For decades, the Curriculum Vitae (CV) has been the undisputed king of job applications. It’s a document that summarises your professional life—your education, work history, and skills—in a concise format. But as the world of work evolves, a new contender has risen to prominence: the portfolio. A portfolio isn't just a list of past jobs; it's a dynamic collection of your actual work, showcasing your abilities in a tangible and impactful way.
This shift has created a common dilemma for job seekers across the UK. Is the traditional CV still enough? Or has the portfolio become an essential tool for securing a new role? The answer, as is often the case in today's complex job market, is not a simple either/or. Instead, the most successful candidates are learning to leverage both in a powerful, complementary strategy.
This comprehensive guide will break down the strengths of both the CV and the portfolio, helping you understand when to use each and, most importantly, how to combine them to create an application that stands out from the crowd.
The CV remains a cornerstone of the hiring process for a very good reason: it’s an efficient and standardized way for employers to quickly assess a candidate’s background. It provides a clear, chronological overview of your career path, qualifications, and key responsibilities.
Key Components and Purpose: A well-structured CV is typically divided into sections:
Personal Details: Your name, contact information, and a professional summary.
Professional Summary/Personal Statement: A brief introduction highlighting your key skills and career goals.
Work Experience: A reverse-chronological list of your jobs, detailing your responsibilities and, crucially, your achievements.
Education: Your academic qualifications, including degrees and certifications.
Skills: A list of your technical and soft skills.
Why the CV is Still a Must-Have:
Standardisation for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): Many large UK companies use ATS software to filter applications. These systems are designed to scan CVs for specific keywords and formatting. A well-formatted, text-based CV is the best way to get past this initial screening.
Concise Overview: A recruiter often spends just a few seconds on a CV. It’s designed for quick consumption, allowing a hiring manager to grasp your entire career history at a glance.
Demonstrates Linear Progression: For traditional, non-creative roles (e.g., finance, administration, HR), a CV effectively demonstrates a logical and steady career progression, which is often a key criterion.
The CV is your professional handshake—it’s the formal introduction that sets the stage for everything that follows.
In a world where simply listing skills isn't enough, the portfolio has become the proof of a candidate’s abilities. It moves beyond "I can do this" to "Here is the evidence of what I have done."
What is a Portfolio? A portfolio is a curated collection of your best work. It can take many forms:
A Personal Website: This is the most common and professional format. It can host case studies, images, videos, and links to live projects.
A PDF Document: A good option for a concise, shareable portfolio, especially if your work is design-focused.
GitHub Profile: Essential for software developers and data scientists to showcase their code, contributions, and personal projects.
A Behance or Dribbble Page: Ideal for graphic designers and visual artists.
Why the Portfolio is Gaining Traction:
Shows, Don't Just Tell: A CV might say you're a "strategic content writer," but a portfolio can show a series of blog posts you wrote, the traffic they generated, and the a-ha moments they created for your client.
Demonstrates Tangible Impact: Portfolios allow you to showcase the results of your work. You can include metrics, testimonials, and detailed case studies that explain the problem, your solution, and the positive outcome. This is far more compelling than a bullet point on a CV.
Personalisation and Personality: A well-designed portfolio is an extension of your personal brand. It allows you to express your creativity, work style, and passion in a way that a structured CV simply can't.
Proof of Practical Skills: For industries like software development, digital marketing, and user experience (UX) design, employers want to see that you can actually do the job, not just that you have a degree. A portfolio provides that irrefutable proof.
Deciding whether to lean on a CV or a portfolio depends heavily on your industry and the specific role you're applying for.
The CV is the Primary Tool When:
Applying for Traditional Roles: Jobs in finance, law, retail, or the public sector often rely on a clear, chronological history.
You're Early in Your Career: If you don't have a robust body of work to showcase, a CV that highlights your education, transferable skills, and volunteer experience is the best option.
The Application Process Demands It: If a company’s application portal only accepts a CV or resume, you must provide one.
The Portfolio is the Game-Changer When:
Applying for Creative & Technical Roles: This includes jobs in graphic design, web development, copywriting, marketing, photography, and film production.
You're a Freelancer: A strong portfolio is essential for showcasing your services and attracting new clients.
You've Got a Non-Traditional Background: If your career path is non-linear, a portfolio can link your diverse experiences and show how they all contribute to a unique skill set.
The Verdict: While the CV is still the ticket to get you in the door, the portfolio is what proves you belong there.
The most effective approach in today’s job market is not to choose between a CV and a portfolio, but to use them together. The CV provides the "what" and the "where," while the portfolio provides the "how" and the "why." They tell two halves of the same story.
How to Combine Them:
Make the CV the First Point of Contact: Your CV is still the most likely document to be reviewed first, especially by an ATS. Keep it concise (ideally two pages, which is the standard in the UK) and make sure your key achievements are quantified with data and metrics.
Integrate a Prominent Link: The first page of your CV should have a clear, clickable link to your online portfolio. You can place this right under your name and contact information. This is the crucial bridge that guides the recruiter from your summary to your detailed work.
Use the CV to Tease the Portfolio: In the work experience section of your CV, don’t just list your responsibilities. Instead, briefly mention a key project and then direct the recruiter to your portfolio for the full story. For example: "Managed a digital marketing campaign that increased leads by 20% (see full case study in my portfolio)."
This approach gives the recruiter the best of both worlds. They get a quick, easy-to-read summary of your career on the CV, and a deep dive into the quality of your work via the portfolio.
Now that you know the strategy, here's how to build each component effectively.
Use a Professional, Simple Format: Avoid fancy graphics. Use a clean, sans-serif font like Arial or Calibri. Ensure your CV is easy to read both for a human and for ATS software.
Quantify Your Achievements: Instead of saying "managed social media," say "Managed social media channels that grew followers by 30% and increased engagement by 50% in six months." Numbers are powerful and universal.
Tailor for Each Application: Never send the same CV twice. Read the job description carefully and adjust your skills and professional summary to match the keywords and requirements of that specific role.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity: You don't need to include every project you've ever worked on. Choose 3-5 of your strongest, most recent projects that are relevant to the type of job you're seeking.
Tell a Story with Each Project: For each project, create a case study. Follow a simple structure:
The Challenge: What problem were you trying to solve?
Your Role: What was your specific contribution?
The Process: How did you approach the problem?
The Solution: What was the final deliverable?
The Impact: What were the results? Use data and metrics to prove your success.
Keep it Updated: Your portfolio should be a living document. Update it with your latest work and skills to keep it relevant and fresh.
In a job market that values both speed and substance, the single-minded focus on a CV is a thing of the past. The most successful candidates in the UK and beyond are those who understand the unique strengths of both the CV and the portfolio.
A well-crafted CV gets you through the initial screening, while a compelling portfolio seals the deal by providing undeniable evidence of your abilities. By mastering both, you're not just applying for a job—you're demonstrating your value, showcasing your potential, and presenting a powerful, complete picture of who you are as a professional. Start building your hybrid approach today and take control of your career journey.
