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Imagine you're meeting someone for the first time. They know very little about you, but they want to see your work. You've never met before, and you're hoping to impress them.
 
What do you say about yourself?
What do you show them?
What is important for them to know?
 
Ok, imagine this person is considering hiring you to join their team. 
Imagine there is only about one minute for you to tell them about yourself and show your work.
 
What is important for you to get across in that short amount of time?
 
Now, imagine you can't actually meet with them face-to-face. You can only send your portfolio for them to review... for only a single minute.
 
The pressure is on, right? 
 
As you probably know, this is not an uncommon situation. Hiring managers are finding themselves with an onslaught of applicants for every open position, and in many cases are only able to spend a minute viewing a portfolio before quickly determining  a candidate's potential.
 
Your portfolio is the make-it-or-break-it first impression, and it's time to get yours in tip top shape for review. We're here to help, with some tips for crafting a portfolio that will get you the job.
 
8 Tips for a Portfolio that Gets You the Job

 

Think Objectively
When it comes to project selection, this is no time to be precious. Look at your work with an objective eye, selecting only 3-5 projects that represent both your strengths as well as your range of skills. Don't bury your strongest work - place your best first, and include recent projects that show you stay current, are adaptable, and are keeping up with the latest tech. 
 
Show Collaboration
It makes sense to spotlight solo work, but if applicable, include team projects as well, explaining your involvement in the process and finished pieces. If your prospective position involves a type of work that's on the fringes of your current role, make an effort to highlight any experience that might have applications in your aspiring field. 
 
Make it Shareable
A portfolio site is great. A URL to a document also works fine. We're hearing that attached files aren't making it past firewalls, so we're discouraging PDFs unless the employer's application platform requests it. The importance of making your work accessible and easily shared cannot be overlooked. Teams are very collaborative, and prospective employees are often investigated by several team members before reaching the next step in the hiring process. Making it as easy as possible facilitates your forward momentum.
 
Context Clues
Push your personal work a little farther. Designed a logo? Show it in use, on products. UI/UX designers benefit greatly from adding working, animated prototypes (try a program like Framer) to their portfolios. Take a step back and ask yourself: what is the best way to display the quality of my craft?
 
It's All in the Numbers
Additionally, if there was one tip we'd consider a must-do, it's this: use numbers wherever possible. Quantifiable contributions are the most effective tool to convey success in a role. Including results that are measurable is a very concrete way to suggest what you might bring to a future role, so emphasize the impact this project had on your company's revenue, or be specific about the click rate 
 
Don't Know What to Say? 
Worry more about HOW you're saying it. Think about this: a violinist in an orchestra is as much an artist as the conductor, or even as the composer of the symphony they're performing. The presentation format of your work is as important as the work itself, offering a glimpse into your layout and information design skills. Make sure your website or file is visually presented in a way that represents you, paying close attention to typography, color palette, and any additional design elements.
 
Keep It Simple...Kind Of
Show some consideration to the likely time constraints of the viewer of your portfolio, and provide a short synopsis above each project: a quick, glanceable summary that reviews the problem, solution, and the outcome. Rather than housing *all* of your details on the same page, consider adding a button to "Learn More about the Process," and view additional information in another area. 
 
Tell a Story
When viewing your work, design managers are paying attention to your communication and storytelling abilities, so we encourage candidates to try to tell a story. Include information about your process, yes, but avoid too many photos of post-its, or haphazard drawings. Think of this section as an opportunity to tell a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. Explain any roadblocks, conflicts, or even failures. Clearly identify the problems, and then the exploration around design solutions for those problems. While an initial viewing may not accommodate a full review of the details, including them along with a story indicates you're a creative and critical thinker.
 
Tiny Bonus Tip
The focus of a portfolio is typically professional work, but including an extra passion project (and labeling it in your portfolio as such) demonstrates initiative and also offers a glimpse into your personal interests.
 
With these tips, your portfolio will be a memorable, shareable item that'll help you float to the top of the candidate pool. Give your work the attention it deserves!

If you’re even mildly involved in a post-pandemic job search, you’ve heard a new buzzword floating around: upskilling. We’re here to tell you a little more about a) what it is, and b) why you’re missing out if you don’t try it.

 

What exactly is “upskilling”?

 

Unlike its buzzword cousin, “reskilling,” which means learning new skills to replace existing skills which are no longer relevant, “upskilling” involves something far more exciting: acquiring new skills that complement your current skillset. An expert becoming a course author by expanding their knowledge of e-learning, or a marketer expanding their knowledge of graphic design to improve their data presentation are both examples of upskilling. 

 

Upskilling can bring exceptional value to your career in many ways. Let’s talk about why and how you need to consider it.

 

  Why should you give upskilling a try?

 

To get a raise

Self-initiated skill advancement indicates to management that you are a motivated and action-based team member, interested in growing personally and professionally. In their eyes, you become even more of a valuable asset, someone who fits their current role but also a person who will continue to push themselves and their colleagues to stay current and innovative at the company. 

 

This builds a foundation upon which to justify additional monetary compensation. A raise is appropriate for someone who is showing initiative and is an engaged and curious employee investing in their own professional development. 

 

To keep yourself engaged at work.

We all experience a slight decline in interest as time goes on in a position, and things continue to just feel… same old, same old. What better way to reactivate the part of you that once thrived on curiosity, and quench your thirst for knowledge, than by directing your own path to learning more? 

 

At this point, employers know the impact disengagement can have on their bottom line - a Gallup poll stated that actively disengaged employees cost U.S. companies between $450 – $550 billion in lost productivity per year. They know it’s appealing to current employees to invest in their development - a 2018 LinkedIn Learning survey showed that 94% of employees would remain at their career longer if that was the case. A good company will see the benefit to themselves as well as to you if you propose some professional development.

 

To prepare for your next job

Don’t wait for the free time unemployment brings to evaluate your next career move - take advantage of a steady paycheck and add some skills to your resume that apply to your current and future role while still employed. Then when it comes time to move on, you’ve already spent plenty of time thinking forward, expanding your skillset and anticipating industry changes. Have a next job in mind? Even better - see if you can fill in some potential gaps in your talent by upskilling now.

 

How to upskill 

 

There are two easy ways to work upselling into your current work hours. 1) take on projects that are slightly out of your skill level or give you a reason to learn something new, and 2) take your existing projects and look for ways to step outside of standard expectations. As an example, if you’re any type of experienced creative, can you learn a bit about a new Data Analytics platform while working on an existing project, in order to better understand and present information? It may seem intuitive to slowly add skills like this, but actively making an effort can clarify your goal and speed up the process. Be sure to time your efforts right. Avoid fitting this during a busy period, and if you’re really pressed for time, consider the benefit of upskilling during the occasional lunch break.

 

To learn more about a specific skill, you don’t need to take an expensive, long-term class. Take advantage of the abundance of free and low-cost courses, lessons, and tutorials available on websites like YouTube, Skillshare, or even Google. Grow with Google is a really approachable option - it provides training and tools for all kinds of professional growth, from free courses on Google tools like Analytics and Ads, to online certificate programs that are self-paced subscription-based.

 

Making an effort to incorporate upskilling into your work demonstrates initiative and curiosity and is mutually beneficial to your employer. There are plenty of convenient and easy options at your disposal, and the benefits can be rewarding. What are you waiting for?

2023 was a roller coaster for many businesses. Inflation, supply chain disruptions, changing customer demands, political tensions, and overall economic uncertainty has left a lingering concern about stability in the future. With this future just around the corner (hello, 2024!), we anticipate slower growth than usual, high interest rates, lower customer spending, and see the likelihood of a possible recession. In short: 2024 may be a challenging year in which to set plans.

It's time to take a deeper look at your goal setting for the year, and implement it in a way that ensures your plan is manageable and effective. We have 4 tips for you, to get started!

Think Smaller

If there were ever a year to be very thorough and intentional about decision-making and planning, that year is 2024. This may not be the year for large, future-thinking goals, but instead a time for focusing on small-scale efforts. Table risks that you may have taken other years, in favor of those that are solidly attainable and don't involve a huge time or effort investment. Simply put: only efforts that you can afford to fail at should make the list this year.

In 2024, success will be encouraged not only by an attitude of acceptance and adaptability but also the ability to consistently evaluate progress and measure results. When setting goals and planning, establish specific performance indicators for yourself alongside each specific step, to provide easy opportunity for a change-up if needed. Document small and specific goals, and manage progress in a way that is validated at each part of the process.

