Portfolio Review FAQ

What is the Design Portfolio Review?

The Design Portfolio Review runs from 12 - 5pm at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 5th floor, Ballroom. It offers RISD juniors, seniors and graduate students the chance to meet with companies for individual 15 minute portfolio reviews. Reviewers are prepared to critique portfolios in process or near completion.

What can I expect at the event?

Upon arriving, stop at the student check-in table and show your RISD ID to enter the event, receive last minute updates and receive an event brochure that will guide you to the locations of the companies/organizations in the ballroom.

You may arrive any time after 11am to check-in, hang up your coat and get settled.
Arrive at least 10 minutes prior to your scheduled reviews. DO NOT BE LATE!
If you have reviews that are scheduled back to back, be sure you finish on time so you can make it to your next meeting without running behind or you may lose your chance for a review.
Career staff will be on hand to answer your questions and manage the timing of the event.
Water and light snacks will be available throughout the event.

IMPORTANT: Electrical power and wifi is extremely limited. Make sure your devices are fully charged and your portfolio / movie content is pre-cached!

Who can attend?

Open to enrolled Juniors, Seniors and Graduate RISD Students. Students choose the employers to meet with.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you have class at the time of scheduled portfolio reviews, interviews or related event(s), you MUST get permission from your faculty for an excused absence prior to attending.

How do I sign-up?

Students will be able to sign-up online through ArtWorks for portfolio reviews on a first-come-first-served basis. To sign-up for portfolio reviews you MUST be registered in ArtWorks, have a profile, and upload your resume. Sign-ups will happen over the course of two days:

Wednesday, 2/19/2020 at 6:00 pm: Sign-up for 3 portfolio reviews
Thursday, 2/20/2020 at 12pm to Friday, 2/21/2020 at 11:59pm: Sign-up for 4-5 additional reviews

Portfolio Review time slots fill very quickly for popular companies. Be sure you review all companies attending and prioritize those you want to meet with. Remember that if you don't get on a company schedule, that doesn't mean you can't follow up for future meetings!

Learn all of the details on the Student Sign-Up & RSVP page.

What if I need to cancel or missed a review I signed-up for?

Every effort should be made to keep your review appointments out of respect for the
reviewer’s time and your fellow students. In the event of an unavoidable hardship, such
as illness or emergency, notify risdcareers@risd.edu as soon as possible.

To follow up a missed appointment, it is customary to send a brief message to the
reviewer with the hope of future correspondence. To learn more about this process,
visit the Career Center during drop-in hours or book an appointment.

What do I bring?

RISD ID – required
Your complete portfolio and/or sketch books, actual samples and formats
Business cards or promotional cards (optional)
Portfolio sample (optional)

How should I dress?

It is better to err on the side of formality than informality for this event. Professionalism in your appearance is a compliment to the quality of your work.

What do I say?

Know Your Audience: Students are expected to research the companies or organizations they will be meeting with. Review their websites prior to your portfolio reviews; make notes as you go and develop questions you would like to ask them.
Introduce Yourself: Greet the reviewer by stating your name, RISD major and your year in school. Shake hands and thank them for meeting with you. Open your portfolio and ask them how they would like to look at your work - do they prefer to get a quick overview and then ask you about your projects, or would they prefer for you to tell them some details about each piece as they’re reviewing.
Present Your Portfolio: Portfolio, sketchbooks, actual samples and formats - Your portfolio can be actual pieces, digital printouts or displayed on your laptop or iPad. It can be complete or in-process, but should be well organized and may include sketchbooks and journals. If you are using a laptop or iPad, be sure the screen is clean and free of smudges. It is a good idea to save your portfolio to your device so you do not have to rely on wi-fi to present your portfolio at the event.
Show Respect & Say Thank You: Respect and gratitude goes a long way and makes an excellent professional impression. Also, follow up with a thank you note to the reviewers who made an impact on you – written is ideal, email works, too!

Where can I wait in between reviews?

Only students with an upcoming review slot will be permitted inside the ballroom. When students are done with their review, they will need to wait in the lobby.
The Student Waiting Area will have tables and chairs available for your use and is in close proximity to the ballroom where the portfolio review is in progress. You are welcome to wait here between your scheduled portfolio reviews.
If reviewers have an opening in their schedule they will come to the Student Waiting Area and invite anyone waiting to join them for a portfolio review. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity if you have time and it doesn’t conflict a previously scheduled appointment.

What is the resume drop?

If you wanted to meet with a company whose schedule filled before you could sign-up, you can apply to the OCI (On Campus Interview) Job in ArtWorks.

This will ensure the company receives your resume and knows that you were interested in meeting with them. To make the most of the Resume Drop, you can email the company after the Portfolio Review to express your interest in them and ask about the best way to proceed.

Learn all of the details on the Student Sign-Up & RSVP page.

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