Do you share your portfolio or not?

Anonymous

January 3,2023 at 5:03PM UTC

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Do you share your portfolio or not?

I'm a freelance learning consultant and instructional designer currently looking for additional work. After applying to a job posting, I received an email asking me to share my portfolio (via email). In the email it states, "once we review all portfolios, our Operations Manager will be in touch with those we move forward to initial interviews."

Is it just me feeling that I'm being asked to share my portfolio prior to even meeting me? I'm hesitant to send my personal portfolio of content and solutions to be stolen and ghosted.

I think they need to really look at my resume and LI profile to see that I have the experience and credentials to prove my work. I would share the portfolio, but only after interviews and on the short list of top candidates.

The organizations recruiting process, in general, tells me that I don't want to work them, but please tell me if I'm over thinking this.

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Barb HansenJanuary 3,2023 at 5:32PM UTC
I think you might be overthinking this.
I been hiring designers for years and I've asked to see their portfolio prior to interviews. Don't many designers have online publicly available portfolios? Mind you, I don't hire instructional designers. I hire front-end, UI, marketing and other designers, so perhaps in your particular field previous designs aren't shared. <?>
As a hiring manager, I don't look at online portfolios to see what I can steal, I look at online portfolios to see the talent of the person I want to interview, and hopefully hire, but you know your specific industry better than I do, so perhaps pictures of end-product is what companies want not to hire the person who can do all of the work to get to the end-product.
Rebecca A BrittJanuary 3,2023 at 7:14PM UTC
I used to be a graphic designer and those portfolios are totally different. Usually you're designing things that are shared publicly.
But a lot of ID work is confidential training, finance, compliance information that a company wouldn't want shared with the public.
AmyJanuary 3,2023 at 6:28PM UTC
When I was in this field I had a public portfolio that was shared with anyone who stumbled upon it. It was specifically for resumes and got me some interviews. I know this for a fact for they mentioned things on the site.
I also currently have a public portfolio (website) for my art. Though I know anyone can steal anyone's ideas it is all part of the process of any kind of designer. We are all influenced by each other.
But if your instincts are telling you not to go with this company, then don't. There may be other things making you feel this way. Better to heed red flags than go through them.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 6:29PM UTC
I hire designers and I look at the portfolio prior to the first conversation. I feel that it is a more fair representation of skills than a resume and it gives candidates an opportunity to communicate their skills in medium
where they have more control of the narrative.
Rebecca A BrittJanuary 3,2023 at 7:12PM UTC
Hey, I'm an ID too!
I do two things--one I have a VERY redacted sample that is generic in content and doesn't have any client information in it. I even very obviously put a "Acme Corp" logo where the client logo is so they can see it's actual work but not showing proprietary content.
Secondly, I'm very candid with potential clients--I work with confidential and sensitive information (a lot of what I do is in the Pharma industry) and I am unable to send my portfolio out. However, I will share it during a live zoom/teams call and walk people through the work.
Honestly, I've never had a problem with either. I usually couch it as, "I'm sure you understand, that just like you wouldn't want your training shared with potential competitors, my previous clients/employers feel the same way. Once I email work out, I have no control over where it might end up. I'd be more than happy to meet with X and show them my work."
And I guess I have a third. I'm working on a fun Storyline project that is based on one of my favorite children's books. I'm recreating the story and interactivity (it was a search book). Granted, it doesn't have all the "by the end of this course you will be able to..." but I think it shows the depth and breadth of my creativity and storytelling.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 7:18PM UTC
I'm a designer, you're not overthinking it. I do have a few case studies I will send to people, with 1-2 visuals, but more for voiceover in my absence. I won't send a portfolio for many reasons (confidentiality even if something is in market, revealing deeper strategies, everyone knows each other, borrowing ideas, etc) but I would share selected work in person or via video. Good luck, unfortunately it's not that simple anymore :)
AnonymousJanuary 4,2023 at 2:31PM UTC
Thank you all for your comments. Lots of great advice, especially Rebecca! I can do a redacted version and will also offer to share via zoom. If they don't like that, then they don't understand the dynamics of the work and I wouldn't want to work for the company.
AnonymousJanuary 5,2023 at 6:36PM UTC
what Rebecca said, and I would add one more caveat. Put a banner across each item with a watermark that says property of (or something to that effect) then your ideas are sure to be protected.
Emily WoodJanuary 6,2023 at 4:21AM UTC
I'm also an instructional designer. I have a portfolio I share, but it's more case study driven that literal code/content. Last year looking for work I did a LOT of project "tests" for clients. It was so many hours of work and then sometimes didn't end up in paid work, so I strongly prefer sharing my portfolio (small, anonymized samples) than doing the specific projects.
Good luck!
Natalie KordaJanuary 8,2023 at 2:50PM UTC
I taught for 23 years and am now an instructional designer. I interviewed for a ton of ID positions and was always asked to share my portfolio of work. I missed out on a lot of opps because I didn't have one, when I first started the process. The only way I got to the next step (and now current ID position) is by sharing my portfolio.