How to Boost Career Progression by Improving Your Portfolio

Jobstreet content team – updated on 10 March, 2022

When was the last time you edited your resume and portfolio? If it's been a while, it may be high time that you go through it once more and give it a facelift. After all, these documents are supposed to showcase and encapsulate who you are as a professional. If you are using these for your career progression, then you must not just update them. You should filter them for the most relevant information.

Due to the volume of resumes received, hiring managers typically only have a few seconds to scan your application. You could be making the mistake of including unnecessary details that would lose the recruiters' positive attention. They may also lack impact simply because of formatting issues. Whatever the reason, you must follow some general guidelines to help you apply improvements. Ready to do some spring cleaning on your resume and portfolio? Check out these simple tips so you can get started.

How can I improve my portfolio?

Rank your projects.

To spruce up your portfolio, you need to refresh its contents. It may have been a while since you last edited it, so rank the listed projects in terms of scale or difficulty. Listing the most massive and challenging projects at the top will help give that "wow" factor. It instantly shows the recruiter a preview of what you're capable of doing. If there are a lot of items on your portfolio, you can also identify the top 10 or 15 projects and remove the rest. Being intentional about what you include helps create that impact since you're showing the best of the best of your work.

Use simple visuals.

Understandably, your portfolio should use punchy graphics or illustrations if that's the nature of your job. But if you're not exactly an artist or designer, you can still use visuals to showcase your projects. Feel free to include graphs, charts, and infographics to highlight your best work.

How do I declutter my resume for career progression?

Print out a copy of your existing resume and portfolio.

First things first: print out your resume and portfolio. Sure, you can always edit directly on your computer. But proofreading a physical copy helps you assess how they look with a fresh pair of eyes. With a red marker, strike out any glaring mistakes or add notes to bullets that need rewording. You can then read it out loud and apply the edits later on your device.

Lose the career objective.

The whole idea of building a resume is letting your past work, experience, and achievements speak for themselves. While an objective informs the recruiter about your greater career aspirations, it can seem too clichÃ©d. If you typed something generic or too much like a motherhood statement, then lose it. It doesn't add value to your credentials and could potentially turn the recruiter off. Leave the talk about where you see yourself five to ten years from now during the interview.

Take out your address.

Some recruiters will want to factor in where you live so they can consider your commute to the office. While this may not exactly be a dealbreaker, some companies may be particular about travel time. Better to just take this part out.

Delete the irrelevant.

It may seem basic, but some people keep items in their resume and portfolio even if the information is no longer relevant. If you spearheaded a large project more than a decade ago, then you should just exclude it. Ideally, you should have done more relevant things between then and now. It may imply that you haven't had a big undertaking in the last few years. So, unless you're a fresh graduate, you can skip your school grades. In the same vein, you should remove skills you haven't practised in the last few years. Apply these changes to cater to the job for which you're gunning.

"Laymanise" the terms.

It can be tempting to include cool terms and acronyms in your resume and portfolio so you look smart. But it could also rub off on the recruiter the wrong way. They might feel you are showing off with all the jargon you know. Even if the industry uses these words frequently. Just spell them out or use simpler alternatives. This way, anyone can have a better grasp of your resume and portfolio's contents.

Remove unnecessary modifiers.

Keep the items in your resume and portfolio as straightforward and objective as possible. It means keeping the information factual, with few embellishments as much as possible. If you need to use adjectives and adverbs, you should use them sparingly and strategically. Position them wherever emphasis is required. If you're running out of modifiers to use, opt for equally powerful synonyms.

Even better, quantify anything that can further illustrate the scale or success of a listed project. Think figures for sales, foot traffic, page views, depending on what kind of job or industry you're in. Whatever can be represented by numbers, turn into numerals as well so it's easier to read.

Keep the bullet points short.

Not all recruiters will want to pore over resumes and portfolios that are extremely text-heavy. Make sure that your bullet points are as brief and concise as possible. Check if there are run-on sentences that you can shorten and simplify. You can also try using collective words to refer to things that more or less fall under the same category.

Fix any spelling or grammatical errors.

There's nothing as off-putting as having spelling or grammar issues in your resume and portfolio. Try apps like Grammarly to reveal any errors that Microsoft Word's built-in checker overlooked. You can also read them out loud because if something doesn't sound right, then it's probably an indication of wrong grammar.

Spot any "orphan" words.

Resumes and portfolios are all about maximizing the amount of space available on a page. Ever noticed those unsightly single words dangling in one line? Those are called "orphan" words, and they're a waste of space. Try shortening the sentence or bullet point further so you can get rid of them and put that line to better use.

Keep your CV to a single page.

Anything longer than one page is asking to be tossed in the trash bin or set aside. The key to building a good resume is to keep it to one page at most. It shows you've selected the most crucial items and you don't need a list of achievements for a good impression. Some cases may necessitate two pages, but as much as possible, keep things short and sweet.

Related article: How Long Should a Resume Be?

Check out the top third part.

Chances are, your resume and portfolio will be pitted against hundreds, if not thousands, of other submissions online. As mentioned, recruiters sifting through so many of these will only have a few seconds at best to scan through them. Make sure you've got the best of your work experience visible in the top third partâ€”since this is probably what they'll be able to view quickly.

Make it simple.

The secret to making a good resume and portfolio is to keep it simple. The less fluff you put in, the more you're letting the recruiter zoom in on your professional experience and achievements. Your work history and projects portfolio should be able to speak for themselves for the quality of work that you can bring to the table.

Want to read more helpful articles on building and improving your resume and portfolio? Visit JobStreet Singapore's Career Resources hub for more expert advice.