These days, companies don’t hire unless they’re sure. That’s why having a referral—someone from the inside vouching for you—has become the gold standard.

But referrals are a luxury very few can afford. If you’re new, switching careers, or freelancing, you’re often on your own. But this doesn't mean you're out of options. If a referral builds trust through someone else’s word, an online portfolio builds it through your own. 

In fact, 82% of employers believe that a professional portfolio helps applicants stand out. Over the years, I’ve seen that statistic hold up again and again.

As a CMO, I’ve reviewed more portfolios than I can count. Some were forgettable, a few were exceptional. But most lacked that extra layer of context or clarity that builds trust. 

So, in today’s job market where trust is everything, how can you create a portfolio that gets you hired?

My tips for creating an online portfolio that gets you noticed

1. Include tailored case studies

2. Build credibility through self-initiated work

3. Create interest with unsolicited pitches

4. Earn trust by sharing your point of view

5. Use transparency to earn credibility

6. Use testimonials to prove you can deliver

7. Make sure your portfolio is seen

01. Include tailored case studies

I’ve seen too many portfolios that look like galleries. A few polished screenshots, a sentence or two about what they did, and they move on. That’s fine if you're just showing off visuals. But if you're trying to prove that you can solve real problems (problems worth paying for), you need more.

A good case study should reveal your decision-making. Here's how: 

• Start with the problem: What wasn’t working? What challenge did the client, user or team face? Frame it clearly and simply. For example: “The site wasn’t converting,” or “New users kept dropping off after the first session.” 
  

• Show your process: What did you look at? What did you question, test or analyze? This is where you let them see how you approached the task.
  

• Lay out your solution: What did you actually do, and why? What tradeoffs did you consider? You need to show that your decisions were grounded in logic.
  

• Present the result: What changed? What has improved? If you can quantify the results, even better. For example: “Increased conversions by 22%,” or “Helped the client land a $500K contract.”

I'd also advise you to tailor your portfolio to the specific role. If you’re applying for a UX role and the job description mentions user flows and accessibility, don’t make them dig through a case study about branding. Lead with the work that speaks directly to what they care about.

Related reading:

• How to build a website

• Types of websites (with templates)

• Best portfolio websites

02. Build credibility through self-initiated work

If you felt a bit let down by my first tip (maybe because you’re just starting out and don’t have many projects to turn into detailed case studies), here’s the good news: some of the strongest portfolio pieces I’ve seen were self-initiated.

Sometimes, the most compelling work you can show is the kind you make on your own—not to land a specific job, but to sharpen your skills or explore new ideas. For example, you might: 

• Redesign the site or brand of a nonprofit you admire. Do it as an exercise or offer it directly. Smaller organizations rarely get high-quality UX or design attention. A well-executed redesign can, in some cases, even open the door to paid work.
  

• Improve something that frustrates you. If a product you use is confusing, clunky or just plain outdated, reimagine it. You could improve the UX, streamline the flow or make it more accessible. This shows that you can spot issues before they become problems for users.
  

• Prototype a tool or feature you wish existed. What’s missing? What would make the experience smoother, faster or more useful? Build that and document your thinking.

Good work speaks for itself. If it’s well-crafted and solves a real problem, no one’s going to care whether it came from a paying client or your own initiative.

03. Create interest with unsolicited pitches 

If there’s a company you’d love to work with, don’t just send them a cold email with a link to your portfolio. That’s what everyone else does. Instead, build something for them first.

This project doesn’t have to be perfect or groundbreaking. It just has to be thoughtful and show that you understand their business, their product and where you might fit in.

Start by doing your research. If a company has posted a job ad, read it carefully and look for clues about their needs. What are they hiring for? What skills do they emphasize? Where might they be falling short? If there’s no job ad, look into their product, their messaging or even their competitors and try to spot gaps, pain points or missed opportunities. That’s what you should build around.

A few examples for inspiration:

• If you’re a product designer, you might mock up a fix for a small UX issue in a company’s app.
  

• If you’re a brand designer, you could create a simplified logo system or rethink a company’s packaging hierarchy.
  

• If you’re a copywriter, you might rewrite a clunky onboarding email or tighten up the messaging on a company’s pricing page.

This approach works because it lowers the risk on the company’s side. You’re not just asking to be considered for a role based on potential. You’re giving them something tangible to react to. And that alone makes you memorable. Very few people do this, and even fewer do it well.

Just don’t forget the obvious: call attention to the work. The simplest way is mention it clearly in your email, explain what you made and why, then include a direct link. That’s often all it takes to make someone curious enough to click and explore the rest of your portfolio.

