So, you’ve completed a Digital Marketing Assistant program, like the one offered by NuPaths, where you’ve gained the essential skills to serve in a support role on the marketing team. You now know how to optimize web sites, manage online ad campaigns, and analyze their results to maximize strategies. Your training has prepared you to enter the job market. As you search for your first job you can network and take advantage of career services. 

If you’ve checked all these boxes but are still looking for additional ways to ensure that you stand out in your job search, keep reading to learn what else you can do to land an entry-level job in digital marketing. Here are our best tips for things you can and should be doing right now to build a killer digital marketing portfolio and resume!

Why Should You Have A Marketing Portfolio?

Does having a marketing portfolio to share with a potential employer really make a difference? Isn’t a traditional resume enough? When you’re trying to break into an industry like digital marketing, it’s so important to demonstrate that you’re proficient in the very skill for which you’re being hired. Simply put, there are several compelling reasons why building a stellar marketing portfolio is something you should strive to do very early on in your career.

• You can only say so much with a resume. But with a visual portfolio, your work is brought to life for a future employer.
• You will stand out from other candidates with a professional portfolio that demonstrates not only your creativity, but also your enthusiasm, passion, and ambition. 
• You can share your portfolio online and on social media. Don’t limit your portfolio to job interview settings, you can also publish it online and share it on social media to bring more attention to your work.
• You will look organized and professional. Yes, employers want to see that you have raw talent and experience, but they also value candidates who are go-getters which is demonstrated by the quality of your portfolio and how it’s presented. 
• Most of all you will show that you can market yourself. Anyone who is going to be effective at marketing a product or service should also be able to market themselves as their first demonstration of skill.

How to Create a Marketing Portfolio

Choose the right digital platform.

To establish an online digital marketing portfolio there are plenty of free services that will provide digital space; Squarespace, Wix and Weebly are just a few of the choices. The services offer pre-built templates you can use to ensure your work looks professional and is focused on selling your skills and creativity.

Tell your story.

Employers want to know what you have learned from your coursework and why you have chosen to pursue a career in digital marketing. Use your portfolio to go beyond the constraints of your resume and let potential employers know what makes you special and why they should consider you for a member of the team.

• What influences your work?
• What type of projects have you worked on?
• What products and services would you like to market?
• What do you enjoy reading?
• What do you do for fun?

Show off your projects.

It’s okay that you have just completed your training; you can show off the projects you did in school! Remember, employers will not have the time to review everything you have worked on. So carefully choose projects you think best highlight your skills, any volunteer projects you may have worked on, and a passion project you may have completed for practice. 

Things to include:

• The marketing problem you were trying to solve.
• Your approach.
• High quality images.
• The outcomes for any “real world” projects - the success story!

Add video.

They used to say a picture is worth a thousand words; today that has been elevated to include video. A video will give you a chance to speak directly to potential employers and allow them a brief window into your life. Videos do not have to take a long time to produce or require complex editing. Having a friend film you with a smartphone will be great. The key is to be authentic and engaging! 

Introduce yourself.

Whether it’s through your video, or in text, use your digital portfolio to talk about a project or projects that have defined your digital marketing experience thus far. Maybe it was something complicated that required problem solving. Or maybe it was a really creative solution you came up with. Sharing something unique makes you memorable and helps your passion shine through. Additionally, you want to be sure your portfolio clearly communicates why an employer should hire you over anyone else. Put on the hat of the employer and think hard about why you’re the best candidate for the job. Answer honestly and thoughtfully!

Tell them how to contact you.

Now that you have impressed a potential employer with your digital marketing portfolio, be intentional about letting them know how to get in touch with you. Take out any of the guesswork and make your contact information easy and obvious!

• Link to your professional social accounts.
• Provide your mobile number and encourage phone calls and/or texts.
• Include your email address - and be sure to check it often! 
• Tell them the best time to contact you. We’re all different, so be honest if there is one preferred communication method that suits you best. 

In conclusion, the time you spend on creating a professional digital marketing portfolio for your job search will always be time well spent. You will have your education, talents, and creativity organized in a format that’s easy to share. It may be used to land your first entry-level job, or to share with someone who wants to recommend you to someone they know who is hiring. Most importantly, your digital marketing portfolio will show the world that you are capable of marketing yourself, first and foremost, which is a clear indication that you are also capable of marketing the products or services of another company. Follow the tips in this article to kick start your digital marketing portfolio, and enter the workforce with confidence!

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in digital marketing, and want to learn the skills that you can highlight in your digital portfolio, go to www.nupaths.org for more information about the Digital Marketing Assistant and Associate Website Developer programs.