I recently left an in-house position because of very toxic management, I could of stayed but my mental health was rapidly declining. So for context, I do have about 1.4 years of agency experience working as a designer. I’m looking for a new job now and it’s obviously not going very well, looking to see what areas I can improve in.
(I understand that when posting for feedback it’s a given that a majority of it will be negative, and I’m understanding of that - my goal is to improve.)
First off, respect to you for getting out of a toxic environment. That takes guts and self-respect, and it is easy for people to stay stuck in bad places out of fear. You made a tough but right call.
I took some time to look through your portfolio and I wanted to give you some honest but hopefully helpful feedback.
At the moment, the portfolio feels a bit sparse. It looks like you have a few projects, but it is hard to tell if they were real client work or self-initiated pieces. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spec work at all (a lot of people do it, especially early in a career), but if it is spec, it would really help to label it clearly as such. Otherwise, hiring managers might assume it was real-world client work and later feel misled if they find out it was not.
Also, if you can, try to expand the portfolio with more case studies. Talk a bit about the thinking behind your designs, the problems you were trying to solve, and how you approached them. Even made-up projects can look strong if they show your process, not just the final picture. That is what a lot of employers are hungry to see.
Finally, think about adding a few more pieces that are a bit diverse in style and medium. Right now it is a bit hard to tell what your range is.
Overall, you are on the right path, especially by asking for feedback and being open to it. Keep building, keep creating, even just for yourself, and over time you will have a portfolio that feels a lot fuller and a lot more convincing.