My professor said to cut my portfolio down to 5 projects, but I ignored her

Professor Davis told me last semester that my 12-project portfolio was too much and to only show my 5 strongest pieces. I thought more work showed more skill, so I kept it all. I just got feedback from a recruiter at a Chicago agency who said they stopped looking after the 7th project because it felt repetitive. Has anyone else had a recruiter give a specific number where they lose interest?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana_bell7410d ago

The Chicago recruiter gave you a real world number, seven. I've heard similar things from hiring managers who say they make a choice by the fifth or sixth item. Your best work gets buried when you show everything, and the weaker projects can actually pull down the overall impression. It's less about total skill and more about their limited time and attention.

zarak187d ago

I get the time crunch, but I've had the opposite happen. A hiring manager told me my eighth project on a list was the exact niche experience they needed, and it got me the interview. Cutting it would have lost the match. Sometimes depth matters more than a quick scan.

dixon.nathan10d ago

My buddy's resume got cut for listing twelve...