LO1: Explain The Purpose Of a Personal Media Profile (needs completing)

Explain the purpose of a personal media profile:

PASS GRADE 

A media personal media profile is an effective way of identifying a creatives strengths through an online portfolio of work, it is an ideal place much like a physical portfolio to show a variety of different projects which you have been working on with the potential aim of impressing an employer or admissions officer. A digital portfolio can be accessed by multiple devices making it one of the easiest and effective ways of showcasing your abilities and in a way which is reflective of your digital skills. Having a digital portfolio on hand makes accessing opportunities such as freelance work and higher education places more viable as quickly you are able to show projects which you have worked upon which demonstrate the key skills they are looking for and also it is a good place to keep an up to date copy of your CV.

Examples of digital portfolios:

These are examples of digital portfolios which clearly present work across a variety of sectors underneath the digital media bracket, this portfolio would be used by potential employers to look at both creatives work and see how they have developed skills across a variety of different platforms. Both of these online portfolios show both creative ability to communicate effectively and demonstrate their IT, editing and graphic design skills which would be impressive for any potential employer to see, both websites are easy to navigate and have clear and concise sections for Film , Photography and Web which shows both his/her eclectic skills set underneath the media bracket.

Both of these digital portfolios would have to be adapted for example should either of them decide to go for a job within a specific sector , for example they would have to hone in on one area such as audio visual to stress the skills which they have learnt as a part of this. Having a larger section on one area would show a strength however having other skills such as photography and web design available to look at would also show that they would make better potential candidates for specific job roles as they wouldn't require as much training or support.

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Examples of physical portfolios:

These examples of physical portfolios are also effective for the areas they are focussed upon, unlike the digital examples given above - these physical portfolios do not show a variety of work , instead they show a specific skill , in these cases graphic design and photography. These are a great way of showing work across these areas and will give examples of where they have worked specifically to a brief, as part of this , these physical portfolios would have a CV document attached which would show employers/ university admissions officers other skills which relate to this such as work history, qualifications and personal attributes.

A physical and digital portfolio serve the same purpose and can both be adapted to suit the specific criteria for a job/course place easily - they both show a sense of creativity however a digital portfolio shows more of an online prowess (able to demonstrate IT skills) whereas a physical portfolio shows your creative and organisational skills. The good thing in particular about a physical portfolio is that you can personally hand it to the employer or recruitment team and they can instantly access see how you have previously utilised your skills.

Examples of physical portfolio 




A person media profile whether that be digital or physical is a great attribute to have at a job interview or university interview as it accurately shows the best of your abilities on both a creative and personal level. Showcasing your talents in this way proves to the person who you are showing it to your versatility to work across a variety of projects and that you are then able to present that in a professional format as an attribute to your interview. A physical portfolio gives the opportunity for you to show your creativity and ability to present work , this shows you to be a conscientious individual whilst also showing creative flair as this is something you have to physically construct. A digital media profile also shows these skills however also demonstrates your understanding of internet softwares and how to repurpose file types to suit that which should you be aiming for a job within a web based sector would be an impressive quality to have.

For me a personal portfolio is an important thing to have , being unsure of which pathway I am wanting to go down - being able to show all my skills in one location Is a useful attribute to have should an opportunity arise. I have the opportunity to use this profile for both a university or job interview hence there may come a time where it needs to be repurposed to suit a specific need , for example dependent on the job/course I may want to adapt my profile to show the best of my abilities. If I was going to an interview for a creative job which involved lot of design rather than IT I may decide to make the transition from digital to physical portfolio as said before to show my ability to present work and design a product in effect , however for a more IT based job a digital portfolio would be more impressive. Not only does a digital portfolio show your ability to navigate online softwares, it shows an in-depth knowledge of file types which would be Impressive to any web based company - this could include changing the quality of images so that they appear better on web or repurposing a file completely so that it has a different purpose all together say from Jpeg to printable PSD.


The most effective thing about a digital portfolio is that it can be changed quickly and with ease adding or removing content to - this means that should a job opportunity arise which is specific to say photography , the website could be changed quickly to have more of a focus on that area of study. A digital portfolio is fully portable and accessible on any device meaning you don't have to physically hand a copy to the employer or admissions officer if that is not an option, this is a bit harder with a physical portfolio as the design aspect of it makes it less easier to transport and use. That being said a digital portfolio doesn't have the same level of personal touch as a physical one as it can be shown clearly how you have designed a product for a purpose - which again is an important skill to have.

A physical portfolio is a fantastic way to showcase your ability to present work however limits you to what work you can show to your employer/admissions officer - you can print work such as articles , magazine pages and images however videography and web work is harder to show and for some people inaccessible . Even if you have the ability to repurpose files from their original format (.ind , .proj , .psd) there is limited ways of you being able to physically show them without great problems. For me I believe my strengths lie within videography therefore the best way for me to show my work would be via web.