Talk, Talk, Talk
Open lines of communication are critical, especially in a period of slow growth. Without as much opportunity to grow branches, focus on the roots of your organization and maintain consistent, regular meetings and check-ins with your team, using this time to evaluate their progress and schedule check-in points further down the line. To keep the forward momentum going, align employee strengths with their assigned tasks, and leave each meeting with goals set for that person. If possible, we'd suggest more 1-on-1 meetings in 2024. They're an excellent method for establishing trust and discovering what drives your team's performance, as well as good opportunities for open and honest feedback.

Meet Efficiently
Time will be of the utmost importance this year, so conduct your meetings with efficiency in order to value your team's time and keep things running smoothly. Before calling for one, ask yourself if a gathering is really the best format, or if the content is better distributed via email or other format. Nothing can hinder a job performance more than a poorly timed or unnecessary meeting. The easiest step to change it up this year: send an agenda beforehand, providing a clear framework and a subtle suggestion to prepare for the discussion.

Be Nimble 
Don't get comfortable post-planning, feeling like the work has been done. Hit established milestones to measure success throughout projects and if those milestones aren't met, don't expect more time to make much difference. Use these moments to pivot, resetting milestones and readjusting expectations, even delegating differently if necessary. It can feel like a lot to be managing everything during a year that feels uncertain, but don't indulge in the overwhelm. Indecision and ambivalence might be tolerated in another year, but not 2024! 

In a few days, the page flips, and we face a new calendar year full of potential. Remaining agile, effectively communicating, and scaling back on overly ambitious endeavors is the way to go. We hope these tips have helped, and wish you a prosperous New Year!

It's no secret: this fall, good help might be hard to find. This fall, applications for jobless benefits fell to the lowest level in 8 months. What does this mean? The pool of people looking for jobs is quite small, so companies face tough competition for top talent, or an investment in keeping their existing workforce intact. Employee retention is the name of the game as we head into Q4, and though it may sound daunting, we've broken it down into some key areas that need attention to ensure your team remains truly happy and healthy as you head into the new year.

5 Employee Retention Strategies that Work

Keep communication lines open.

No, like really open. Set expectations for everything from high-level goals to working hours and availability, and establish quick regular check-in meetings. Keep your employees in the loop when something's going on or there's trouble in the industry. Keep them in the loop when there's good news to share.

Not only should you emphasize your openness to feedback with your direct reports, but try a more consistent and less demanding format like pulse surveys or HR chatbots, which allow for short and casual surveys and are open for employees to report issues in anonymous mode. An additional step in a project timeline could include post-project feedback collection: what could be improved about the process next time around? 

Respect their time.

A broad statement that represents many other tips, boiled down to their core message: respect the time of your employees and they will be more satisfied. What exactly does this entail? Well, lots of things.

The first is to establish working hours and non-working hours. State them, share them, adhere to them. Working outside of these hours? Schedule your email for later. If you have flexible working hours overall, then set core hours people are expected to be available (they could be the middle of the day, like 10am-2pm EST, or could take place in both morning hours and afternoon hours, like 10-12pm and 1-3pm EST). Whatever works for your company – and hey, you can ask your employees – will do, just so long as you are setting boundaries that will allow people to protect their solitary work time and their home life. 

The second is to make sure their "on" hours at work are used as efficiently as possible. Meaning: solid deadlines, no unorganized meetings, and goals broken down into actionable items. Before you call a meeting, be clear on what's to be discussed, and prepare any needed information so minutes aren't wasted searching for documents or data.

Emphasize the importance of wellness. 

Job satisfaction is largely dependent on the vague measurement of "is this working for me?" Does it offer the flexibility I need? Does it offer the benefits that are important to me? Encourage the use of vacation days, offer understanding or time off when an employee is struggling, and learn (and teach others) the signs of burnout. Sticking to the set boundaries for work hours also displays a respect for the mental health and wellbeing of your employees.

Set a great first impression.

The onboarding process is a new hire's first interaction with the inside world of your company – set them on the right track, from the start. Educate them on their responsibilities and how they fit into the bigger picture, giving them ownership over their role. Put forth your company mission and values, and explain how you and your team achieves and monitors them. 

An interesting idea to try: pair all new employees with a "buddy," someone else who works at the company, at any level or in any department, to meet with them, grab lunch, or check in to see how their time is going. Having an acquaintance from the start is a powerful step towards feeling a part of an open and welcoming environment, and one in which there is already an ally. 

