Quiz questions

1. How many work samples should you include in your print portfolio?
   • As many as you have.
   • Five - clients don't like to look at a lot of material.
   • Eleven - It's comprehensive without being overwhelming.
   • At least 15, so the client can see the full scope of your work.
2. Which is the most important to a client or employer when reviewing your portfolio?
   • Overall creativity and variety of projects represented.
   • Neatness.
   • Well-organized samples.
   • Detailed descriptions of each project.
3. You're a recent graduate, or you just started freelancing a few months ago. Either way, you don't have many samples to show. What should you do?
   • Grab whatever samples you have, put a rubber band around the stack and carry it with you to every interview.
   • Arrange your portfolio chronologically, with your most recent work displayed first.
   • To make it look like you have more samples, include numerous versions of the same piece - the before version, intermediate drafts and the final.
   • Transfer all your samples to slides, select dramatic background music and do a dazzling audio-visual presentation. This will distract the client from the actual number of pieces.
4. Should you use the same portfolio for every client?
   • Yes, it's easier to put together your portfolio just once.
   • Yes, but rearrange the order of the samples depending on what the client does.
   • No, you need a different portfolio for every prospective client or employer.
   • No, you should develop a basic portfolio that can be customized to showcase the work that will be most relevant and interesting to the client or employer.
5. What's the best way to present your portfolio to a client?
   • Don't worry about it - your work will speak for itself.
   • Choose the five pieces that best represent your skills and proficiency, and prepare a 30-second synopsis of each.
   • Develop a 45-minute speech about all samples included in your portfolio. Be sure to include plenty of humorous anecdotes about each project.
   • Provide an extensive write-up about each sample, tracing its progress from concept to finished product.
6. If you have a good portfolio, is a resume really necessary?
   • No. The client wants to see what you can do, not where you worked.
   • Not really, but you should include a list of previous employers and clients.
   • The resume is optional. If you submit one, place it in the back pocket of the portfolio so it doesn't distract the client from your work.
   • A resume is necessary and should serve as a roadmap of your work history.
7. How often should you update your portfolio?
   • Once a year.
   • Never. Just keep adding samples as you get them.
   • As often as necessary to ensure your portfolio is a current and accurate showcase of your work.
   • Every three years. But never remove your favorite pieces.
8. You have an online portfolio. Is it really necessary to schlep a print copy to meetings with prospective clients?
   • Yes. Some clients aren't set up to review online portfolios.
   • Yes, you should bring multiple formats - slides, videotapes, hard-copy, electronic media - to every review session.
   • No, you don't need a printed version. Every office is linked to the Internet nowadays.
   • No, you can always mail a hard-copy version to the client afterward.
9. How many work samples should your online portfolio include?
   • All of them. This enables the prospective employer to see everything you've done if he/she so desires.
   • Two to three pieces of each type of work - the total number of items should take no more than 10 minutes to review.
   • It doesn't matter as long as it's organized so that a prospective employer can easily find work samples pertaining to the job.
   • At least 50 samples and a variety of categories so that you can also showcase your web architecture skills.
10. How many samples should you leave behind with a client?
    • Leave your entire portfolio.
    • Your top five.
    • One - your best piece.
    • None - if your work is good, they won't forget it.

1. • Not the best approach. If you have only two or three samples, you barely have a portfolio. On the other hand, showing a client everything you ever did in the past 15 years is cruel and unusual punishment.
   • Although you don't want to drown the client in samples, five pieces will probably not be sufficient to showcase the breadth of your talents or the range of clients you've served.
   • It's an odd number, but it's the magic one, according to a survey of advertising and marketing executives, who said they expect to see an average of 11 pieces in a portfolio and typically know whether someone's qualified after viewing nine pieces.
   • More is definitely not better when it comes to portfolios. If there are too many samples, your portfolio may seem disorganized and unprofessional.
2. • Right answer! When we asked advertising and marketing executives what they valued the highest, two-thirds said overall creativity, while nearly one-quarter cited variety of project experience. Your samples should showcase your creativity while accurately representing your skills and experience.
