I found this on D&AD, just some advice on portfolios.
It's all about your portfolio -
Somewhat controversially I’m going to say no-one really cares about
your degree – apart from your mum. It’s all about putting work in front
of Creative Directors that will make them wet with excitement.
Brace yourself -
Take time to make your ideas easy to understand and practice going
through your portfolio so you can talk through it with confidence when
it matters.
Sell yourself -
You’re the product, after all. So show what you’re capable of by
applying the approach you’d take for a campaign to make them want you.
Be exciting and entertaining -
Creative Directors get more emails a day than you can possibly imagine, so do something to grab their attention.
Be flexible -
It’s important to offer that little bit extra (sitting around me at
this moment are people who outside work hours are everything from
renowned musicians to taxidermists). Put it in your portfolio so
agencies can see the other skills you have to draw on and so you have
something you can talk about passionately for hours.
Keep on blogging -
Blogs are a great way, especially as a copywriter, to develop your
skills and let your personality shine through – giving insight to how
you think and what your capable of. It’s essential to show where you
get your inspiration outside of ad land – navel gazing isn’t creatively
healthy.
Be a slut -
See as many Creatives for crits as possible to get your work out
there. Try to find a team who’s opinion you value to be your mentors –
not only can they help you improve your portfolio but they can also
refer your work to their contacts. I always made an effort to go to as
many industry events as possible, and still do, always having a bit too
much fun than is sensible.
It’s not the end of the world if you’re single. Having a creative
partner is great but it’s still possible to get a job as a singleton. A
lot of digital agencies in particular, have teams of people from across
disciplines working together to crack a brief rather than a
traditional team. It’s tough but since getting a job on my lonesome,
I’ve found it quite liberating and feel confident generating ideas on
my own, Plus, I don’t feel dependent on a creative partner or have ‘the
fear’ of what will happen if we decide to go separate ways.
Restrictions are fun -
Embrace the brief – part of the satisfaction of cracking it is
knowing that you formed something creative despite the restrictions.
Oh, and most importantly remember:
