In a mentoring session for @ADPList, I told an aspiring designer that she’s going to get a lot of advice on her portfolio. Much of it is going to be different and at times conflicting.

She’ll have to pick what to listen to.

Why?

It depends. Always.

Consider...

There are no standards for what should be in a portfolio, even within a competency.

Also, what companies and/or design managers look for varies by need or sometimes subjective judgement, so the target moves.

Needs vary by organization.

I work in enterprise. There is no mobile use case. Therefore, I look for traits that might be found in print designers.

Mobile organizations might look for game designers.

@ADPList is a great organization for mentorship.

However the advice is going to vary widely depending on the designer’s perspective, personal experience and domain.

The same with books and articles — it will be their perspective, sometimes without any guiding principles or experience hiring.

Frankly, rhe best advice I’ve gotten is from people I respect at some of the largest organizations, and I pass it on.

I preface my comments with “based on my experience.”

It is, based on probably 1,000 portfolios I have reviewed and conversations I’ve had with other hiring managers.

It may or may not be valid.

As with any feedback, your mileage may vary.

A former manager said to me, “I’ll give you advice, and some of it may be wrong. You’ll have to decide what to use based on your context.”

Best advice I’ve ever gotten.