Building Your Portfolio and CV

In the media and entertainment job field, a portfolio is often more highly regarded than a CV. A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is usually needed so the employer has a good overview of your educational background, qualifications, and experience. However, what will make an employer ultimately make the decision to hire you will be your portfolio, because it is the evidence of what you can actually do. 

In a CV, you will often include information such as name, contact details, a short personal profile, education, key skills, work history and previous experience. Depending on which company you are applying for, it is alright to tweak and adjust your CV to show which skills and experiences are more relevant to what you are applying for. A CV is usually no longer than 2 pages.

CV Tip: Keep it brief with meaningful information. Don’t put experiences unrelated to the job you are applying for.

A portfolio, on the other hand, is a showcase of your work which proves what you are capable of. There are many types of portfolios depending on your sector, from design portfolio, drawing portfolio, photography portfolio, animation portfolio, music compositions portfolio, writing portfolio, even your teaching portfolio, and many more. 

Most portfolios nowadays are digital and online, for example it can be in the form of a website showcasing your creative output, a presentation, a PDF file, or even an online channel, like YouTube (especially for music, video, and animations). A portfolio usually contains about 10 varied examples of your work. 

Portfolio Tip: Only ever show your killer works. If you’re not happy with the work, don’t put it on your portfolio.

Remember that while an employer will start consideration of hiring by looking through your CV, they will end with reviewing your portfolio. So invest in yourself by curating and putting together a strong portfolio for your dream career.