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Last week we asked our Twitter followers what kind of advice they had for students who want to get their work online. Many students are able to create their own sites, but there’s a large group of illustrators and designers who are scared of jumping into an online portfolio. If you’re one of those people, here’s some advice for you. 

Having an online portfolio is important. Really important. If you’re looking for a job, freelance work, or just a way to get your name out, you need to have your portfolio online where people can see it. But in order to put your portfolio online, you need to know how to code, right?

No, you don’t need to know how to code to get your work online. There are great sites that let creative professionals share their work without having to know anything about coding. Virb, Cargo, and Behance’s ProSite all offer ways to get your portfolio up quickly, easily, and at a reasonable price. 

While coding isn’t required, we would definitely encourage you to learn how to code. If you’re interested, especially if you are still a student, take some classes. Look up resources and teach yourself. There’s so many tools, like WordPress, that can be incredibly powerful if you approach them with a little bit of knowledge and the willingness to learn.

Regardless of your coding ability, choose an option that represents you well. Keep things simple. You want people to see your work, not be distracted by your portfolio site. This is a window into who you are and what you do.

Only show work that makes you proud. It’s better to have five solid pieces displayed simply than twenty mediocre projects that someone has to dig through. You have complete control over what people see and how they perceive your work. 

So do it! If you don’t have an online portfolio, it’s time for you to start creating one. You control your online destiny, so take your future in your hands and start working. Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have—we’d love to point you in the right direction.