Forget your resume, update your portfolio
- Claire Baker
- Nov 16
- 2 min read
Have you submitted hundreds of resumes and still don’t have an offer?
It might be time to change strategy, not your career.
Forever jobs with gold watches and pensions are a thing of the past. Anyone who could reasonably expect that kind of career path has had an AARP card for years.
Today’s careers aren’t ladders, they’re paths you have to chart yourself.
Your next promotion is 3 times more likely to come by switching to a different company than staying in the one you’re in.
So why are we still submitting resumes like it’s 1985?
Think about it:
→ A resume is designed to be scanned quickly, skimming over all of your grit, elbow grease, and rizz to pick out a few generic key words.
→ Measures you and hundreds of other candidates by the same yard stick, ignoring all of the uniqueness that makes you great.
→ Is designed to be adaptable for any application for any job anywhere. Sure, a few words may change, but squint and the resume for data analyst and a dog groomer look pretty much the same.
It’s time to ditch the resume and find different ways to show off your work in its natural environment.
Here are 7 things you can try. They take grit, rizz, and elbow grease, but that's why they work.
🖼️ Build a portfolio
You don’t have to be a graphic designer or copywriter for this to work. Take your presentations, SOPs, thoughtful emails, or weekend projects, redact them, and put them into a folder. If you don’t have them anymore, rebuild them from memory - who cares if they’re not the gospel truth? They just need to show how you approach problems.
🙋Answer questions for free
The best way to show how you work is to show how you work. Get on forums, Slack groups, sub Reddits, LinkedIn, in-person events, and share your thoughts. Don’t think of it as working for free, think of it as advertising your skills on other people’s platforms.
✨ Use your other talents to show where you shine
Start a blog, a podcast, a YouTube channel, or a LinkedIn habit, whatever fits you best. The point isn’t to grow a following, but to make your portfolio public. Something you can link to whenever the opportunity presents itself that shows your work on your terms.
📄 Put your CV in a different format
Instead of a blah word processor template, walk people through your resume like a narrative. Create a deck and go through it on Loom, telling your story in your voice. Build a website so people can click in for more detailed work samples, case studies, and demos.
♻️ Make it sharable
Your next job may be several steps removed from your direct network. Give people things they can forward or link to when they meet someone who’s looking to hire you.
💬 Talk to people
Don’t stop at the application. Build relationships with people who might be your future coworkers on LinkedIn. Pitch in to help a friend on a project. Volunteer your skills for a local community organization. When someone appreciates your work, share your materials with them.
Repeat regularly.
Hi. My name is Claire. Welcome to my portfolio. Wanna work together?
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