How to create a student portfolio

If you’re still in education and about to graduate, you might feel like you still don’t yet have much working experience in your chosen field with which to build a strong CV. But even if this is the case, it’s likely that you’ve produced some great work during your studies that you can use to create a student portfolio. 

A student portfolio is a collection of your best work that helps you showcase the skills and experience you’ve gained during your academic career. Student portfolios can also help to demonstrate your ability to take on new challenges—like running a business or launching an art exhibit. 

Of course, it’s likely that you’ll still have to write a CV and cover letter to include in your application for your next education, internship, or job opportunity. But for certain professions, an academic portfolio is incredibly important and can make or break your job application. 

We know that building a portfolio can seem like a complicated process, so we’ve compiled this complete guide to help you figure out if you should compile an education portfolio, what to include, and how to present it. You’ll also find some student portfolio examples and ideas. 

So, let’s get started!

Why build a student portfolio?

Student portfolios are a great way to show prospective employers or graduate schools what you have accomplished during your education so far and land you a coveted interview or even your dream job!

Employers often reward people with higher starting salaries if they already have experience in their chosen field and can show this with student portfolio examples. This is because those applicants can effectively demonstrate what’s expected of them on the job—and can hit the ground running from day one.

For some career paths, particularly in creative fields, it is essential. Some examples of professionals who can vastly benefit from having an education portfolio include: 

• Architects
• Artists
• Copywriters
• Choreographers
• Dancers
• Journalists
• Photographers
• Teachers
• UX designers/writers
• Web designers

As you can probably tell from the list above, a student portfolio can be composed of either written or visual material (or both) and therefore be presented in either a digital or paper format. 

Just remember, an academic portfolio can be indispensable in forging a career in any of the fields listed above. But in many cases it is also necessary to create a creative CV and cover letter to have a complete application package.

What should a student portfolio include?

Your education portfolio should include a few samples of things you’ve done, like papers, projects, or presentations. These can be samples that are related to the kind of work you want to do after graduation.

For example, if you’re applying for a job in marketing and communications and have an interest in writing social media posts for businesses, include one or two samples of posts that reflect this interest.

You might also include a copy of an article published online or in print—the goal here is not only to showcase your ability to write but also show how well it’s received by others (you could even link back to the piece on LinkedIn!).

Instead of cramming in everything throughout your education, student portfolio examples should include your best work. But you shouldn’t just randomly pick pieces you think are good.

It’s essential to first investigate the company/ institution to which you are planning to send your portfolio and try to gauge what they are looking for, whether a specific personality trait or a technical skill. 

You can then take a more objective approach to the pieces you select and build your portfolio around this ideal portfolio.

In general, student portfolios should contain around 15-20 pieces of your best work. This may seem like a lot, but if you include less than this you may not be showing the full diversity and range of your abilities. 

More than 20 is too much, as the recipient may get bored and you might give the impression you have not been selective enough. Therefore, it’s important to edit down your work so that the portfolio is not too large. 

Other items to include in a student portfolio

Your portfolio should also include:

• Your Student CV
• A cover letter or introduction explaining why you are interested in the position for which you are applying
• References from former professors, mentors, or employers

When sourcing references, it’s also a good idea to ask them if they wouldn’t mind having a look at the pieces you are considering including in your student portfolio so you can get some feedback. 

They will likely have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses and can offer some constructive criticism to make your portfolio as successful as possible.

Also, don’t be afraid to include some examples of group projects in your academic portfolio, as these can sometimes often be a candidate’s strongest work. However, it’s important to indicate which parts of the project you were responsible for.

If you have little to no professional experience, you may feel apprehensive about including a CV in your education portfolio. But you should be aware that there are plenty of ways to create a CV that emphasise education over experience, (and there are several examples on this site). 

See our guide to crafting an entry level CV for more information. 

How to present your education portfolio

Nowadays it is becoming less common to actually compile a physical academic portfolio, as it is much easier to share a portfolio if it has been created digitally. If you’re sending a digital document, it should be in PDF format so that it can be easily accessed.

However, in certain situations, such as if you are attending an in-person interview and are asked to bring samples of your work along, you may need to create a physical student portfolio. 

No matter how you choose to present your education portfolio, be sure to include your two best pieces first and last in the order of the documents. This will ensure that the recruiter both starts and finishes your portfolio on high notes and is left with a lasting impression.

