The best portfolio playbook that's worked 99% of the time
How to stand out in the one thing hiring managers are actually watching.
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Friends,
Earlier this month, something caught my eye while I was helping a friend get ready for a final-round interview at a big-name consumer brand. The hiring manager didn’t just want to “walk through her resume.” Instead, they asked her to present a mini portfolio complete with campaign case studies, a brand audit, and her creative process.
Curious, I dug deeper.
According to a 2024 LinkedIn Global Hiring Trends report, over 41% of recruiters across marketing, design, and product roles now ask for some form of a portfolio during the interview (even for non-creative positions). What's more, 80% of hiring managers say that a portfolio helps them better assess a candidate’s real-world problem-solving skills than a traditional interview.
I ran a short survey asking:
Have you been asked to create a project, presentation, or portfolio during interviews?
Was it shared before or during the interview process?
How did it affect your confidence or clarity?
Out of 173 responses, 65% said they were asked to present a portfolio-style project during interviews even for entry-level or business roles.
Welcome to the age of the Portfolio Interview, a shift that’s changing how we hire, present ourselves, and prove our value.
So, in this newsletter, I’ll break this down into actionable pieces so you can stay ahead.
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Let’s start from scratch -
I’m telling you from my personal experience, that my portfolio has helped me get an interview call without any effort of applying for the job.
I sent my marketing portfolio directly to the hiring manager on LinkedIn & they replied to me quickly about how much it impressed them.
That’s the power it holds, it already takes you 1-2 steps ahead of your competitors who have nothing to show.
What is a portfolio interview, really?
For years, portfolios were the domain of graphic designers, UX professionals, and architects. But today, the portfolio interview is expanding beyond creative fields and making its way into marketing, business, strategy, and even operations roles.
At its core, a portfolio interview is a presentation-based interview where the candidate walks the hiring team through past work, not just tasks, but the thinking behind them.
Why this shift is happening:
A 2024 LinkedIn Talent Solutions report found that 62% of hiring managers believe a project-based or portfolio interview gives a clearer signal of candidate potential than traditional Q&A formats.
Companies are shifting from pedigree-based hiring to proof-of-work hiring. They don’t just want to hear what you’ve done but they want to see it.
Who’s being asked for portfolios now?
Marketers → campaign breakdowns, strategy decks, influencer reports.
Product/Strategy candidates → user research, product teardown audits.
Business grads → case competitions, consulting frameworks, growth plans.
In a typical interview, you're asked to walk through your resume, where you've worked, what you studied, and your past roles. But this format doesn’t really show how you think or solve problems. A portfolio interview, on the other hand, is way more hands-on. Instead of just talking, you show your work, real projects, the challenges you faced, how you tackled them, and the actual impact you made.
Many hiring managers say that portfolio interviews help them understand not only what a candidate has done, but how they think which is crucial for collaborative, cross-functional roles. In fact, in industries like marketing, strategy, or consulting, how you present a case study can signal how well you’ll handle client conversations or stakeholder meetings.
👉🏻 The takeaway? The new resume is visual, structured, and self-aware.
If you can walk someone through your brain, not just your bullet points, you’re already ahead.
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What to include: A modular portfolio framework
Now that we know how hiring managers are looking for portfolios, let me guide you through the framework.
Think of your portfolio as a narrative product a well-designed, modular toolkit that tells the story of your career through impact, not activity. Whether you're in marketing, business, or strategy, a strong portfolio follows a flexible yet strategic structure that recruiters can easily follow.
1. Case studies (Problem → Strategy → Execution → Result)
This is the heart of your portfolio. Pick 2–3 high-impact projects where you can clearly articulate:
What was the problem or challenge?
What strategy did you propose or contribute to?
How did you execute it — what tools, people, or methods were involved?
What were the results (quantified, if possible)?
This not only shows your thinking process but also gives a tangible sense of the business impact you bring.
