Getting a job as a writer can be tough these days. With so many blogs, articles, and books on the market, it can be challenging for aspiring writers to distinguish themselves from their peers. While it’s vital that your writing is natural and comes from your heart (and not from a word processor or grammar checker), there are some ways you can help yourself stand out. A writing portfolio is one of the best ways to do this. It forces you to show your work creatively instead of just posting random articles online. Here we’ll explain what a writing portfolio is and how you can create one that will give you the edge you need over other writers competing for the same jobs.
What is a Writing Portfolio?
A writing portfolio is a collection of your written work that you link to from your online profile. A writing portfolio is a great way to show employers what you can do and help you stand out from other applicants for jobs requiring writing. When writing a portfolio, you’re not just writing articles on a blog or website. You’re creating a visual representation of your writing ability. That is what a portfolio is all about. You want to show the reader that you can think visually and that you can express yourself in more than just words. You want to show the reader that you can write essays, research papers, and other types of written work.
How to Create a Writing Portfolio
There are many ways to create a writing portfolio, but we recommend using a blogging platform like WordPress or Squarespace. These platforms allow you to create a professional site without being too complicated. The easiest way to start building your portfolio is to find some inspirational writing examples and use them as inspiration. Start looking through your own blog posts and find examples from other blogs that stand out to you artistically. Begin to pair your own work with select pieces from other writers to build your portfolio. If you have other writing examples besides your own, use those as inspiration for different sections of your portfolio. For example, you can pair a piece from another writer with some of your own essays so that you have a variety of writing styles and topics to choose from.
Make sure your portfolio adds up
When building your portfolio, it’s important to be mindful of the things that will affect your hiring chances. If you only include a few pieces from your best work, or you only include some of your less-popular articles, then your portfolio will likely not help you get a job. Managing your writing portfolio can be a bit tricky at first. In the beginning, it might feel silly to take notes on what articles to include and what to avoid. However, if you do it right, you can make your writing portfolio show hiring managers what you can do. Start with the most impactful pieces you can think of. Then, think of less-popular articles and blog posts from your past that you think would still interest a hiring manager. Don’t pick and choose which articles go in your portfolio—select them all so that you have a representative sampling of your writing abilities.
Tips for creating your writing portfolio
• Be selective: You don’t want to overwhelm your reader with too much information. Instead, please find the most impactful pieces and pair them with less-important articles, giving your reader a good idea of what you can do.
• Be consistent: Be consistent with the type of writing you include in your portfolio. If you’re switching between different writing styles as you build your portfolio, it will likely not be apparent to your reader.
• Show growth: Your writing portfolio should show growth. It’s essential to show the hiring manager that you’ve been developing as a writer throughout your career, not just since you graduated from university.
• Find visual examples: Find visual examples to pair with your written examples so that your portfolio has more impact. Pairing a visual example, like a graph or diagram, with your written content will add another dimension to your portfolio.
• Adapt your writing: If you have a blog post that hasn’t been updated in a while, consider removing it from your portfolio. If you have an older blog post that you’ve rewritten, include that as well because it shows that you’ve been adapting to new writing styles and trending topics throughout your career.
Conclusion
Whether you’re just starting in the world of freelance writing or you’ve been at it for a while, building a writing portfolio can help you stand out from your competition when applying for jobs. Whether you decide to create a visual essay or a more traditional academic-style portfolio, be sure to keep your writing portfolio consistent. Also, use visual examples and diagrams to add a visual dimension to your written work. Writing a portfolio isn’t easy, but with a bit of creativity, effort, and some help from a blog, you can create a portfolio that will help you get hired by employers who need writers.
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