Presentation is important. Keep it simple, and don’t try to be too fancy—you don’t want your portfolio to be overwhelming or off-putting. It also shouldnt be messy. A plain, simple ring binder or ( especially, if you are an art student with pieces of work larger than A4) folder will do.

However, it should also be relevant to the kind of work you’re doing. So if you’re applying for a job as a graphic designer, maybe you also want to take advantage and use the cover space to show off some of your best designs.

Remember that it is also important to indicate your process within your student portfolio examples, as this will often be addressed more than the finished pieces in the interview. 

For this reason, it’s a good idea to include annotations on the work to help show the challenges you came up against and how you got to the final result. 

Presenting unconventional physical student portfolios

In some cases, such as if you are an artist specializing in clothing, sculpture, or other 3-D art, it may not be physically possible to bring the pieces to a recruiter in person (especially if they are large and unwieldy).

In such a situation, it’s perfectly acceptable to present high-quality photographs of the work in lieu of the actual pieces. It may even give you an opportunity to experiment with lighting, angles, backgrounds, and so on, to enhance the tones and nuances you established in your art.

Taking photos in lieu of the work also applies if you are worried about bringing original copies of any document you don’t want damaged or lost. Just make sure you print out the copies using high-quality paper stock!

If not specifically requested, you can choose whether or not to create a physical portfolio. Many students like having both digital and physical copies ready because it gives them flexibility in case they are asked for both and don’t need to scramble to create the other type. 

How to build a student portfolio online

Online student portfolios, otherwise known as digital portfolios or e-portfolios are increasingly becoming the norm for those who need to share their work with potential employers or university/college recruiters. 

To get started, you’ll need to create an online academic portfolio site (if you already have a blog or website that shows your learning progress and accomplishments, simply share this!).

This is pretty straightforward—all you have to do is find a template (or build your own) and add your work. You can use online portfolio builders for this purpose . 

Don’t use generic templates. It’s easy enough to find a template online that fits all of your needs by filling in some blanks and clicking “save,” but this approach won’t result in an impressive portfolio—nor will it allow for significant personalization of each project or task within the portfolio itself. 

The best way forward here? Read through existing examples until you find something that inspires you, then tweak it until it fits both your needs and style perfectly! 

Once you’ve set up your portfolio site

• Upload every piece of artwork/ document/digital media that you want potential employers/schools/colleges to see. 
• Write a personal statement describing why these pieces are so important
• Don’t forget to include your professional CV and cover letter

Finally, add social media links so people can find out more about you!

Student portfolio examples

Examples of things you can that can be submitted in a physical student portfolio include: 

• Artwork
• Awards or honors
• Certifications
• Completed exams or tests
• Journal entries
• Lab reports
• Photographs
• Physical projects (i.e models or dioramas)
• Recommendations
• Self-reflections written by students
• Written assignments
• Written evaluations by teachers or peers

This is just a selection of suggestions, and you can really include any evidence of academic accomplishment and your progress in education. 

This is the same for digital student portfolios, although these may additionally be comprised of:

• Blogs or websites
• Digital archives
• Multimedia presentations
• Spreadsheets
• Student-created videos

Again, this is not an extensive list of digital student portfolio examples. You can include any other digital pieces that demonstrate your learning process and current skill level.

Additional tips for creating your academic portfolio

You’re almost ready to start creating a successful student portfolio, but we have a last few tidbits of advice. While you are compiling your documents, try to keep the following tips in mind:

• Showcase your work in your portfolio, not on your CV. While the two documents are similar, they are not interchangeable. A CV is used to sell yourself as an employee and highlight any relevant skills or experience you may have that make you a good fit for the job; a portfolio is designed to highlight your creative abilities and demonstrate how well they complement specific projects or tasks.
• You don’t need to share your entire portfolio with every employer you apply to, but your portfolio should be organized in such a way that it can be easily shared if needed. 
• Make sure all of your most recent and best work is front-and-center, while also including work from previous projects so employers can see how much you’ve grown since then.
• Keep to either landscape or portrait throughout the portfolio, don’t switch around!
• Numbered pages and a table of contents is advised.
• If you’re stuck, take a look at other successful student portfolio examples online to generate ideas.

Remember, your goal is to show off your skills and talents with confidence, knowing that they’re backed up by real-world experience. You want to impress the hiring manager/recruiter so much that they have no choice but to make you a part of their institution!

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