Inside of Emergency Designer Card
After graduating college with my BFA in Graphic Design, I had a leave behind booklet for interviews and a self-promotional item that got me an A in the portfolio class. However since college, I haven’t really used either concept and after talking to a few seasoned graphic designers and employers, I will leave those projects in my portfolio. When I asked employers, “What would you do with a self-promotional item?” Several said, “Truthfully, I would throw it away. I have no place for it and if I did, I would forget it was there. It’s much easier for me to bookmark a website or resume.” Some of us are pack rats and won’t throw away something cool or inspirational, but others have no problem clearing out the unused objects. So as you hunt for a job, look for ways to get your name on the web and in emails.
My two favorite resources for the web are cargocollective.com (for easy creating of websites) and smashingmagazine.com (for web help and inspiration).
To see some my web portfolio go to dirtysinkdesign.com.To see other people’s creativity with portfolios try starting at webdesignledger.com
Related Articles
- Advice for design students (davidairey.com)
- Tips for Staying Focused in a Cubicle | Orphicpixel (orphicpixel.com)
- Web Designers and Graphic Designers (encourageblogging.com)
dirty sink design blog 
I’m SO glad you asked about this! I’ve been debating on whether or not to remake mine since I’ll be applying for jobs again… but now I know that I should focus my attention to online stuff. It’s cheaper too! I might make a mini portfolio to carry around in my bag. That was what I ended up doing with my extra leave behind.