work on show means to you and what you went through to produce it. Don’t just slam a load of links down to projects that might one day go AWOL; post short case studies and screen grabs so potentially busy onlookers don’t have to go digging about for information. You won’t have long to make a big impression and with a bewildering amount of candidates to check out, a future employer won’t have much patience! Similarly, you might want to think about how to extend the reach of the on-screen materials and try to factor in elements that can be printed or redistributed. PDF packs that repurpose your digital portfolio content provide you with a centralised CV when on the move, the chance for an employer to bring helpful assets to an interview and reinforces a professional identity.
Last of all, websites are nothing without the awareness that they exist in. Get active within the online creative community, share links with respected sites and people and achieve a good search ranking. Apart from also showing employers you understand the golden rules of SEO, you’ll also make influential friends that the guys recruiting might respect. Word of mouth and a bit of self-PR don’t go amiss either, so think of novel ways you can direct people to your URL. Business cards, stationary, posters, badges, desktop wallpapers or even branded desk toys are all great for plucking interest. It certainly appeals to our better nature, so you’re sure of some coverage in Web Designer at least!
Good luck, and remember that there’s never been a better and more open time to make your creative career dreams a reality.