How to build a portfolio (even if your work isn’t visual)

When you think “portfolio,” you probably picture designers, writers, or photographers. But what about project managers, HR, or admin pros?

You’ve led projects, solved problems and streamlined processes — and that deserves to be showcased.

Even without logos or visuals, a portfolio is still for you. It’s your chance to tell a clear story: what you did, why it mattered and where you’re headed.

Here’s your step-by-step guide to building a portfolio that works — no design degree required.

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Why bother with a portfolio?

Even the strongest resume can feel like a spark note version of your story. A portfolio gives you space to:

• Show your results, not just tell them
  A portfolio lets you expand on your resume, offering context, examples and outcomes.

• Support you in interviews
  When you’re asked, “Tell me about a time when…,” you’ll have visuals and summaries ready to walk someone through your achievements.

• Stand out from the crowd
  Few HR pros, project managers or admin specialists take the time to build a portfolio — that’s your edge.

• Reflect on your growth
  Pulling your work together helps you celebrate wins you might have forgotten.

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What goes into a portfolio for non-creative roles?

Here are a few ideas. Pick the items that fit your role and feel natural for you to share:

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One-pagers of major projects

A concise, one-page summary of a project you led or contributed to, including:

• Project overview

• Your specific role

• Timeline

• Tools or systems used

• Outcome (metrics, feedback or results)

Example (for a PM): Implemented a new CRM system across three departments in under 90 days, improving data entry speed by 40%. I managed vendor selection, timeline planning and team training.

Example (for HR): Launched a stay-interview program with 85% participation — cut new-hire turnover by 15%.

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Success stories or mini case studies

Think of these as “micro blog posts” about your work. Write a short narrative, in first person or third, around:

1. The challenge or situation

2. What you did

3. The impact or results

4. Bonus: What you learned or would improve next time

Example (Admin): Faced with a backlog of 1,000+ unread emails in our shared inbox, I created a triage system and trained two team members. Response time dropped from 3 days to under 24 hours.

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Dashboards, reports or screenshots

You don’t need to code your own analytics dashboard to show your work. If you’ve contributed to reports or data tracking, share a snippet (redacted as needed) and explain:

• Your role in creating or managing it

• How you improved it over time

Example (for a PM): A snapshot of our Asana board showing project stages, team roles and deadlines — paired with a brief note on how I optimized workflows.

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Templates or process documents

Guides, checklists or internal how-tos are portfolio gold. Even a section of a document or a cleaned-up template counts.

Example (HR): I created this new hire welcome checklist that’s now used across four departments.

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Certifications, courses & learning highlights

Go beyond listing certifications on your resume and add professional development experiences, including:

• A screenshot of the certificate (e.g., A LinkedIn Learning or Coursera course)

• Why you took the course

• What you learned & how you’ve applied those skills at work

Tip: A certificate alone isn’t a portfolio piece—it’s the story behind it that matters.  

Example: Completed “Emotional Intelligence at Work” on Coursera to sharpen team communication and conflict resolution. Since then, I’ve run more effective one-on-ones and smoother project handoffs between departments.

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How to pull it all together

While you don’t need to set up a fancy website or hire a designer to create your portfolio, you do need to pick a format that’s easy to maintain. Keep it simple and choose a platform that’s easy for both you to update and hiring teams to access. Recruiters and hiring managers do click through when it’s relevant to the role.  

Here are a few ways to format your portfolio:  

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Option 1: PDF portfolio

Design a clean, scrollable PDF in Canva, Word or PowerPoint with:

• A short intro or bio

• Sections for each project or category

• Clear headings and light visuals  

Save it as a PDF and keep it handy to send with your applications or share in interviews.

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Option 2: Google Drive folder

• Create a folder called: “[Your Name] – Portfolio”

• Add subfolders for Projects, Templates, Feedback, Courses, etc.

• Share a view-only link in your resume, cover letter or email signature

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Option 3: LinkedIn Featured section

Often overlooked but can be very effective when done well. Use the “Featured” section on your profile to add:

• Google Docs with success stories

• PDFs of project one-pagers

• Dashboards or visuals

• Links to anything you’ve published

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Option 4: One-page website

Free builders like Squarespace or Wix make it easy to create a simple, scrollable one-page site with sections:

• About Me

• Projects & Success Stories

• Tools & Templates

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Option 5: Canva public share link

If you already use Canva to build presentations or documents, turn one into a living portfolio.

• Pick a simple template (We recommend presentation or document layout)

• Add slides or pages for each project or story

• Click “Share” > “Public View Link” > “Create”  

• Drop that link into your resume or LinkedIn profile.  

Pro tip: No matter which format you choose, you can include a link to your portfolio directly on your resume—just hyperlink a phrase like “View Portfolio” near your name or under your contact info.  

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A few final tips

• Redact sensitive info: Blur, crop or use dummy data where needed to maintain confidentiality.  

• Start small: Pick 2-4 impactful examples, focusing on quality over quantity.

Still not sure what to include?  

If you’re feeling stuck, pick one prompt and write a one-page response. You might be surprised how much material you already have:

• A process I improved or built from scratch

• A project I’m proud of and why

• A problem I solved no one else could

• A tool or document I created that others now use

• A learning moment that reshaped how I work

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Portfolios are for everyone

Portfolios aren’t just for designers. They’re your chance to tell the full story of your work — clear, honest and even a little bold. Whether you’re in HR, admin, operations or project management, you have work worth sharing.

The best part? Once you build one, it becomes a living tool for job hunts, performance reviews or simply owning your career growth. Just remember to keep it up to date as your experience grows.

So go on — gather those success stories, screenshots and templates. Your future self (and hiring managers) will thank you.

Follow Altis on LinkedIn for more job seeker tips and tricks!  

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