   • Neatness is important, but an immaculate portfolio of mediocre samples won't impress anyone.
   • Close. You should organize your samples. This is especially important with a digital portfolio, as the ease of navigating a website will make a big impression. Creativity and experience, however, play an even bigger role in hiring decisions.
   • Be careful! For each sample, you should include the client's name, your role in the project, the software utilized and a sentence or two (maximum) describing the project's importance. Anything more is excessive.
3. • Foregoing a neatly prepared portfolio is a common pitfall for many professionals. But the "random sample" approach will work against you in most cases. Remember that clients and employers expect to see a portfolio, even if you're still in school.
   • This is the best strategy. The chronological approach emphasizes your creative development over time, rather than the volume of work you've done.
   • When you display multiple versions of the same piece, it confuses the client and detracts from the finished product.
   • A full-blown "dog-and-pony" show won't fool anybody and may actually prevent the client from seeing the finished product.
4. • Not the best strategy. While your portfolio should display your core strengths, range of talent and level of professionalism, it will be more effective if it's targeted to the client's business and creative needs.
   • Simply rearranging the content is a waste of time. Not every sample will be relevant to every client.
   • This option makes too much work for you. "Targeting" does not require creating a brand new portfolio every time.
   • Right answer! Always include your strongest piece, then mix-and-match other work samples depending on the client's needs.
5. • A picture may be worth a thousand words, but you should still prepare a brief presentation that provides the client with basic information about key work samples.
   • This is the best option. For each sample, summarize the objective of the project, your role and the results. Highlight positive client feedback and any awards you received, as well as tangible results.
   • Not a good idea. You may not have enough time for such a long speech. Besides, the client isn't interested in reliving the project's ups and downs with you.
   • This choice overwhelms the client with a lot of extraneous information.
6. • Most clients want to know for whom you've worked, so they can get a sense of how your samples fit into the context of your professional history.
   • Merely listing previous employers and clients is insufficient. Prospective clients or employers also want to know about your former responsibilities, educational history, professional affiliations and ongoing training you've received.
   • If you've gone to the trouble to create a resume, don't bury it where the client may never see it.
   • This is correct. A resume should provide a chronological work history and additional information that complements the portfolio.
7. • Once a year is not often enough, unless you complete only one project annually.
   • Not a good strategy. Your online portfolio should be a dynamic display of your evolving skills and talents. If you never update it, you'll eventually be toting around a fossil.
   • Right choice! As necessary, replace outdated samples with more recent items, especially if they showcase new skills.
   • You'll probably need to update more frequently than this. And don't cling nostalgically to ancient pieces. The only reason to keep an old sample is if it's from a high-profile or award-winning campaign.
8. • Right answer. You should find out in advance how a client prefers to review portfolios. For example, if it's a group interview, a hard copy may be preferred so it can be passed around.
   • This is overkill. Save yourself some trouble and call the client ahead of time. Then, bring the format that works best for the client.
   • While it's true that virtually every workplace is linked to the Internet, it's still best to bring a hard-copy version with you, just in case.
   • Mailing your portfolio is not the greatest idea. It may get lost in the shuffle.
9. • You won't win any points by making your site so "sticky" that a prospective client has to spend hours reviewing your work.
   • Yes - your digital portfolio should be even shorter than your hard copy. Make it clean and efficient by including several samples of each type of work.
   • Organization does matter, but no matter how organized you are, too many pieces will appear chaotic.
   • The best web portfolios are simple and succinct. Your ability to efficiently showcase your expertise will be more impressive than your ability to create a complex site.
10. • It's not a good idea - nor is it necessary - to leave behind your entire portfolio. You may never get it back.
    • Once the client has reviewed your portfolio, they don't need a slew of samples to make a decision. The purpose of a leave-behind is to provide the prospect with an outstanding reminder of who you are and what you can do.
    • This is the best answer. Clients often review many portfolios and will appreciate one strong example of your talents. Always leave a sample that you have multiple copies of, since it probably won't be returned.
    • Maybe the client won't forget your work - unless they've reviewed two dozen books in the past five days. It's always wise to leave a sample of your best work for the client's files.