Expert: Peter Gabany - 11/19/2010

Question
I've decided to have a change in career and go into ad copy writing. I've decided that my best bet to get into this field of work would be to learn the techniques at a portfolio school and use my time there to help me build a competitive portfolio. The hiccup with applying to a portfolio school is that showing them your own portfolio of sample work is a part of the application process, and to date, I have no portfolio nor do I even know how to put a portfolio together properly to apply. My question is, how should I go about building a portfolio of work to apply to portfolio school without having the knowledge or the samples to put one together? Thanks in advance,

Cate

Answer
Cate,

You want to be a copywriter and you need a portfolio. All I can say is write. So what to write and how to build a ‘book’ (portfolio). There are a number of how to sites of how best to put a portfolio together and frankly they are all the same.

I would start by taking your favourite subject be it fly fishing, hair care or cars. Purchase several magazines and clip ad from favourite magazines.

Consider who the target market is - who are they trying to reach? Age, gender, rich people / poor, educated? Think what action you want people to take after reading that ad. Now can you write an ad that is different but delivers the same outcome to the same target group?

I know you can. You need only 10 - 12 samples of work. Do several that are like fashion ads - simple headline. Do others that are more descriptive - like an ad for a new fishing reel and do some that are more editorial in nature - strong headline - long but engaging body copy.

As for how to put it together - there are all sorts of inexpensive portfolios available at art supply stores. Take great care trimming and mounting your sample favourite ads on the left and your copy suggestions on the right. Remember, you want to indicate some originality and some flexibility. Showing 2 or three executions of each ad is fine.

I hope and trust that this helps, please let me know how it goes.

Pete