(Online Course Review) Build a Powerful UX Portfolio, Version 1

Overview

Review Published: December, 2017.

From UX Design teacher and practitioner, Joe Natoli, comes a quick but comprehensive online course that shows you how to create an online portfolio that helps you present your UX work effectively to employers.

The course begins by examining what most UX portfolios do wrong, how those mistakes create barriers to you getting the attention of recruiters, and the essential things you must include to get past these pitfalls.

Rating:

4.5 / 5

(Great Content, Presentation is Entertaining)

What does this score mean?

Difficulty:

Beginner (Readily accessible by anyone).

Length:

4 hours (approx.).

Where to Buy It:

(Quick Note) To maintain editorial integrity, I do not use affliate links or any other kind of affiliate marketing in my reviews.

Check your Local Library:

In addition to books and periodicals, many local libraries give their patrons access to a wide array of video and instructional resources. Check with your local library for details.

What's Good

The instructor is vastly experienced; the content quickly and effectively showcases how recruiters actually look for UX professionals (from Joe's own efforts to build UX teams), and what you need to show them in order to stand out from the crowd.
Great feedback; not only did a live review session come included at the end of the course, Joe does a great job of answering questions left on the online platform very quickly and thoroughly.
No-nonsense presentation; the material is presented simply, is easy to follow, and is split into digestible sections so that everyone can understand.

What Can Be Improved

No mention of networking; while strong job materials will get you in the door, having a strong network of contacts is essential for successfully finding a great job, and a brief section on how to do this would round out the course nicely.

The Bottom Line

Essential techniques for presenting your work; Joe's advice is spot on while being presented well, and with my only minor gripe being the lack of networking advice (which he may add at some later date), this course is essential for learning to showcase your work.
For UX designers at any stage; in addition to getting beginners off the ground when presenting their work, the course offered an invite to join Joe Natoli's Facebook group where you can ask more questions, share experiences, and ask for follow-up critiques as you progress in your career.
A great value for the money; for $87 (at the time of reviewing) this is a great, low-cost resource to help people enter a thriving field.