My Gmail is littered with website design bots all asking where the hell I’ve been. I’ve found someone else, Wix.com, I’m sorry. My friend is a graphic designer. Perhaps you two can meet?
JournoPortfolio here is great. We’ve hit it off well since we’ve been seeing each other. Before I found JP, the speed dating I did with other websites last week taught me a lot about myself. What do I want from a web platform? Is it compatible with people like me? Do I need a platform, or do I just want one? And more importantly, do they just want me for money?
Concerning the latter question, not at first. But, as I’d come to learn after getting to know the platforms, the money question would come up. What do I do for a living? Nothing where I can afford $50 a month for a website that only employers and my mother will look at. But, again, this was speed dating. The first-impression is what matters most. That’s what attracted me to Wix.com and myportfolio.com, by Adobe, at first.
Don’t get me wrong. They were both great. But I couldn’t but notice one thing. It wasn’t subtle, either.
I’m a writer, damn it. Don’t show me anything. Tell me what you want to say. Communication is the most important part of any relationship. These templates are photo-dominant; you know what that tells me? Look at me, I’m pretty. No, I need to understand what you’re about. Even understanding how important photos are to a newspaper page layout, I need to show, immediately, that I am published. That’s the only way to get anywhere in journalism.
But, I’m open-minded. I gave Wix.com a try, seeing that Adobe Portfolio required a more intimate knowledge of code and design, and I’m just not ready for that kind of commitment yet.
So, Wix asked me some questions. Easy stuff, really: what I know about web design, have I ever used a platform before, what I do for a living, what my favorite color is, etc. What I got back made me uncomfortably laugh out loud.
What the hell. I am not that pompous. I think.
No, no. Nobody cares about my life story, especially not one that’s shown on the front page. I know, I’m being selfish. I blame the industry: can’t even get a handshake without showing I’ve put in the work. And, because that first impression is so vital, I have to move on. It’s not you Wix.com and Adobe Portfolio. It’s me. The work in a portfolio has to convey a narrative of work interests and experience, and your web design does not; not even with the pages that show my content. Goodbye to you both, for I knew you better than you knew me.
I know you all have been waiting. Let me introduce you to my portfolio on JournoPortfolio. Or, at least, what it looks like now. We’re still getting to know each other, you know?
I knew there had to be “the one”: a web platform for journalists and writers specifically. Above, you’ll see my clippings on the home page of the site. My interviews, essays, investigative journalism articles, all right there. On the top left of the screen, theres a tab that opens to a short bio and links to other pages of the website. But the focus is on my writing.
I’m still adding more pages to my JournoPortfolio page, but the important thing is that it gets me. In a very short period of time, this website has taught me what makes a good journalist’s portfolio. I had to see it with my own eyes, because I was getting cynical: would I ever find the right one? Well, I totes did, and I can’t wait to show you the all the page as the relationship progresses.
Until then, just keep this in mind: what would a potential employer want to see when they click on your website? If you’re applying to a design firm, your design should be on the home page. If you’re applying to work in photos, you better have a huge, spectacular photo(s) explode onto the screen. And if you’re a writer, for the love of Spurs Jesus, do not include a quote from a well-known author to support your “philosophy” of writing. Show your writing.
On Writing (Professionally) 