Previously, we covered what your users would expect when viewing your portfolio.

But let's now talk about what you would like to expect.

We need to establish your expectations because your portfolio

is a collection of what you value and what you are passionate about.

And how you're chasing after those things with a long-term career in mind.

In other words,

we need to establish your personal brand or the practice of marketing yourself.

Your personal brand is a culmination of your personality and

the things you do, and care about.

Your personal brand defines the voice you use throughout your portfolio.

So it's important to consider three primary factors when defining your voice,

proficiency, authenticity, and consistency.

Let's define these.

First, proficiency is the strength of your skill set.

We rely on proficiency to discuss what specific skills

you bring to the portfolio.

Are you quick when it comes to coding and swift?

Do you have a keen eye for typography and mobile devices?

These are your bragging rights.

Even if you're early in the adoption of these skills,

be proud of what you've learned.

But remember that you're still in the process of learning.

Second is authenticity.

Authenticity is the clarity of your values.

Meaning, what are the things that matter to you both professionally and personally?

Are you excited about certain types of projects or subject matter?

I'm strongly encouraging you to use an active voice when writing.

Here's an example.

My talents and passions are my guide as I train for

start-up life in the next chapter of my career.

That sounds far more engaging than I hope that I might work for a start-up one day.

On the language that you incorporate into describing your projects and process.

Last, we have consistency or the predictability of your message.

This is a very important but often, overlooked piece of building a portfolio.

You want the way you show and

discuss your work to be predictable in the context of your portfolio.

This predictability shows up as formatting, scale, language,

and even in the form of using a spell check to avoid possible errors.

Are you speaking formally, or informally?

Long form or brief?

Humorous or serious?

Consistency goes a long way to adding a professional polish to your body of work.

The thing that makes you,

you is exactly what we are looking to highlight in your portfolio.

You aren't everybody else, and you should acknowledge, appreciate,

and use those differences to give you a voice that sets you apart as well.

I'll see you in the next video.