Choose work samples that support your application

A work sample should help an employer assess a skill that matters for the role. A large folder of everything you have made gives the reader more sorting work. Choose a small, purposeful selection and explain why each example belongs in the application.

Start with what the employer requests

Read the instructions before choosing a format. The employer may want a fixed PDF, a short presentation or a particular type of file. Note limits on size, length and submission method. Do not replace a requested form with a portfolio simply because the portfolio looks better.

For roles where samples are appropriate, map each example to a responsibility in the vacancy. Oxford’s creative application guidance emphasises relevant work, clear structure and an explanation of your own contribution. These principles also provide a useful starting point for a modest, well-labelled sample selection.

Explain the task and your contribution

Give each sample a short introduction: the situation, the assignment, what you personally did and what the reader should examine. For collaborative projects, name the part you owned. Do not imply you designed, wrote or built the entire result if you contributed one component.

Show a useful decision as well as the finished output. For example, a revised layout can illustrate how you responded to a constraint. Explain the reasoning in plain language. Do not invent a customer reaction or performance result to make the example appear more successful.

Share only material you are entitled to share

Check ownership, confidentiality and permission before using client or employer work. Removing a logo may not remove sensitive information. If you cannot share the original, consider a clearly labelled independent demonstration using fictional data. Make the distinction visible rather than presenting a recreated exercise as commissioned work.

Keep contact details and internal documents out of screenshots. Ask an appropriate responsible person if permission is unclear. A weaker but shareable example is preferable to disclosing material that should remain private.

Make access simple and predictable

Arrange the examples in an order that tells a clear story. Test the actual attachment or shared link using an appropriate view without your own editing access. Check image size, text legibility and whether a recipient needs an unexpected account. Follow the employer’s delivery instructions even if another format is more convenient for you.

Bring a brief explanation of each example to the interview. Be ready to discuss its limits, what you would change and which parts involved other people. The aim is a useful conversation about your work, not a claim that every project was perfect.

Sources: University of Oxford: Creative portfolios, CVs, and applications.