Almost all UX research job seekers will need a portfolio at some point in their job hunt. I tend to get a lot of questions about portfolios, so I’ve summarized my common answers here. This list not in an exhaustive review of portfolio strategies. My colleagues from back at NC State (now at Drill Bit Labs) have done a fantastic job diving really deep on portfolios. I’d suggest digging into their resources as well if you want to learn everything you can about UX research portfolios:

• Building and evaluating UX Research portfolios
• A practical rubric template for reviewing UX Research portfolios

Now, let’s get on to the pieces I’d like to add.

Common portfolio questions and answers

Are portfolios necessary?

Yes. Not always, but often enough you should have one (actually two) ready. 

How should I structure my portfolio?

There are two phases in job searching that can involve portfolio materials, and they have a different (sometimes opposing) set of needs.

The two kinds of portfolios:

I see people share extremely detailed interview loop-style case studies on their website that are the equivalent of 30 to 40 slides. Think for a moment about your website audience: a recruiter or hiring manager that will spend between 15 and 120 seconds (at most) reviewing the whole portfolio initially. A portfolio used online or for initial application materials needs to be readable in just a moment’s time.

Both portfolio types are needed at different points in the hiring funnel. Online portfolios are good for a continuous online presence, and may need to be sent directly with an initial application (attach via link or PDF version). Interview loop case studies (like the name implies) are for a middle phase of an interview process, often after a hiring manager screen.

You need to have the online portfolio ready in case it’s required upfront. Interview loop case studies are almost always required in some format, so it’s better to have it mostly prepared than scramble once you get an interview.

Online portfolios also are not read aloud in a presentation. Though you should use words sparsely for presentations presented live, online portfolio slides may be more dense with explanatory text, since you can’t voice over details. Interview loop case studies follow typical advice for live presentations. You want your audience focused on you, not reading your slide. Keep text minimal and rely on relevant imagery to drive the story if you don’t have a simple graph/chart (one of the best uses I’ve found for generative AI so far). 

Interview loop case studies vary in requirements, so it’s useful to have a bigger set of work you can chip down to size. One interview might require 1 45 minute case study and another requires 2 case studies within 30 minutes – be ready for both.

The biggest thing to keep in mind here is to share the right amount of depth for the audience at a given point in the hiring funnel.

Do I need to use a website?

I anecdotally believe a personal professional website can lend social proof and some general credibility. However, even with a website, you don’t need to use it to showcase an online portfolio directly. Slide decks work well because they preserve the format and can be easily submitted in an application as a PDF (I see a lot of website case studies translate poorly across device sizes). Google Slides is free and easy to host publicly.

Also, avoid having password protection for an online portfolio – instead try to anonymize your work sufficiently that it’s not required.

Can I use a class project?

I would always use a project from a business context if you have one available. The only exception here would be if you had hyper-specific experience for a role that you’re applying to (think virtual reality eye-wear, diabetes glucometer digital application, driving maps application, etc). 

The loose order of value for projects in your portfolio is:

• Full time project (FTE or contract)
• Internship project
• School project or volunteer project with a business partner
• School project or volunteer project with no external stakeholders

The value can be affected by how good the story is (how much impact did you make?) and how relevant it is to the role you’re applying for. Expectations also vary by internships, junior roles, or senior roles.

What if I don’t have any projects for my portfolio?

See again my colleagues at Drill Bit Labs: 5 strategies for building a UX Research portfolio without work experience.

What if my projects don’t have business impact?

This is a common issue with academic projects. There is no simple answer here, but you may have to lean into hypotheticals in a transparent way.

First, show what impact there was. Did you publish or share at a conference? Did it drive new research in your lab? Demonstrate how you met the mark for success in your previous context for the project.

Then, connect the hypothetical dots (think of the header “Potential product impact”). How would a product team apply your insights? How could it improve product success or metrics? Don’t say you did these when you didn’t, but show that you understand how you would move from insights to impact.

Can I see your portfolio?

I only share my more junior/mid-level portfolio from 2020 publicly. It’s a bit of an exercise in humility – I’d do it differently now (even less text, use my titles to drive the story, etc.). I keep it as is for authenticity, I suppose.

Wrapping up

That’s it for now – I may update for tips here if I get new questions or remember one that I forgot. The key thing to know is that you need two portfolios: one for a quick glance during applications/online presence and one longer version for live presentations. I hope this helps in your job search and you get the offer!