 Introduction In this video, we will be preparing the introductory section for the beginning of your portfolio. This will include a written portion and a personal pitch video. The brief introductory paragraph or two is a great way to tell your readers who you are and briefly explain what to expect from the rest of your portfolio. The goal is to grab their attention and get them interested in reading on to the rest of your webpage. The personal pitch or elevator pitch video achieves a similar goal. It is a way to market yourself in your own words and give an impression of who you are, even when you're not available in person. It also allows you to practice describing yourself in a concise way to prepare for any potential interview scenarios. A portfolio is a professional document, so it should be professional and well-written. But because it's also a very personal account of your character and your accomplishments, the tone does not have to be super uptight and formal. Aim for a writing style that is friendly and inclusive, almost like how you would normally speak to someone while representing yourself or your business. This means that it's acceptable to write in the first person in a conversational manner. This will make you feel much more approachable and relatable. We're going to begin by introducing ourselves to the readers. Tell them who you are and what you do. This should be the first sentence of your introduction, short and to the point, including your name, your area of interest, like your field of study or the job you're hoping to attain, and one other piece of important information about yourself, like the city you're based in or the school you graduated or will graduate from. Next, you'll need to decide which professional experience to include. Your introduction should be a highlight reel of sorts, so keep it brief, list the number of years of experience you have in your field, and choose one or two examples of your work. You can describe a couple work experiences or list a few projects you finished professionally or academically, so the reader gets an idea of what you're able to do. Choose experiences that had a positive impact on you and your employer, or where you took on a leadership role. Lastly, add a few personal details to make you more relatable. Potential employers are always interested to get an insight into how you'll fit into their organization and company culture, so it can be a good idea to add a couple of fun facts about yourself. Keep the personal details short and to the point, as their main purpose is to add a little levity to your introduction, not to take up the majority of it. These could be things like you're a dog owner, you play an instrument, you love hiking or baking or traveling, any accolades you've gotten in the industry, or even little insights into what drives your passion for the field you're in. Like a little mission statement, or that you've been using Photoshop since you were 10 years old, anything you think will give a glimpse into who you are outside the office. As someone trying to build a personal brand, a pitch video is one of the most compelling ways to market yourself to an audience. A pitch video gets you face to face with potential employers, even before an interview, so including one on your web portfolio can be a really good idea to begin to network and search for careers in your field of interest. The whole idea of a pitch is to find the best parts of yourself and confidently present them to another individual. Ideally, this video should be short and to the point, roughly 30 to 60 seconds in length. The information to incorporate will be relatively similar to that of your written introduction, but as it is coming directly from the source, it will automatically be injected with more personality. Begin by introducing yourself, your background, and talking about your experience either in the workplace or academically. The second portion should be built upon the initial skill you mentioned and illustrate how it's a key asset in the potential work environment. Next, including unique selling point that sets you apart from the crowd. Detail why this key asset makes you better than a competitor who doesn't have the skill. Think of it as a personal mission statement or philosophy. Your unique selling point will directly lead into the ultimate goal you are working towards. Include how this skill will help drive your future in your chosen field, how you can apply this knowledge to better any organization you are a part of. Finally, you will include a call to action, a small prompt to convince the audience to do something based on the contents of your pitch. This could be something like encouraging them to continue going through your portfolio or checking out your resume. If you want a more in-depth understanding of how to create a personal pitch video, you can check out another video series called How to Create a Personal Pitch Video. In the next video, we will learn all about what to include and what to omit from the skill section of your portfolio page.