Vassoula Vasiliou and How to Strengthen Your Portfolio
Wrapping up the last in-person meeting of the Spring semester, BOLD welcomed Miami Ad School professor Vassoula Vasiliou on Tuesday, April 5th. The meeting discussed how to strengthen your portfolio in an effective and unique way.
Vasiliou began the meeting by stating how she has been working at Miami Ad School since 2015. Additionally, she also teaches at the Istituto Marangoni Miami fashion design school. So, it’s safe to say that Vasiliou has seen many portfolios throughout her time as a professor. Her expertise shows through her 30+ years of background in branding and communication, along with her description of “private label brands” and knowledge on how in-house agencies are rising to success.
As emphasized throughout the presentation, doing research for your portfolio is important. Vasiliou says, “You’re trying to sell yourself. That’s what it’s all about.” To sell yourself, establishing a personal brand becomes essential. Therefore, BOLD members were encouraged to put as much personality as they can into their portfolios. Beginnings should be exciting, and endings should want employers to keep the conversation going. You should also be able to display your best work on the best platform while giving space for any passions or side-projects. Don’t forget to describe the creative process!
Besides personality, Vasiliou explained how we should know why we want to create this portfolio or work a certain job. She used a quote by Simon Sinek that says, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Essentially, she seeks for us to understand the higher purpose behind these actions. She used the concept of the “Golden Circle.” This concept explains that many people know what they do, some know how to do it, but very few know why. Knowing this small fact can have a big impact on your success.
Finally, how do we put these ideas together? What else should be included? First, it’s helpful to be signed up for web-based sites like Squarespace or Wix. From here, Vasiliou states that curating your work into easily manageable categories is the way to go. Use the strongest, most relevant projects and keep it short if you don’t have much to display.
Find more of Vasiliou’s tips below!
1. Design a logo for a brand you love.
2. Create content for your personal brand.
3. Show your versatility.
4. Quality over quantity.
5. Prominently display contact information.
6. Display your unique personality.
BOLD was glad to have welcomed Vassoula Vasiliou to help our members (especially graduating students) create portfolios that will land them their dream job!
Click here to connect with Vassoula!
BOLD is a student-run strategic communications agency at Florida International University. Click here to learn more.
Written by: Misela Soto, Media and Events Committee Member