Hi everyone! I’ve been job hunting for a graphic design position but haven’t had much success. I left my previous role and I’m ready to transition back into a full-time 9-5 position. I have experience in the field, but I’m struggling to gain traction in this market. I worked in real estate and the church industry.
I’d love your help reviewing my portfolio and providing feedback to make it stronger. Am I still competitive in today’s market, or are there areas where I can improve? I’m nervous posting here (I know I’m going to get ripped to shreds). Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!
The Portfolio is too heavy - too many of the same types of designs - there’s no showcase.
If I’ve seen one design I’ve seen them all - have maybe 1 or 2 and then a click here to see full suite.
Your resume is very text heavy - very long - seems unfocussed and messy.
I’d work on tidying up the Portfolio and cleaning up ‘duplicate’ designs and shorten your resume to snappy points and a lot shorter and easy to read format.
When I click on the resume there didn’t seem to be an easy way to move from Page 1 to Page 2 - then found the buttons on side of the website that are hidden and far left and right of my 32 inch monitor. Which wasn’t easy to find.
Add the arrow beside the image so it’s easy and obvious.
Why isn’t the Work Experience in chronological order?
Big problem is you say you’re ready to get back into the market - yet you’re still advertising you’re running your own company 2009-Present
Here’s a punchier version of your resume
WORK EXPERIENCE
Freelance Creative Director & Graphic Designer Charles Snowden Creative | January 2009 – Present
Design and deliver creative solutions using Adobe Creative Suite to meet client needs and exceed expectations.
Drive brand development, execute sales promotions, and manage social media campaigns.
Consistently deliver high-quality projects on time and within budget.
Multimedia Graphic Designer (Graphic & Video Editor) Shorewest, REALTORS® | Brookfield, WI | March 2014 – August 2022
Designed impactful marketing materials (logos, postcards, social media graphics, videos) for over 100 agents.
Created recruitment and training campaigns in collaboration with the Career Development Center.
Worked with leadership and external vendors to ensure cohesive and professional branding across five companies.
Streamlined project management and maintained high-quality standards in a fast-paced environment.
Graphic Designer & Online Editor MATC Times | Milwaukee, WI | March 2012 – May 2014
Designed visually appealing newspaper layouts by coordinating with a 20-person editorial team.
Ensured cohesive final products by formatting articles, images, and advertisements.
There’s way too much of the same thing. You seem to have included every variation of everything you’ve ever done, which is unnecessary, confusing, and counterproductive.
I have difficulty differentiating between your explanations about the work and the work examples since everything looks similar.
After scrolling through the dozens of examples, an inconspicuous link at the bottom leads to hundreds more work examples.
A portfolio shouldn’t be a repository for everything you’ve ever worked on. Instead, it should show a few representative examples of your best work that clearly communicate, at a glance, why an employer or a client should hire you.
@Smurf2 Thank you for your feedback has given me a lot to think about.
I can see how including too many similar examples and variations might make my portfolio feel overwhelming. Your suggestion to focus on a curated selection of my best projects. I’ll work on refining the portfolio to highlight examples that clearly demonstrate my skills and versatility.
I also appreciate your point about improving the distinction between project explanations and visuals.
Your note about creating a separate section for additional work is particularly helpful. I’ll work on reorganizing the portfolio to make the main page more impactful.
This feedback has been insightful, and I’m excited to apply these changes to make my portfolio more user-friendly and effective. Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts!
@Just-B Thank you for taking the time to review my portfolio and provide such detailed feedback—it’s incredibly helpful.
You’ve brought up excellent points about curating my work to focus on quality over quantity. I understand now how including too many variations can feel overwhelming and detract from the impact of my portfolio. I’ll work on selecting projects that best showcase my skills and versatility.
Your insight about reorganizing the landing page and moving additional work to a secondary section makes a lot of sense. I’ll focus on creating a stronger first impression by highlighting only my best work upfront while making other examples easily accessible for those who want to explore further.
This feedback has given me a clear direction for improving my portfolio. Thanks again for your thoughtful input—it’s much appreciated!