Student Matt Ma shows portfolio to a reviewer.
Student Val Melo shows portfolio to a reviewer.
Student shows portfolio at the VCC Portfolio Review.
This week I joined the students of the Portfolio Review class. All semester they have been fine tuning their portfolios and learning techniques on how to present themselves professionally. This week it was finally there chance to put all their hard work to the test in a 3 hour long portfolio review session.
Arriving at class there was a distinct air of anxious excitement in the room. The students sat in a waiting area while the reviewers were briefed on what to expect. Most of the reviewers had participated in past semesters and were ready right away to get started. They had a grade sheet for each student they would see. Every 20 minutes the organizer moved students between reviewers. Shuffling the schedules as students or reviewers were late or no-shows, it was a constant challenge to ensure each student received feedback.
The grade sheet (shown below) included items covering professionalism, creativity, design finish and overall presentation. Each reviewer was told to conduct the review much like they would a job interview. Technical design skills and creativity are the prerequisite to get to a job interview, but the interview is what will solidify the position. Employers are looking for personality compatibility just as much design talent. The job interview is the chance for the interviewer to show what more they have to offer. The reviewers understand that this is a practice field for the students and are thus are encouraged to leave feedback that will give them guidance in the real world. Most of all, they were asked to be honest with the students. While the evening was a practice, there were some reviewers looking to fill open positions.
Most of the students seemed to be well-prepared and comfortable discussing their work. Computers were available for students whose work was online. Internet access was not 100% reliable, but well-prepared students had a copy of their work on disc, or on their own laptops. Many of the portfolio’s were hand-crafted. While there were funky boxes, unique cd cases and fun little figurines made of paper many were the typical steel portfolio book. After speaking to several reviewers it was clear that they had been impressed by the Valencia students. I was curious to hear where might there be room for improvement. After some thought he determined that typography was where the most students could improve their work.
Overall the review was just as exciting to observe as I had hoped it might be. Prof. B from the Advanced Graphic Design 1 course had mentioned it on numerous occasions and it all rang true for participating students that night. They had reworked their portfolios for the past 15 weeks in preparation for that night. In addition to fine tuning their final pieces and developing a personal brand they had prepared for the interviews.
Confidently, I can say the review was a huge success. With what data, you may ask, do I back up that statement? After speaking with the organizer I learned that within two weeks 6 students had been hired. In addition to that 14 reviewers were able to give guidance to 19 students on their work, their portfolio’s and their futures. As the final class in the Valencia program it does justice to the students who’ve put in the effort and shows confidently the level of design instruction VCC has delivered.