The Art Director’s Guide: Getting Hired
From standout visuals to the soft skills that seal the deal, here’s what it takes to make the cut.
When it comes to landing a creative job, here’s my *potentially* controversial opinion: your portfolio is undeniably more important than your CV.
Hear me out. From my very first role—where I applied fresh out of school with a few A-Levels and zero work experience—it was my portfolio that opened the door. Back then, it was a collection of personal photography projects and assignments from my Shillington Graphic Design course. It wasn’t polished, but it showed what I could do. And over the years, that same principle has held true.
Yes, your CV matters. It outlines your experience, your progression, and your skills. But if your portfolio doesn’t sing, there’s no way you’re getting the job based on a list of job titles and responsibilities alone. In creative industries, words on paper can’t compete with visuals that prove your talent.
Fast forward to today, and I now find myself on the other side of the hiring table, reviewing portfolios and CVs from talented juniors eager to make their mark. It’s been a humbling experience. There’s something incredibly inspiring about seeing the sheer diversity of creativity and potential laid out in a PDF.
But it’s also taught me so much about what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to landing a creative role. Hiring has given me a deeper appreciation for how personal and professional storytelling through your portfolio and CV can set you apart.
So, here’s what I’ve learned about what really makes a portfolio stand out, with insights from my own journey and what I now look for when hiring.
The Portfolio: Your Creative Superpower
Your portfolio is the first thing I look at. It’s your moment to grab attention and show me not just what you’ve done, but who you are as a creative. Here’s how to make it shine:
1. The ‘Master Deck’ And Tailoring It For Every Application
One of the biggest red flags when reviewing portfolios is when they feel generic or designed from a well-known template. I love seeing work that’s clearly been curated with the role in mind. My advice? Start with a "master deck", designed by you, that holds all your projects, then pull out the most relevant pieces for each application, creating a new, custom portfolio with minimal effort.
If the connection between your work and the role isn’t obvious, explain it. A brief, bold statement about why a project is relevant can make all the difference. I remember one candidate who added a single line under each project: “This project highlights my ability to…” It showed me they understood what I was looking for without overwhelming me with text.
Pro Tip: Make it easy for your work to shine. Think less about long-winded explanations and more about clean visuals and sharp insights.
2. Order is everything—think of it as a movie.
🔥The Opening Scene (aka—Project One): This should be visually striking, tailored to your audience, gripping. It instantly makes you want to see more.
💭The Plot Development (aka—Project Two): Now you have your audience hooked, you can explore a little more, adding a project that’s perhaps not as strong, but shows a really good quality or piece of experience you want to highlight. If its not overtly relevant to the job you’re applying for, its perfect for project two as they’re already hooked, but just explain why its there in the opening.
🗻The Peak (aka—Project Three): You need a bit of drama mid way through the movie, put your second strongest project here, one that you’ll know they’ll love. Keep them hooked, wanting to see until the end.
👀The Trough (aka—Project Four): Less dramatic, but still worthy, relevant and engaging.
🔥The Finale (aka—Project Five): Your third best (don’t save your very best for last because the employer might not get there) but leave your portfolio on a high.
3. People Skim Read—Keep It Simple
I’ll admit it—when I’m skimming through portfolios, I’m not reading every word. I’m looking for clarity, precision, and a clean layout that doesn’t overwhelm. Avoid hefty opening paragraphs and overpowering, overly creative portfolio designs.
What catches my eye:
Relevant skills—Show me what you’re good at and how it applies to the role.
Sharp design— A portfolio that’s cluttered or overly designed can make me question your instincts. Keep to this rule—if your work is bold, bright, colourful, versatile, keep your design and colour palette intentionally clean and minimal to allow for your projects to shine, not compete with your personal branding. But if your work is all minimal and understated, you can afford to show a personal branding with a little flair and colour.
Concise copy— Bite-sized insights into your process and problem-solving.
For example, if I were to write an intro for my Adidas Skin campaign, I wouldn’t write:
"Adidas briefed us to help with the launch of a brand new skincare range for athletes across their European and Australian markets. They asked us to help design a project launch identity, under the Adidas umbrella branding, create a series of short films, and a photographic campaign, that raised awareness for the products, educated consumers on its benefits, and lead to sales conversions. After months of client meetings and brainstorms, my team and I came up with the concept of “Your Skin Is Your Ultimate Sports Equipment” and named the product range simply, “Adidas Skin”.
Way too long, right? You want the employer to get it in 5 seconds. Leave all the detail for the interview. Here’s what I’d write instead:
”Project: Adidas Skin. Establishing Adidas as a credible player skincare realm by giving athletes’ skin equal status to a running shoe or a sports bra.”
Keep it to what you did, who it was for, and the emotional hook of the campaign.
3. Include Personal Projects
Some of the most exciting portfolios I’ve seen include personal projects or snippets of unrelated design work at the end. They tell me about a candidate’s creative instincts and what they’re passionate about beyond client briefs. It’s a window into their authentic style and how they think when they’re not constrained by brand guidelines.
When I applied for my first job, my personal photography and video editing projects were the backbone of my portfolio. They weren’t perfect, but they showed who I was as a creative—my potential. That authenticity can make all the difference.
3. Skip the Canva Templates
If I can spot a template, it’s an instant turn-off. Sorry! Canva templates often feel overly complicated and overdesigned, distracting from the real star: your work.
Focus less on the portfolio’s design and more on the projects within it. What truly matters is the quality of your ideas, not how much time you spent crafting the pages that hold them. A clean, simple design keeps the spotlight on your creativity, not the layout.
Here are a few layouts and styles that could inspire simple portfolio designs that I love:
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