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Building a Portfolio Site with WordPress on Domain of One’s Own

Table of Contents

This guide is intended to be a brief overview of things to consider when creating a portfolio site with WordPress on Domain of One’s Own. If you are building a digital project site or a site for classwork you may want to look at those guides. It assumes that you already have a Domain of One’s Own account. You can get signed up for an account on your own or book an appointment with the Digital Knowledge Center to get help help getting started.

There is no one right way to create a portfolio with WordPress on Domain of One’s Own. How you design your site will depend on your goals. If you are creating a portfolio for a class assignment please refer to your instructions from your professor.

If you are just getting started with WordPress we encourage you to check out all our WordPress guides on Domain of One’s Own or book an appointment with the Digital Knowledge Center.

Content #

  1. Introduction/About Me:
    • Personal Bio: Briefly introduce yourself, your background, and your interests.
    • Professional Summary: Highlight your key skills, experiences, and career goals.
  2. Work Samples:
    • Projects: Include detailed descriptions of your projects, your role, and the outcomes. Use images, videos, or links to demonstrate your work.
    • Writing Samples: If applicable, showcase articles, essays, or reports you’ve written.
    • Creative Work: For fields like design, art, or media, include a gallery of your best work.
  3. Resume/CV:
    • Provide a downloadable version of your resume or CV. Ensure it is up-to-date and professionally formatted.
      • *Important note*: You will want to redact your address and any personal information you may not want made available publicly
  4. Skills:
    • List your technical and soft skills. Use icons or charts to make this section visually appealing.
  5. Contact Information:
    • Make it easy for visitors to contact you. Include an email address, LinkedIn profile, and any other relevant social media links.

Audience #

  1. Identify Your Target Audience:
    • Employers: Tailor your content to highlight the skills and experiences that potential employers are looking for.
    • Peers and Collaborators: Showcase your ability to work in teams and your collaborative projects.
    • Academic Institutions: If you’re considering further education, include academic achievements and research work.
  2. Tone and Style:
    • Professional Yet Personal: Maintain a professional tone but let your personality shine through.
    • Clarity and Conciseness: Ensure your content is clear and to the point. Avoid jargon unless it’s industry-specific and your audience will understand it.
  3. User Experience:
    • Navigation: Make your site easy to navigate with a clear menu and logical structure.
    • Accessibility: Consider accessibility features to make your site usable for everyone.

If you need help figuring out how to talk about your skills and experiences we encourage you to book an appointment with the Center for Career & Professional Development.

Getting Started with WordPress #

  1. Create a subdomain for your portfolio (optional)
    • This is the URL you’ll want to use for your portfolio. Creating a subdomain is like building another house on your plot of land (i.e. your hosting account). It will be a separate site from your main site. An example would be if you registered janedoe.net a subdomain for your portfolio could be portfolio.janedoe.net.
    • The prefix can be related to your class (or not). Just remember the root URL will always be the domain we purchased for you.
    • Creating a subdomain in cPanel only creates a folder on your account for things to be installed into. The next step will be to install WordPress into that folder.
  2. Install WordPress and launch WordPress to access the backend of your site
    • If creating a subdomain make sure you are installing the application at the subdomain you created in the previous step.
  3. Add a new page and try creating some content
  4. Publish your page and see how it looks on the frontend (the publicly visible side) of your website.
  5. Create a static front page
  6. Change your theme from the default theme by adding a new theme
  7. Create a navigational menu with pages you want people to find (these directions only work with classic themes)

Example Portfolios #

Updated by Shannon Hauser 09/03/24