Internship Fall Through? Here are Three Ways to Grow Your Portfolio

Let me set a familiar scene, you’re job searching, scrolling through the endless pages of LinkedIn and Indeed when you finally find a job that sounds exciting and you’re qualified for. You check all the boxes until you get to the bottom “Please send resume and samples of previous work.”

 *Crickets*. What previous work? 

In these “unprecedented times,” many internships were canceled or condensed down. If yours was among the wreckage you may not have had the opportunity to grow your portfolio or body of work. Don’t worry, even with internships being sparse, it is possible to create a portfolio that can help you stand out in a competitive job market.

1. Create Spec Work 

How many times have you seen an ad, packaging, website, etc., etc., and thought, “I would have done it this way”? Or had a clever idea for a design, tagline, campaign for your favorite brand? Now is the time to make those ideas work for you. Spec work is a fun way to create portfolio pieces for industries you haven’t worked in before. Team up with friends, classmates, or old coworkers to fill in your skill gaps and create completed pieces. These can also be a great way to get noticed by the brand itself. 

2. Volunteer/Trade Your Talents Locally

Reach out to your favorite nonprofit or local business to see what they need help with. Many small businesses and nonprofits have one person wearing all the hats. By offering to help out you are not only are you growing your portfolio, but you are building your network. If you’re offering up your time with a small biz you love, You could even work out an in-kind trade arrangement. This is a great option because it also introduces you to a new line of references that can come in handy when applying for jobs or growing your client base in the future. 

3. Fuel Your Passion Projects 

Passion projects, we’ve all got one or two (or more) things we would like to do the elusive “someday,”but now’s the time. Take your energy to write that children’s book, start the Etsy store, or map out a website or app. Passion projects are a great way to build a portfolio with work you are proud of and can really speak about. So many amazing things started off as passion projects: Broad City, Spanx, even Craigslist started as a newsletter among friends. Who knows where your ideas could lead you! 

Whatever your end goals are, there are endless ways to use the experience and knowledge you have to create a portfolio that will help get you noticed. 

// Photo by Tatiana Syrikova