Creating a professional profile with your Hubs

In an earlier Hub, I mentioned that you can use your Hubs to create a commercial portfolio for writers. You can also use them to develop your professional profile as part of a portfolio in other professions, particularly if you’re in one of the “portfolio professions” like the arts or commercial writing. It can also be used for “straight” professions. You can even use Hubs for mixed media portfolios, and not get lost in the crowd like on YouTube.

I’ve been writing in the employment market in the US and Europe for years, and have recently started working as a senior consultant for an Australian firm in the industry. I love the work, and love the problem solving, so I thought it’d be worth mentioning how Hubs can fit in to a career mode.

Professional portfolio basics

The story with professional portfolios is pretty simple- These portfolios are basically ads for your professional skills. The good news about these portfolios is that you can really get creative and be very self-indulgent.

Fundamental issues for professional portfolios:

1. Target your strengths. These are the areas where you can perform confidently and know you have something good to work with.

2. Be selective about your Hub topics. You need to come up with a good showcase, not multiple versions of the same thing.

3. Remember this is very much about exposure. This really is a marketing exercise. You need to consider SEO values and think about what people would be looking for in terms of interesting information about your profession.

4. Consider the value of your materials to readers. This is a basic principle of any kind of professional material. You don’t have to do a PhD thesis, but something new will always get attention.

5. Show some class. “Average” isn’t good enough for a portfolio. You need standout materials that put you in your own league, not “market standard” which is a synonym for garbage.

6. Set high standards for yourself. Don’t get lazy. Even if it’s very easy for you, your strong materials are where people will get wowed by your skills. Whatever you do, make sure you do it well.

Targeting professional skills

Whatever your profession, you need to use the basics above as a map of what needs to be visible in your online Hub portfolio.

Say you’re an accountant and you want to work in a conventional accounting business. You can use your Hubs as:

Advisory pieces. A piece like “How to find a good personal accountant” or an advisory piece, like “Common accounting problems for self-employed people”, which includes all small businesses and contractors, a huge demographic accounting firms need as cashflow customers. You apply for a job as an accountant, and include your Hubs as part of your skills base, proving you know your stuff and sneakily including the chance to show off your knowledge base.

Professional materials. Professional magazines often look for stuff like this, too, so you could use your Hubs to start up a professional sideline as well, and add on your resume “Writing advisory for “Accounting Weekly”, etc.) That’s an added value none of the other applicants will have. Your Hubs make you more competitive.

Specific professional skills need to be very well presented. You’re effectively using your Hub as a demonstration model. If you’re a graphic artist, you can put on a real show, with commentary in the text, added perspectives, and maybe additional features like animation, soundtracks, etc. If you’re a dancer, you can use your Hubs with videos, and include your text to show your experience doing modern dance, ballet, or high quality performances.

Quality and presentation of materials

You don’t need to write a book and call it a Hub. In fact, you’re better off writing smaller pieces specifically dealing with particular facets of your professional skills. Bite size means people won’t choke on too much information. Smaller but effective Hubs are also easier to work with. You can’t fit a full skill set into a Hub, and if you do, you’ll be downsizing and therefore devaluing your skills. One skill for one Hub will do the trick. You can be highly selective about this, too, cherry-picking your materials for best results.

Critically important- Presentation matters. You're on a winner with the site's reputation, to start with. Hub Pages is excellently presented with a strong reputation for unique materials not published elsewhere. Make sure your Hubs are very well thought-out and that you like them yourself. It’s easier to work with a portfolio you like and trust.

Using links to your Hubs

Links to Hubs are very handy in context with professional sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. in context with your work. If you do a Hub based on professional experience, you can simply link to the Hub, and Hub Tweets automatically appear on Linked In and Facebook for current information, too. The links can also be used for online professional work, so you’re really creating a reservoir of materials for your professional self-expression, too. (This also helps a lot when you're busy and don't want to have to "explain" every point you're making while writing professional materials, too.)

Use your Hubs to their fullest advantage, and you have a major professional asset right here working for you, anytime you like! Also bear in mind your Hubs can be used to update your skills and advertise your expertise, as well.