2. Work samples
Complement your case studies with assets: campaign decks, reports, dashboards, visuals, or mock-ups (with confidential info removed). These act as proof of work and help hiring managers see the quality and depth of your contribution.
3. Soft skill evidence
Beyond hard results, companies want to know how you work. Add short reflections, quotes, or mini-stories that show your leadership, collaboration, or conflict-resolution skills.
Think: leading a cross-functional team, mentoring an intern, or resolving stakeholder pushback.
4. Lessons learned
This is your growth edge. Conclude each project with a short "What I’d do differently now" section. It signals humility, critical thinking, and a mindset of continuous improvement traits every recruiter values.
👉🏻 Treat your portfolio like a product. Design it for clarity, structure it like a story, and let every slide or section answer: “What did I actually do, and why did it matter?”
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No portfolio? No problem
One of the biggest blockers for many job seekers is the belief that they “don’t have anything to showcase.” But the truth is you probably do. You just haven’t framed it yet.
Whether you’re a student, a recent grad, or shifting industries, your portfolio doesn’t need to be packed with client logos or agency projects. It just needs to reflect your thinking, skills, and impact. Here’s how to get started:
Start With What You’ve Done
Internships: Pull out any campaign you worked on, customer research you contributed to, or reports you helped build.
Freelance Gigs: Even small projects count. If you helped someone with social media, SEO, or content, document it like a case study.
University Assignments: Use class presentations, strategy decks, or simulated projects from business school — recruiters love to see how you solve problems, even in academic settings.
Hackathons & Competitions: These are gold. Showcase the challenge, your role, the solution, and the outcome.
Tools to Build It
You don’t need to be a designer — just organize your content clearly and make it easy to skim:
Notion → Great for a clean, scrollable portfolio that looks like a mini website.
Canva → Ideal for visual storytelling; use templates to showcase slides and design work.
Figma → Best for designers or those comfortable with UI; works well for building interactive mockups or case walkthroughs.
✅ Your first portfolio doesn’t have to be perfect it just needs to be real. Focus on showing how you think, what you’ve done, and what you learned along the way. You can always update the polish later.
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What hiring managers actually look for in a portfolio?
Most of us assume hiring managers want something flashy — animations, clever jargon, or complex visuals. But the reality is often the opposite. Hiring managers are busy, often reviewing 20–30 portfolios in a single day. What they’re really scanning for is clarity, ownership, and impact.
1. Clarity Over Complexity
Your portfolio should be easy to navigate and even easier to understand. That means:
A clear structure: case study → role → process → result.
Minimal fluff: avoid buzzwords unless they add substance.
Visual simplicity: a clean layout that doesn’t distract from the story you’re telling.
Think of your portfolio as a product pitch. If they can’t grasp your value in 3–5 minutes, they’ll move on.
2. Evidence of Ownership
Managers don’t just want to know what was done — they want to know what YOU did. Use “I” statements instead of “we,” and clearly define your role in team projects.
Did you lead the strategy?
Did you run the analytics?
Were you responsible for the final delivery?
Highlighting your specific contribution helps hiring teams understand your strengths and where you’ll fit within theirs.
3. Business Impact > Aesthetics
You might have a beautifully designed portfolio, but if it doesn’t answer “What was the outcome?”, it won’t land. Use these metrics wherever possible:
“Increased engagement by 23%”
“Cut acquisition costs by 18%”
“Helped launch a campaign across 5 markets in 6 weeks”
Design still matters — but storytelling with business outcomes wins every time.
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The ‘One-Pager Pitch’ method
Hiring managers and recruiters rarely have the time to comb through a 20-slide portfolio. That’s where the One-Pager Pitch comes in: a concise, tailored summary of your best work that acts like a teaser trailer for your full portfolio.
Think of it as your personal pitch deck, lean, sharp, and hyper-relevant to the role you're applying for.
What is this proven playbook?
A single-page document (usually a PDF) that includes: