Article: Why You Need a Work At Home Portfolio

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Have you been sending your resume to endless employers, and still don't have a telecommuting job? It could be simply that you aren't making an impressive impact with just your resume and rising above all the other thousands of applicants.

I've been working from home for many years, and I'm about to tell you one of my biggest secrets to my success in getting every contract I go after. To put it simply, I wouldn't dream of trying to contact any employer without my trusty online portfolio to show what I have done in the past, with graphical examples of projects I have worked on. My online portfolio is relatively simple, but highly effective. It gets results because it gives the employer something to point to when he or she is discussing my qualifications with the other individuals responsible for making that all important "is she the right person for this job" decision.

The most important thing you can do to create a professional image for yourself is to create a portfolio online. Without it, you'll just be sending resumes and employers don't respond as well to resumes as they do to a great portfolio. It really doesn't matter what kind of job you are looking for: If you don't have a portfolio as proof of what you can do, it will be much more difficult to rise above your peers and land a great contract! Portfolios are not just for artists and web designers. Anyone who really wants to work from home should consider putting up their portfolio online.

Let's face it...resumes are boring. Endlessly droning on about past employment and skills is enough to make employers hate reading resumes. But, if you have a nice website with high-quality samples that portray you as a real professional, employers are more likely to sit up and pay attention to who you are and what you do.

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BUT I AM NOT A DESIGNER!
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Don't worry! Even if you don't have a designing bone in your body, you can create a wonderful portfolio.

Here are a few ideas for what to put into a portfolio, even if you aren't a designer...

If you are involved in the Word Processing field, where most of your work is done in Word, then what you can do is create one-page samples of your work to showcase in your portfolio. To do this, think about all the different types of projects you are able to complete in Word, and create a series of one-page Word documents with various types of projects in mind.

For example:

=> A page of transcription, properly formatted with line numbers and "dummy" data

=> A single page letter, properly formatted

=> A before and after view of badly handwritten materials (take a screenshot of a page of badly handwritten materials) and then show how you retyped it accurately. You can insert the graphic and then type up the accurate version...all in the same document.

=> A page or two that shows how you can type up a properly formatted catalog, using styles and tables in Word. This type of sample document is excellent for showing off your advanced skills in Word.

=> Articles and samples of your creative writing talent.

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HOW TO GET SAMPLES
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So, now that we've established that you need a portfolio, what can you do if you don't have any previous client projects to show off? Having a portfolio if you have NO experience is the most important thing you can do! Think about it! If your resume is skimpy on experience, and you have no projects completed for pay, then how on earth are you going to compete with all those others with tons of experience and a thick portfolio?

It's easier than you think!

Create a portfolio of samples of work you CAN do, rather than samples of work you have already done. There are a few methods you can use to create samples for your portfolio when you don't have any previous clients to show off:

Get very creative and think up all kinds of dummy samples. Do your best work and show off the skills you've got! Show your entire range of skills in the form of "Examples Only" samples. You aren't lying to your future customers...you are showing them examples of what you are capable of. Employers are typically more interested in what you are able to do for them, as opposed to what you've done for others, so it is important to show them what you can do in the form of dummy brochures, logos, transcription samples, research spreadsheets and other types of samples.

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HOW TO GET YOUR PORTFOLIO ONLINE
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Once you have decided what to put in your portfolio, you need to host it online. There are a number of web hosts online that have built in site builders, so even if you don't know beans about html, you can still have a professionally designed website to host your portfolio, resume, and samples, as well as anything else you want to showcase!

These are the three web hosts I've used most often to host various sites I build. They have proven themselves to be the most reliable for my needs, and have been particularly useful for my clients that aren't familiar with web design.

Catalog - Free web hosting

When you register a domain with catalog, you get free web hosting for life. If you are unfamiliar with web design, upgrade to their Site Builder to have access to their amazing site builder technology. Great for newbies!

Builder Spot is Very User friendly

You can build a professional full feature small business website in just 5 minutes with their Site Builder! Under $20. Best yet, no programming or design required. Perfect for beginners!

Ready Websites is easy and very cheap!

NEW: Easy Website Builder allows you to build your own site in just 5 minutes. No programming required.

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Once you have your portfolio online, make sure you add it to your resume! The best place to point to your online portfolio is in your cover letter. Let employers know that you are a very talented and dedicated candidate, and you will begin to see much better results in your search for home based work!

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This article is excerpted from “You Can Work In Your PJs”,
a real world guide to telecommuting. Sylvie Charrier works from home
full time and wrote this book to share her unique techniques with others.
You can get your copy of “You Can Work In Your PJs”
by visiting http://www.inyourpjs.com
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