5 Differences Between Resumes & Digital Portfolios

1. Resumes are one-dimensional.

Digital portfolios are multi-dimensional.In his professional portfolio, William Robinson uses video, audio, and photographs combined with writing to add dimension to his experiences. He also uses a Quicklinks page as a Table of Contents directing his viewer to additional pages and collections for more information.

2. Resumes are brief. Digital portfolios tell your full story.

Brook Bowen spent a semester at sea, traveling to 12+ countries. On a resume she would have to condense her semester abroad to a few sentences. Her digital portfolio allowed her to recount her experiences and thoughts of each country in a dynamic, visual way. Her in-depth explanations help readers understand what she learned and how she grew.

3. Resumes are visually boring.

Digital portfolios are dynamically beautiful.Artists and creatives have always used portfolios to showcase their work accompanied by a resume to explain their skills. A digital portfolio gives artists the platform to explain their skills and processes behind each piece, merging the visual and explanation. Jr. Creative Director, Kate Petrik, uses her digital portfolio to document entire processes of a project. Being involved in many aspects of one project, this platform allows her to explain and show her contribution, starting from pitch to final product, using text, images, audio, video and media from other apps.

4. Resume storytelling is challenging.

Digital portfolio storytelling is easy.Explaining long-term, detailed projects in 3-4 sentences on a resume does not adequately give others a complete understanding of your contribution, the skills you developed, and the goals you reached. The solution? A digital portfolio. Montreal filmmaker, Martin Villenueve, uses his portfolio to give readers an in-depth look at his creative processes. With each film, readers take a journey through his contributions and skill development.

5. Resumes limit sharing options.

Digital portfolios open them.Email or employment-oriented websites (like LinkedIn and Indeed) are the traditional ways of sharing resumes, but it limits how and what you’re able to share. With digital portfolios, you’re able to share when and how you’d like, with who you’d like. Create a private or public link in one click, add additional notes, and easily share your work with anyone in the world.Take what you learned from these examples and create a free digital portfolio today. Stand out from the traditional resume at your next opportunity.