What can a young person looking for their first job include in a portfolio?

One of the hardest questions when looking for your first job is: “What can I show in my portfolio if I have no work experience?” A portfolio is more than a list of previous employers. It is a place to show what you have learned, the work you have created and the skills you can use.

Education projects

Include presentations, research, designs, software and other projects you completed at university, college or on a course. Briefly describe the topic, the part you contributed and the result.

Personal work samples

You can also showcase projects you created independently. For example, if you want to work in social media marketing, include a sample content plan; if you want to become a designer, include your visuals; if you want to become a developer, include a working application. Clearly state when a sample was not commissioned by a real client.

Internships and volunteering

Even a short internship or volunteer role is valuable. Alongside the organisation’s name, explain what you actually did. For example, you may have registered event participants, collected information or coordinated teamwork.

Skills and languages

Choose skills you can actually use. Where possible, support each skill with a work sample. Rather than only writing “I know Excel”, explain what a spreadsheet you created was used for.

Training and certificates

List the training you completed, the topics you learned and any relevant certificates. A certificate’s title is useful, but showing how you applied what you learned says more.

About me

In two or three sentences, describe the field you want to work in and the skills you are currently developing. Specific, honest information is more convincing.

On PİM.az, you can create your Career Portfolio, present this information in one place and apply for suitable vacancies through the portal. Your first portfolio does not have to be large. A few well-explained work samples are enough to get started.