What makes a good portfolio

A portfolio is personal file in which we present your work, your knowledge and your skills. It allows to give an overview of your work and your creative potential.
But be careful this cannot replace your Curriculum Vitae. A CV show the experience, the skills and the administrative profile even though the portfolio express qualities of reflection. Therefore, your portfolio must not replace your CV. Nevertheless it can be added to your portfolio to helps the employer along.
In fact, what makes a good portfolio?

Present yourself

Before starting to present your works, present yourself. Make a short description of yourself (first name, last name, last job, last diploma...) and give some information to contact you : e-mail, téléphone (not mandatory but it might be useful), LinkedIn and other social networks.
Resume it in 5 or 6 lines and add a picture of yourself (the same as your LinkedIn profil for example) if you want to. It will help the employer to know you and to contact you if he wants to. It's a good thing for him if he knows a little bit of you before he gets start with your work.

Add your personal projects

We know that your goal is to show what you can do. So, for this, it's necessary to show and to present clearly your school projects, professional projects but also your personals ones ! Even if they aren't in accord with your field of expertise as long as this project bring an added value to your portfolio.
For example, a Game Designer who is actually doing some photography during his own free time. It could show that he's capable of taking a step back as to place the camera in his game or show some events.

But be careful when you are presenting your projects. Avoid to favour the form than the substance. Like for a CV it's the first impression which counts the most. It is therefore necessary to present something clearly, pretty, without overburdening the informations to the principal of your work is retained. Choose to make a minimalist portfolio in order to obtain a maximum readability, add it some colours or a typography to make your portfolio a different one.

It is not necessary to show all of your creations

To show all of your creations will reduce the efficacy of your portfolio. I explain myself. A portfolio presenting between 5 or 10 projects of the same level is more comforting for your employer seeing that way a work well made and methodical rather than a portfolio with 25 projects with some of these which are never been finished or other ones which are not good ones. It is really muddled for the employer who are currently sort out and so loose time on your portfolio. It is recommend, for the coherence between the projects, to rework the old ones.
the best is to adapt the contents according the job that you will apply for.

Keep it updated

For the end of this post, I will just say that you must keep your portfolio updated ! You have a new project that you want to show? Replace an old one. You have change your phone number ? Change it on your portfolio. It's very important to maintain your portfolio updated even if you are not looking for a job right now. If an employer go on your portfolio and it is not updated, it will be bad for you.