How a Simple No-Brainer Portfolio Landed Me a Senior Role, Even With Almost Zero Experience

[Sean1 (Sean Calzada)]

Hey, I’m Sean, and I’ll be honest—I only created my portfolio after college… and almost missed out on a job because of it.

It was so difficult for me to make one that during one of my job interviews, the employer asked for a portfolio. I ended up saying, “Can I follow this up? I forgot what the link was, sorry!”—because I didn’t have one at all.

Good thing the interviewer was nice and gave me a chance to send it to them. Nakakahiya grabe HAHAHA!

At that point, I promised myself that the weekend after, I’d actually start making one.

So, I made my very first website portfolio using Google Sites. Here’s a snapshot of what I did:

It’s not the most museum-worthy piece of art out there, but it was enough for my interviewer to schedule a second interview and even offer me a senior role despite my lack of experience.

Nakakaloka, I know.

But the fun didn’t stop there. I sent more resumes with my portfolio, and I actually got more interviews (although not a lot offered me roles, cries) since then!

Interviews may not seem like much, but when you consider the amount of ghosting you get during job hunting, it’s a total game-changer.

This experience made me realize just how powerful a portfolio is over certificates, words, or anything else you put on your resume.

I realized that while a resume can summarize all the great things you’ve done, your portfolio actually shows (and tells) a more convincing story of what you can do and the many other things you’re capable of.

Although making a portfolio doesn’t guarantee a job, it almost always increases the odds. And when the odds are rarely in your favor, who wouldn’t appreciate a leg up?

Kayo ba, what’s your portfolio story? Ano ang mga naging challenges niyo?

[cie (Cielo Patricia Ofiaza)]

Awesomee, that’s really an insightful story, Sean! I learned a lot from what you shared. As a current 3rd-year college student, I can totally relate to the difficulties of creating a portfolio. I think the hardest part as a creative is the first step—starting it. That’s my biggest challenge rin, kasi I always end up overwhelming myself by watching different tutorials. Sometimes, I end up procrastinating nalang.

Then, I saw a motivational post on TikTok that said you will never be fully prepared and it’s a leap of faith. So I started to push myself, because I really want to find work na—but I also want to gain firsthand experience for the interview process (nervous on this, haha) Thankfully, the universe aligned! A multimedia org opened applications in my university, and I quickly grabbed the opportunity. I created my portfolio in like an hour, then sent it to them. After that, I went through the interview process and got accepted (Yay!)

From there, I was so happy to learn from seniors and just be around a supportive organization.

This also made me realize that showing up—even if it’s not 100%—is still progress.

Here’s also a snapshot of my current portfolio (still a work-in-progress, haha):

Because of this, I also got hired by a friend to design part-time for her small business.
I heavily agree with you that portfolios and actual projects are very powerful since they serve as our experience and increase our chances of reaching our goals.

I still have a long way to go, but what I’ve learned the most is overcoming perfectionism. We don’t have to wait until everything is perfect before we start—because if we do, we might never begin at all.

It’s better to show up with what we have, learn along the way, and improve through experience. Progress over perfection talaga.