Ink & Pixels Student Design Conference is almost here! Are you ready, students? As you prepare your portfolio for the portfolio review, keep these tips in mind so you can be set for success. Have any other tips to share? Add them in the comments!

Coming to Ink & Pixels but don’t have a portfolio? It’s OK! Just bring some of your recent work to share and our reviewers will give you feedback on how to improve and present it. 

• Make a good impression by wearing professional attire, smiling, and arriving on time; better yet, arrive early.
• Introduce yourself and shake hands. Tell the reviewer your name and something interesting about yourself: what type of industry you want to enter, why you chose the field of design, etc.
• Include 7–10 pieces of your best work in your portfolio presentation. For a lasting impression, your first and last pieces should be your strongest.
• Showing interactive work? Come prepared with a fully charged laptop or other portable device and make your projects available offline, in case an Internet connection isn’t available.
• Be ready to discuss your work and answer questions. Explain how you developed the idea, what research was conducted, who the target audience was, and any challenges that you may have faced when creating it.
• Don’t rush through your portfolio presentation. Speak at a normal pace and give the reviewer time to comment on each piece.
• Be open to constructive criticism. The reviewer is there to help you. You can filter through the comments later and decide which changes to make. Bring a pen and paper to take notes.
• Be prepared to give your resume and business card to the reviewer. Also, including a leave-behind with a few examples of your best work will make your presentation even more memorable.
• Ask the reviewer questions about their job. Take the opportunity to learn about what they do and how they got there.
• Ask for the reviewer’s business card and follow up with an email or note to thank them for their time and feedback.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to meet three (or more!) professional Baltimore designers and get feedback on your work and your portfolio. Register now to grab your spot today and you will be entered to win a one-year subscription to Skillshare, a limited-edition poster, or a chance to have lunch with an Ink & Pixels speaker, too!