Encourage professional growth.

This can be done through the age-old practice of attending conferences, but also can be as simple as setting aside time for micro-development. An example: every Friday afternoon for one hour, members of your team are encouraged to learn something new related to their job. Some ideas that come to mind are learning a few new functions in Excel, watching an InDesign tutorial, or reading an article about the future of A.I. This freedom, with boundaries, allows for a break from work and an increase in knowledge, something workers today crave.

The simple act of asking your team if there's anything they'd like to learn more about can open floodgates to an invigorating work environment. Have them report back to each other, in order to keep the enthusiasm going.

Keeping a team satisfied is no easy feat, but making the effort is the first, and most important, step in ensuring your professional environment is one that retains employees. Try some of these suggestions, and let us know how it goes! 

Although generative AI has been around for years, its prevalence in daily life has increased since the explosive growth of tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Dall-E, and others in the last year. If you aren't familiar, generative AI tools have been trained on extensive amounts of data, much collected directly from the internet. Through exploring this data, it is capable of detecting patterns and relationships within the information, and uses that to generate new content, at the request of a user. Everyday people, creative professionals, and small business owners are exploring the potential of this powerful new tool, simultaneously amazed at its capabilities and increasingly wary of its effect on careers, lives, and our global future.

Its impact on humanity-as-we-know-it aside, we do see AI as a valuable tool for making certain tasks a little more effective and efficient. Exhibit A: the resume update.

Nowadays, hiring at 90% of large companies involves an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which processes applications from the hundreds (or sometimes thousands) of people that apply for each open position. Hiring managers and HR departments are using these systems to review stacks of resumes, eliminating "unqualified" candidates who don't meet certain qualifications or use specific keywords they have required. AI tools like chatbots can be useful to ensure your resume includes all relevant keywords and explains your qualifications as effectively as possible.

Cater your resume to a specific job description:

How to do it:

Gather your current resume and the desired job description. 

Ask a chatbot to rewrite your entire resume, with this prompt: 

"Rewrite my resume to tailor it to this job description. Here is my resume [paste your resume text here]. Here is the job description: [paste your job description here]."

After a rewritten resume is generated, you can request follow-up changes, like condensing it to one page, or emphasizing certain skills over other skills.

Write interesting bullet points that sufficiently reflect your work experience:

How to do it:

Paste a bullet point or paragraph from your resume into the chatbot.

Ask it to rewrite the bullet point, but pasting an existing bullet point, and then adding this prompt:

"Rewrite this bullet point [or paragraph] to be less than 20 words, including keywords from the job description, use compelling language, and include details from my resume. Here is my resume: [paste your resume here]. Here is the job description: [paste the job description here]."

After new bullet points are generated, you can request that it creates more than one version of that same bullet point. Pick your favorite, and repeat for other bullet points on your resume. 

Identify important terms to use

Suspicious of AI, or just don't want to turn your entire resume over? Have it dig  a little deeper into the job you're applying for, by asking it to review the job description and isolate key terms for your industry.

Try this prompt: "Review this job description and identify industry specific keywords. Job description: [paste job description here]"

Then, ensure you use those terms in your resume and/or cover letter.

Write a stellar professional summary

Your intro statement / resume headline / objective is your first impression. Have a chatbot review your resume and craft a compelling and creative professional summary.

Try this prompt: "Review my resume and write a professional summary for me. Resume: [paste your resume]"

Some tips for using AI to improve your resume:

• include metrics on your inputted resume, and request that metrics be a part of the chatbot's output (prompt example: "... and include metric-based achievements")
• review all results for accuracy - in many cases, if there's a lack of information provided, a chatbot may add in skills and responsibilities that you may not have but are typical in the job you are doing
• don't be afraid to refine a bit's responses with direct requests (example: please rewrite this paragraph but do not talk about [responsibility that was not yours])
• consider its responses to be a starting point and not finished work - expand on its framework with your own personality and wording

The best part about chatbots like ChatGPT  is that they are conversational. If you're unsure of what information it may need to assist you, you can just ask, with this prompt: "I'm a [insert your current role] that wants to work in [insert your desired field] in [city]. I want you to rewrite my resume. What information do you need from me to do this?"

AI tools can be an excellent starting point when tweaking your resume for a specific position. Try these ideas out, have some fun with it, and let us know how it goes!