How to create a Graphic Design Portfolio with no Job Experience in 2022

If you are a seeker for colors, shapes, designs, and such defining elements then people might suggest you become a part of the widely known, prevailing, and growing industry of graphic designing. The market size for the designers accounts for $45.8 Billion in 2021 and as per the analysts, the growth is foreseen to maximize in the due period. But does that mean immense competition? Well certainly yes! And this directs one to think that having a competitive edge and an added value to your skills is essential. At the same time, you also need to build a robust portfolio for yourself. If you are looking for guidance then keep reading because we will unveil everything about how to create a Graphic Design Portfolio with no job experience for 2022.

Why Do You Need a Portfolio

Unlike numerous jobs around us, Graphic Designing is an industry that is embedded in the roots of creativity. This means you have to showcase a framework that tells the world that you are, where you belong, what are your interests, and what kinds of work do you possess. Undoubtedly it is imperative to have a robust hold over some of the top Software like Adobe and Canva but you can only give impressions of your know-how through a portfolio. Besides, here are some of the top reasons you should gear up yourself for creating one for your career growth:

• Easy to understand
• Enhances your chances for recruitment
• Highlights skills and abilities
• Your niche is also widely evident

What to Include in your Graphic Design Portfolio

It is true that if you have a greater skill set, the process of attaining a job becomes easier and seamless with no huge barriers. However, things can be difficult and different for those who yet haven’t embarked on their journey with this career. To minimize your stress on this, here is what your portfolio should look like if you don’t have any job experience.

Summary

You never know, anyone fascinating thing about you can attract your potential clients towards you. A summary is that one consolidated information that can intrigue several people. It tells them the kind of person you are, your nature, and your personality. What you can also include here is what your overall qualifications are. From your education to some certifications that you might have earned, you can comprise them as a highlight in a few sentences. However, be mindful that the learning that you aspire to add in the summary should be related to graphic designing because if you enlist something that is different from this domain, it might lose the recruiter’s interest.

Resume

A good, formal, and adequate resume are the most important. You need to ensure that you are being professional and catchy at the same time. Therefore, a portfolio requires one to add all of the prerequisites that might help you in getting your desired job within a matter of a few days! However, there are some dos and don’ts.  For instance, make sure that your resume sticks to only one page; this will allow you to be relevant and specific. Moreover, add bullets to make the information precise with unique details. Additionally, you could include any volunteer work that you think tells something about you as a gleaming candidate.

Skills

Now, this is a broadened and widened area that allows you to experiment and include the best of the best! From soft skills to hard skills, both need to be added to a portfolio and the most satisfying part of this graphic design portfolio would be that it won’t demand any work experiences. For instance, you could quote some examples as to why you tend to refer to yourself as an excellent communicator, or responsible and punctual; these could be some of the soft skills. For hard skills, you need to portray the technical aspect that you are aware of. Some of the software also teaches you certain skills and so do some of the courses. Hence, you could accumulate your learning and mention them under this header. Lastly, a tip would be to include certain scenarios that make you a great team player. As much as individuality matters, being a viable team member is equally significant.

Awards and Recognition

Recognition is not only earned at the workplace but also outside. There may be some competitions at your university or where you might have earned those courses at. Even if you participated in those events, it can be great to know because that shows the kind of self-driven person you are who is always up for challenges. And don’t forget to include the awards that you received for your dedication and performance; remember that these achievements add a greater value to your portfolio.

Samples

Hands down, the most significant part of a graphic design portfolio has to be your samples. Even if you don’t have any job experience, you have a skill. And therefore, to upscale it, you need to formulate some samples. This will be your best opportunity to land in places that you always desired. Whether it is web designing, making posters, illustrations or logos, or everything at once, you need to show the world what you are capable of. And to do so, this is perhaps one of the easiest ways. Besides, if you have some minute experience of freelancing or something that you merely did free of cost, for let’s say a friend, and if you think it is worth it, you must add it.

Testimonials

You might ask, how can one have testimonials without professional work? Well, you can always ask your friends to pay you back in the form of reviews and references. If you have built a great relationship with any of your professors who have taught you basics, and advanced levels of graphic designing, you must write to them, or reach out to them and they will definitely give a testimonial in your favor. More than anything, in today’s time people are intrigued with the kind of influence the influencers have on clients. If you know any blogger or a person who has gained popularity on the internet, it is time to ask them for some help that will massively benefit you.

How to make your Portfolio Stand out

Now that you have added the basics, in the form of content, it is time you work on the aesthetics. Even if you include everything and do not make it look fancy, no one will bother to reach out to you for work. This is one of the essential rules of a graphic design portfolio. What you can do is, add colors, images, shapes, different patterns particularly if it’s a PDF file. However, things can be different if your graphic design portfolio is on Instagram; yes that is exactly what most people tend to do! You can be very engaging through the designs and also adapt different themes, all within one page. Remember that if you want to earn at least $50,000 per year, you need to give extra input to let your clients be captivated by you.

The Final Thought

In the crux, if you are planning to build a graphic design portfolio with no job experience in 2022, it is time you think and execute on the points that are mentioned in this blog. By ensuring that you get what you want to earn, work diligently towards generating a fascinating and unique portfolio.