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A good print portfolio is a very important part of your job hunt. That said, portfolio quality shouldn’t stop at craftsmanship, skill, and the strength of the work or execution. If you really want that gig, be prepared to take your portfolio a step further by targeting it.

Not evaluating your portfolio and its contents before a meeting is a great way to show a potential client or employer that you really don’t care about what they have to offer. Different companies have different needs, and you should know whether or not the company you’re meeting with in two days cares at all about the 12 vector drawings of cats that you’re dying to show them.

A couple of years ago, I was working as a Creative Director in an in-house creative department at an Austin-based financial corporation. The company was about to increase its reach into several different retail channels, and I needed to hire a new designer. Out of close to 50 portfolios I saw, only about 5 really spoke to the position we were looking to fill. The others ranged wildly from one that consisted of purely home video cover designs, to another that had about 2 layout samples hiding in a sea of hand-stitched purse designs, to one that must have thought our company dealt purely in close-up b&w photography of leaves. Yeah. I got a portfolio from a girl who drove 90 miles to hand me a book full of her leaf photography.

What did the other five do?

1. They did their research.
Each one of them knew enough about the company to construct portfolios that had appropriately relevant work. A couple even had stuff they had done for banks or credit card companies, perfect for pitching themselves to a similarly interested company. With the internet, finding information about prospective employers and clients has never been easier. Take advantage of that and use what you find as your primary influence when selecting work to include in your portfolio.

2. They kept it lean, mean brief.
None of the top five had more than 14 pieces in their books. The best of the bunch had about 10 or 11 that were somehow directly related to corporate clients, some of which were financial companies. The other 3 or 4 pieces focused on showing range and skills not already highlighted in the main body of selected work. It’s absolutely key to only cover the essentials when showing your book, so make sure you only pick your best.

3. They displayed impeccable craftsmanship.
Of the top 5, not one of them had any visible flaws in the construction of their portfolios. Every edge was tidy and sharp. Every board was clean, unmarked and uniformly cut. Carriers looked like they just came off the production line. Every little detail was as meticulously attended to as the next. However you choose to build your portfolio,

Taking these simple and universally effective steps will help you stand out in what could possibly be hundreds of applicants. Now that you have a killer focused and targeted portfolio, practice your presentation. Work on the order of your reveal and tweak it for the greatest possible impact. Don’t over explain your work, and never ever apologize for any of it (no matter how much better something could have turned out if only you had more time, etc…). Maintain eye contact, stand up straight, smile, and communicate effectively.

Communication is our business, after all. The ability to do it with your portfolio, in a language that your interviewee understands, speaks volumes about you and your value to their company.