Why STEM graduates should consider a website portfolio like a designer
Every good design program ends with the same class: the portfolio class. It involves collecting past work, project curation, and building a website to showcase it all to future potential employers. And that makes sense, right? The design world is fiercely competitive, and as designers, we need to show what we can do.
So why aren’t STEM graduates tasked with the same thing? Doctors, scientists, engineers, statisticians, they all need to stand out in a competitive market too. The fact of the matter is, there are good reasons for graduates in the STEM industries should consider having their own website.
Reason 1: You stand out.
Not many STEM graduates have a portfolio website, so you’re already ahead of the game and will naturally stand out to potential employers. You’ll stand out even more when you save them time.
You may have projects or research in several databases or magazine articles, and it’s important to list that on your resume. But a potential employer or research partner doesn’t have the time to scour the web for all of that information. A website can complement your resume, as you can easily put all your research in one easily accessible place for them.
Reason 2: You’re more resilient to change.
Having a website as a STEM professional makes you more resistant to change. The Internet is, by definition, always changing, and the pace at which it changes is also getting faster. You may have your work in all these different places (newsletters, magazine articles, databases) and it’s good to have a central point of access where your work is saved so that it’s easily accessible. And, just in case one of the other websites with your work goes down unexpectedly, you’re covered!
Reason 3: Growth opportunities
Having a website as a STEM professional will give you growth opportunities that social media can’t offer. With a website, you could choose to start a blog, create a course for supplementary income, or even start selling products that you’ve built.
All of that might sound great, but also a bit intimidating. It doesn’t have to be! There are plenty of simple ways to get started. Consider starting with a simple 1-page outline where you just have your name, resume, a few project links, and maybe a professional photo. Don’t worry, you can always build on it later.
Need some ideas? Check back in soon for some template options. Or, head right to Squarespace’s template library and get started!