Hello hello 👋🏽,

Welcome to the 15th edition of Marketers Help Marketers newsletter.

This edition is all about portfolios and how they can be incredibly helpful for marketers applying for and interviewing for new roles.

For years, we've relied on the good old resume, a one-page summary of our job titles and responsibilities. 

But does it really capture the essence of what we do?

Does it show the thought process behind a successful campaign, the collaboration it took to launch a new feature, or the data that informed a major pivot?

Not really.

That’s where a marketing portfolio comes in; it goes beyond your work history credentials. It is your proof of impact.

You’ll always need your resume for job applications; it remains the entry ticket.

While your resume gets you the interview, there’s a challenge with relying solely on resumes.

A resume is essentially a list that tells hiring managers what you did, when you did it, and perhaps a metric or two about the outcome.

But it does not show how you think.

These are the stories that make hiring managers lean forward and think, "This person gets it."

But trying to fit that narrative into a bullet point on a resume is impossible.

That's where portfolios become your differentiator.

They're your opportunity to go beyond the what and dive into the how and why.

Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager for a minute.

You're a hiring manager looking at 50 applications for a growth marketing role. 40 of them have similar resumes. Similar experience, similar metrics, similar keywords.

Then you get to application #41. Same strong resume, but they include a link to their portfolio.

You click through and find a case study that walks you through their approach to fixing a broken conversion funnel. Not just the tactics, but the actual details, like -

How they identified the real problem (it wasn't what everyone assumed).

How they built the business case for resources.

How they managed expectations during the testing phase.

By the end of that case study, you have a clearer picture of that applicant’s skills and can possibly imagine them on your team, solving your problems.

That's the power of a well-crafted portfolio.

It's about showing how you think: 

It's about demonstrating how your mind works, how you approach problems, how you tell stories that get stakeholders bought in.

It's about positioning yourself: 

As the ideal candidate for that specific role. Not just someone who can do the job, but someone who thinks about the job the way they want it thought about.

Most importantly, it's about control: 

Instead of hoping the hiring manager can connect the dots from your resume bullet points, you're guiding them through your story. You're framing your experience in a way that highlights exactly what makes you unique.

For most folks, having a portfolio means throwing some campaign reports and slide decks into a Google Drive folder.

Heck, even I still have a Google Drive version of a portfolio.

AND it’s still better than having nothing.

But it's a missed opportunity.

When you just dump files in a folder, you're asking the hiring manager to do the work of understanding your impact. You're hoping they'll piece together the story from scattered materials.

But hiring managers are busy. They're reviewing multiple candidates. They don't have time to dig through the Drive folders. 

A well-structured portfolio does the opposite.

It takes them by the hand and walks them through your thought process. It connects the dots for them, tells a cohesive story about who you are as a marketer and what you bring to the table.

It's the difference between handing someone a box of puzzle pieces and showing them the completed picture.

Your portfolio needs to evolve as your career does.

Let me break this down:

Early-career marketers: Proving execution and learning agility

At this stage, you're essentially saying: "I may not have decades of experience, but I can execute and learn fast."

Your portfolio story: "Give me a challenge, and I'll figure it out."

What to showcase:

• Your first successful campaign (even if small-scale)

• A process you created or significantly improved

• Side projects that show initiative and curiosity

• Before/after examples that demonstrate a clear impact

How to structure it: Detailed case studies that show your work, hiring managers want to see that you understand cause and effect.

Mid-career marketers: Demonstrating strategic impact and leadership

Now you're moving beyond just executing. You're starting to lead initiatives, influence strategy, and think cross-functionally.

Your portfolio story: "I can see the bigger picture and drive results through others."

What to showcase:

• Campaigns or initiatives you led (with team dynamics)

• Strategic projects where you influenced direction

• Cross-functional collaboration that drove business impact

• Process or system improvements that scaled beyond your direct work

How to structure it: Executive summary style. Lead with business context and strategic rationale. Show execution details only when they demonstrate your leadership or unique problem-solving.

Senior marketers/leaders: Showcasing transformation and vision

At this level, you're not just running campaigns or even leading teams. You're shaping strategy, building teams, and driving transformation.

Your portfolio story: "I can transform marketing organizations and drive sustainable growth."

What to showcase:

• Department or organizational transformations you led

• Strategic positioning work that opened new markets

• Team building and culture development initiatives

• Industry thought leadership and external recognition

How to structure it: High-level strategic narratives. Think McKinsey presentation style, lead with market context, show your strategic framework, highlight the transformation journey.

Most people think portfolios are something to add as a line on their resumes and send them as a link along with their application.

Your portfolio is a tool designed to turn generic interviews into strategic discussions about your approach and potential.

Strategic moments to use your portfolio:

• "Can you walk me through a recent project?" → Perfect time to pull up a case study.

• "How do you approach [specific challenge]?" → Show your framework and process.

• "Tell me about a time when something didn't work." → Share your failure story and learning.

• "What would you do in your first 90 days?" → Reference similar situations you've navigated.

Presentation best practices:

• Start with business context, not tactics. Help them understand why this work mattered before diving into how you did it.

• Use your portfolio to address experience gaps. Show how you've tackled similar challenges in different contexts.

Follow-up strategy:

• Send relevant portfolio sections after interviews. "You mentioned challenges with attribution. Here's how I approached a similar situation..."

• Create custom case studies for roles you really want. Show you understand their specific challenges and have relevant experience.

The process of building and refining portfolios will help you stay on top of your work. 

When you start thinking about your work as portfolio pieces, you become more strategic. You ask better questions: 

You start documenting your process more thoughtfully, take screenshots, and track more meaningful metrics. You think about the story you're creating, not just the task you're completing.

That shift in mindset is evident in your current work; you become more impact-focused, more story-driven, and more strategic.

And when you do start job hunting, you're not scrambling to remember what you did or why it mattered. You have a library of well-documented, well-analyzed work ready to showcase.

Job searching as a marketer means competing against many qualified candidates.

The key is having several ways to distinguish yourself from the pack.

Your portfolio is your opportunity to control the narrative, to showcase not just what you've done, but how you think. 

To demonstrate that you're not just another qualified candidate - you're the strategic partner they've been looking for. 

If you've been struggling to get started on your portfolio, I hope this edition inspires you to restart work on it.

To provide you with more food for thought, in the next edition, I will cover actual examples of marketing portfolios.

As always, I'd love to hear what resonated with you from this edition. 

Have an amazing week ahead! ✨

Your marketer friend,
Mita ✌🏽