Your portfolio is too long, and other things employers wish you knew

We asked people who hire designers, editors and marketers in Kathmandu what makes them shortlist someone. The answers were consistent and slightly brutal.

Three pieces, not thirty

Nobody scrolls. Lead with your best work and stop. A portfolio of thirty pieces tells a hiring manager you cannot judge your own quality.

Show the brief, not just the result

A poster on its own is decoration. A poster with one line saying what the client asked for and what you decided is evidence that you can think.

Make it openable on a phone

Most first looks happen on a phone, often on mobile data. A 40MB PDF does not get opened. A link that loads in two seconds does.

Real work beats coursework — but coursework beats nothing

If you have not had a client yet, invent a realistic brief and solve it properly. Say clearly that it was a self-directed project. Every hiring manager we spoke to said they respect that more than a padded list.