How to create a portfolio for a beginner copywriter and design it cool

Why you need a portfolio

This is the business card of a copywriter. Only with the help of a portfolio can you show a potential employer what the author is capable of: how he writes, on what topics, whether he can create landing pages, and so on. It is no coincidence that when applying for a vacancy, candidates are often asked to attach links to selected texts or projects.

A good portfolio is an important advantage when looking for a job. Thanks to him copywriter you don’t even always need to explore the market - clients and HRs apply themselves.

How to create a portfolio

Although copywriters are different, most methods are the same for everyone. So, SEO copywriters optimize texts for search engines, and commercial copywriters are engaged in advertising and social networks, however, both the former and the latter write.

UX editors who are responsible for texts for the interface of applications or websites are slightly different from their colleagues - this profession requires specific experience with

Let's figure out how to create a portfolio for a copywriter.

Find training with an internship

An excellent option for newcomers to the profession. With the help of a good online course, you can not only improve your skills, but also get the first cases in your portfolio. For example, some schools organize internships for students after graduation, while others hold competitions, for example, for preparing posts on social networks. The texts of the winners are published - that's the work in the collection.

The most difficult thing is to find a suitable online course that involves an internship and will come in handy when looking for a job. To do this, it is worth digging methodically on the Internet.

1. Study the curriculum. It really helps to understand what is taught on the course and whether an internship is possible. If doubts remain, it makes sense to talk to a methodologist.
2. Read reviews. With their help, you can evaluate how good the teachers and the program are, and find out if there is an opportunity for an internship during your studies or after.
3. View vacancies. V some education requirements are indicated, including the presence of diplomas from various online schools. So you can understand which courses are more valued in the professional community.
4. Consult with colleagues. Copywriters are likely to represent the market well and understand which school degrees are valued. If there are no workers from this area among your acquaintances, it makes sense to subscribe to professional communities in social networks and ask around there.

Get an internship

This is a way not only to create a portfolio, but also to find your first job. You can search for options on recruiting portals, on company websites, in Telegram channels and groups on social networks.

You can get an internship even without experience and specialized education. The main thing is to correctly show your strengths.

1. Offer unique skills. Your non-core work experience or education can be unexpected benefits. IT companies will be happy to hire a copywriter with developer experience - such a person does not need to be brought up to date. And a UX editor, who used to work as a product designer, will definitely come in handy when creating interfaces.
2. Make a case from previous duties. Perhaps you wrote for a company blog or volunteered for a social media account. Publications in the student newspaper are also suitable - they can become the first line in the portfolio.
3. Write a compelling cover letter. A beginner's resume is likely to look rather modest, so it's important to be in the details. tellwhy you are interested in the internship and what you can offer the company. Just don't write a biographical report. It is better to focus on the requirements of the vacancy - tell us which of the necessary skills you have and show with examples.
4. Attach certificates. These can be diplomas of online courses, documents on knowledge of a foreign language or on the possession of some programs. It is important that the certificates are relevant. So, UX writers usually work in graphic editors - A proven ability to use them will definitely be an advantage.

Participate in the competition

They are carried out by various publications, companies and government agencies. The range of topics, formats and tasks is so wide that it will suit a copywriter of any orientation. If you win or prove yourself, you can get a new line in your portfolio. And if you're lucky, then a cash prize or an invitation to work.

• You can follow the competitions on the websites of companies, government departments and publications.
• It is worth paying attention to the format. A long read is more suitable for an SEO copywriter, a post on social networks is more suitable for a commercial one, and a text for an application is more suitable for a UX editor.
• It is better to look for job opportunities or contests held by well-known companies or media. In the first case, you will solve not only the portfolio problem, but also the job search. In the second, a victory or a prize in itself will become a weighty argument.

Find the first customers among friends

It is worth looking among former or current colleagues. So, the experience and education of a lawyer will definitely be appreciated in a law office: you can offer to take over the maintenance of social networks or a corporate blog. In the case of UX editing, acquaintances with designers and developers will come in handy: who, if not a copywriter, should write the text for a new application?