Read also: Writing portfolio examples

04. Earn trust by sharing your point of view

Your portfolio doesn’t have to be all case studies and client work. When everyone’s projects start to look the same, it’s the extra pieces like essays, insights or original thinking that can tip the scale in your favor.

In my experience, people tend to forget that showing off skills isn’t the only way to build trust. Judgment matters too. Sharing your point of view helps others see how you think and what kind of mind they’d be bringing on.

There are a few ways to do this:

• Write a short essay or industry take.The key here is to choose a topic you actually have thoughts on. Maybe it’s a trend you’re skeptical of, a common mistake you keep seeing or something you wish more people understood. It doesn’t have to be a full-on academic essay. Just keep it short, clear and opinionated.
  

• Spot patterns and analyze trends. Is something shifting in your field? Are people solving problems differently than they used to? When you can speak to these shifts, it shows that you’re paying attention. It also tells clients or employers that you understand what’s working right now and that you’re able to offer relevant, up-to-date solutions.

You don’t need to publish essays every week. Just one or two sharp pieces can add depth to your professional portfolio, spark intrigue and often give hiring managers something to ask about in the interview.

Showcase your skills in style. Create an online portfolio with Wix.

05. Use transparency to earn credibility

The whole point of a professional portfolio is to show your best work and make everything look intentional and flawless. In this context, my next tip might sound counterproductive, but I believe that there's some value in letting people see the messy parts of your process as well. 

Being transparent about the wrong turns your projects have taken (the decisions you made, the iterations, the things you tried and rejected) shows your thinking and ability to adapt when things don’t go according to plan.

Here are a few examples that come to my mind: 

• Share early wireframes, sketches or rough prototypes

• Include a few directions you explored but ultimately rejected, and explain why

• Add notes about what worked, what didn’t and how you adjusted

• Record a short walkthrough of your Figma file or editing timeline to highlight key decisions

This is especially useful if you’re earlier in your career. You may not have dozens of client projects yet, but you can show that your work is deliberate and that you know how to think through a problem and adapt as you go.

06. Use testimonials to prove you can deliver

I’d argue that testimonials are even more convincing than a referral, simply because referrals often come from a friend or someone in your network who’s putting in a good word.

A testimonial usually comes from someone who actually worked with you and still wants to tell others you’re worth it. That’s a different kind of trust, built not on who you know but on what you’ve done.

So where do you get your testimonials? First, you need to find someone who's willing to be your reference. You can ask:

• Past clients or employers who were happy with your work

• Mentors or collaborators who’ve seen how you operate

• People you helped through volunteer or unpaid projects
  

You don’t need a long letter of recommendation. A few honest sentences about what you did, how you worked and what stood out is more than enough. And don’t overthink where to put them. You can either set up a separate page titled “Testimonials,” or you can just drop a short quote into a case study.

07. Make sure your portfolio is seen

Everything we’ve talked about so far only matters if someone actually sees your online portfolio. That sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often people treat it like an afterthought.

You build all this proof of what you can do, then forget to give it a clear path to the people who are supposed to care. You simply can't afford to let your portfolio gather dust in a forgotten link, especially not when it might be the only thing speaking for you.

Understand that the people reviewing your application are moving fast. They're skimming resumes, clicking through tabs, juggling deadlines. If your portfolio isn't immediately visible and easy to open, it won't do you any favors.

Start with the simple things:

• Add the link to your resume, cover letter, email signature (especially if you're doing outreach) and wherever else someone might find you. 
  

• Make sure your resume and portfolio tell the same story. Start by checking that your key projects, roles and skills line up across both. Use your resume to highlight the what and your portfolio to show the how. If you still need to build your resume or give it a refresh, tools like Kickresume and Zety make it easy to create something that looks professional and communicates the right details clearly.
  

• If you’re using a platform like Wix to create your portfolio website, take the time to set it up properly. A lot of people will be looking at your portfolio on their phone, so make sure it works on mobile. Keep the navigation clean and simple.
  

• If you're sharing your resume at events or applying to jobs where people might print it out, a QR code is worth the extra two minutes. It lowers friction. All someone needs to do is point their phone, and they're inside your portfolio in seconds. No guessing, no mistyped links.
  

• It’s no secret that a lot of headhunting happens on LinkedIn, so make sure your portfolio is clearly visible in both your bio and your activity. You don’t need to post about it every week, but it should show up near the top of your recent posts. And when you do share something, skip the usual “I’m proud to announce” tone—just talk about what you explored, fixed or created.