I doubt that I'm working on anything new or groundbreaking here, but I thought I would take some time and detail some of what I have been learning about portfolio building. Notably, I'm not an expect, nor do I expect you to listen to me. I will say this, however, you ignore my advice at your own risk.Yes, I'm a newbie at all of this, but that is why I have insight. I don't have a portfolio that has been netting me jobs for some time and is established. I'm building from scratch, just like some of you might be. This is not a how-to; this is a list of ideas that I have gathered about doing exactly what many of us struggle with, building a decent writing portfolio.
1. Keep Writing
When looking for work, especially when unemployed, the temptation becomes to not write anything new. Excuses range from "lack of time" to just simply being unsure what employers (or clients if your are going the freelance route) might be looking for.
Don't be afraid to keep writing and polishing what you write! You could try branching into new places with your writing, and try out new styles. Experiment, have fun. Why should anyone hire you if you're not comfortable with your craft? Why should anyone hire you if you don't write?
2. Blog It
Blogs provide a great way to create an online portfolio. You could even create a section tailored just to that feature! This could be risky if you have some random blog that you have posted things that employers might frown upon. Yes, sorry, Awesome Corp X couldn't care less what Mr. Fluff-n-Stuff did. No, Great Job, Inc. doesn't want to know how great you think spray cheese is.
To counter this, I highly recommend you have a professional blog with a semi-professional look to it. Many blog sites have features that can assist you in this, and a quick Google search can provide some tools to help make your blog shine!
3. Volunteer
Organizations are always looking for people to write for them. Yes, it pays nothing, but some of these organizations are willing to allow you to have a small bio attached to your work. If nothing else, it could be something to add to your portfolio, and could pay off in the long run.
I get it, AnimalsArePeopleToo.org may be a bit off their rocker, heck, they may even remind you of your creepy uncle, but you aren't exactly the Stephen King of whatever field you're in, so suck it up!
4. Submit, Submit, Submit!
I hope you're prepared for rejection, because you're going to get more than a 1980's band geek with braces.*
Yes, you may need to look for lower paying jobs. Yes, you may need to work for squat and never get called again like some awkward one night stand, but you won't regret it once the real jobs come and you can drown your sorrow and shame in the cash you will then be rolling in.**
This advice goes double for those of you thinking about freelancing as a career move. Seriously, take a moment to Google freelance writing and rejection, I'll wait. Heck, AboutFreelanceWriting.com fully expects you to get rejected. To quote this article from Freelance Writing Jobs:
If you receive rejection, don’t despair. Consider yourself part of a special club. Every single writer receives rejection at one time or another. Let it roll off your back and get back to work.
5. Have Fun
You've heard the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."*** If this is really where you want your career to go, have some fun with it. Writing shouldn't be a chore to you, but a joy! I've taken time out of my job search to just write this article because I love it! Writing is my passion, so I'll put off a couple of leads to get some time in with words.6. Expand Your Horizons
Writers who are not able to adapt will die in this market. There are thousands of competitors out there. If you can only right one thing really well, you better hope there is a lot of jobs in that one thing, otherwise, good luck to you.
Learning to have different styles can be difficult, but the boarder your range, the more work you can do, and it will show possible employers or clients that you can fit any need they might have, even if the project suddenly needs to be in a different style. I don't honestly know how often that would happen, but look at it this way, who would you hire? The guy who can only help you in one situation, or the guy who can help you in five?
7. Proofread
I have some bad news! Nothing kills an otherwise great writing sample than mistakes. Grammar errors like wrong tenses, misplaced commas, and other mistakes. Don't confuse "they're" with "their," or "your" with "you're." Check to make sure you didn't mistype a word or use the wrong form of a work. Clean up confusing sentences and make corrections to the more confusing parts of what you write.
No writer is perfect, and the "edit as you go" method will still miss things. Maybe you need to add something, or maybe a section needs cut! Don't be afraid to get a second pair of eyes on a draft. Maybe you just need to take a break and go back over your work with a fresh look. Grammar and style manuals can be helpful if they are quality and mostly up-to-date. We all need our work edited, so don't feel bad.
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In the end, these are just suggestions. Sure, I'm new to this, but I've done my homework. I can't recall all that I've read, but these are the steps I'm taking with this. Sure, time will tell if this pays off, but, oh hey, what do you know? I just expanded my portfolio options by one.
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