It is important to understand that at the beginning of the journey, entries in a portfolio and resume are much more valuable than small amounts. with the first clients come experience and fame. If you do well on projects, there is a chance to start word of mouth: acquaintances will contact you again and recommend you to colleagues and friends. And with a portfolio filled with good work, you can already decide on great achievements.

Offer business services

If a company is close to you and you really want to work with it, you can always try to write specifically to this company. Usually the contacts of the HR department are publicly available.

It is quite possible to reach out to a business if:

• Suggest a solution to a specific problem. An outsider is unlikely to be able to identify the difficulties of the company, so it is better to come up with a business problem yourself and show that you are able to solve it. For example, tell how you would improve the texts of the company in social networks, and then write 3-4 posts and explain why such content will work.
• Come up with an innovative idea. Of course, the more non-standard it is, the easier it is to draw attention to your letter, but it is not necessary to be very creative. Sometimes it is enough to offer to create an account on a social network if the company does not have one.

Start a professional blog

A popular social network account is a huge plus for a portfolio and free advertising.

It is more profitable for an SEO copywriter to have a personal blog, where you can publish full-fledged articles. For this, Yandex. Zen", Spark and Habr. These sites have a large number of users, and in Spark, some texts are marked with an “editor's choice” icon, which can advantageously distinguish an article from others. Keeping such a blog will become a training ground for an SEO copywriter.

It is more useful for a commercial copywriter to create an Instagram account. This way you can show your ability to write small captivating texts, find a new audience and promote your blog. All of these skills are highly valued by companies looking for the right person for a similar job.

Analyze existing product

To write good texts for interfaces, you need to be able to look at applications and sites from the user's point of view. You can demonstrate this skill by evaluating a product and suggesting ideas for improvement.

A good option is to analyze an application that you often use. In this case, you will most likely immediately know its main problems. Write specific text options for each button and explain how each solution improves the user experience.

How can I make a portfolio

It is important not only to get successful cases, but also to pack them beautifully.

File in cloud storage

Project data can be downloaded into a separate document, opened for viewing via a link, or a collection of files to a cloud drive. For example, a separate report on each project.

Google Drive and Yandex. Disk".

Presentation

Beautifully designed slides look more presentable than dry text. They can give links to the best works, describe your contribution to collective projects, explain the decisions made. And season everything with nice infographics: statistics of views, reach, user behavior, and so on.

You can prepare your presentation in PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, or Canva. To create interface prototypes, a UX editor will need Figma.

Site

The most interesting, but also the most difficult option to implement. On the one hand, separate site — it's just beautiful. It will look advantageous against the background of the same type of text documents and cloud storage. On the other hand, this is a way to once again show your skills. For example, the ability to typeset text and improve user experience, knowledge of the basics of design.

Designers are well suited to create a site or page. Tilda and Readymag. The first one is a little more difficult to work with, but offers more tools. The second has many convenient templates, and even a beginner can create a basic portfolio.

What should a portfolio look like?

When designing, do not forget about a few important rules.

Literate

Portfolio with errors can only attract attention in the worst sense. Even a random error can ruin a great presentation. Therefore, the texts should be subtracted several times. And if there is no self-confidence, you can seek the help of a professional proofreader.

Convenient

You can have good jobs, but if they're hard to find, most HRs or clients won't take the time. Even worse, if the site is down or access to cloud storage is closed.

So don't forget to check the following:

• whether navigation is convenient (for example, there may be a search of links);
• whether screenshots and text are distinguishable;
• whether the portfolio is displayed correctly on mobile devices;
• whether everything is functioning as it should.

Relevant

An SEO copywriter's portfolio will be very different from a UX editor's portfolio. If for the first it is important to show the best texts adapted to search queries and their positions in the search results, then for the second, convenient interfaces that create a cool user experience are much more valuable. And if a person wants to write on legal topics, a large number of texts about medicine will not interest a potential customer or employer.

It is important to update the portfolio and, if necessary, adjust it for individual companies. For example, to be the first to post texts about development in case of a response to an IT company.

But if you want to change the direction of activity, it is better to remove the old cases. The latter one way or another will attract customers from bored spheres.