What does a hiring manager look for in a design portfolio review?

Have you ever wished you could read a hiring manager's mind or be in the hiring manager’s shoes when they are scanning through your portfolio review? It would be easy, wouldn't it? To highlight the content they want to see and get hired! 

Since nobody has the superpower to do so, our mentor Glen Lipka, Head of Product Design at Falkonry, shares some important criteria for when a hiring manager reviews your portfolio.

🚨 Please note -  different hiring managers have different expectations and hiring processes. The tips in this blog are from Glen’s perspective. The objective of this blog is to  share  a glimpse of what a hiring manager is looking for in a design portfolio review.

⏰ Portfolio Review: Estimated time a hiring manager takes to review your portfolio

• 54% of hiring managers will take about 5 to 10 minutes for a portfolio review
• 35% of hiring managers will take about 5 minutes for a portfolio review
• 11% of hiring managers will take about 10 minutes for a portfolio review

The hiring managers will select 5 to 10 candidates per week for phone screening. 

📜 Portfolio Review: The Average Candidate Portfolio

• Too long
  Content not customized to the job description
• Provide referral
• Case Studies
  Take about 20 minutes to read
• Too meta:
  Using sticky notes, meta-design, and tiny texts do not help to understand the story of your portfolio.
• The About Page is boring with just text
• No navigation
• No progressive disclosure
• Unengaging
• Relying on one portfolio template
  Mix and match portfolio templates are what hiring managers expect from you.
• All the same

Where is the design? A portfolio reflects the type of designer you are. That is why you need to spend time crafting your portfolio to represent who you are through your work and experiences.

👀 Portfolio Review: What hiring manager is looking for?

An ideal portfolio should highlight the following :

• Can be reviewed in 5 minutes
• Artistic skill: Pick the color that makes sense and spend time on the layout of the portfolio template

• Natural leadership
  Have you played a role where people have succeeded? Explain and highlight leadership skills and experiences.
• A creative problem solver
• A good communicator
  Highlight communication skills.
• Detailed-oriented
  The portfolio is clickable, scrollable, and easy to navigate.
• Kind and interesting person
• A student’s mind
  Provide learnings and growing experiences such as books and experiments and not limited to Medium articles.
• Figma expertise
  Auto Layout, Interactive components, Constraints, Components, Libraries, Smart Animate, Vector, Plugins, etc.
• A Story
• Bonus points 

🗣️ Portfolio Review: The Story Plot Structure

• Feel tension from the story and provide resolution
• Learn and practice how to tell a good story
• If you present your story too specific, it is difficult for the hiring manager to remember
• If you present your story in general, it is easier for the hiring manager to follow and remember your story

Watch Storytelling for Designers – 3 techniques to present your designs by Carola Pescio Canale.

🎯 The Hiring Manager Review: The Goals of a Portfolio

• To be selected 
• Treat your portfolio as a marketing site
• Take the initiative to interview hiring managers
• Track the analytics performance of your portfolio
• Differentiate yourself and your portfolio site from the pack

Read the 15 Best Portfolio Design Books and How to Nail a Portfolio Interview.

Get your portfolio review online by our global mentors before applying to your next dream job! 

Contributor:
Glen Lipka (ADPList Mentor) 
Head of Product Design at Falkonry
ADPList account:https://adplist.org/mentors/glen-lipka
LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenlipka/ 

Editor and Writer:
Farah Radzi
Content Marketer and Writer at ADPList
LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/famr/