Comments on: Portfolio Tip #1: Don’t include art tests in your portfolio http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/01/15/portfolio-tip-1-dont-include-art-tests-in-your-portfolio/ Jon Jones is an Art Production Manager at NCsoft Austin, one of the most respected and successful video game studios in the world. He's hellbent on learning to be a better artist, manager and human being, and has a penchant for writing about it. Here he shares his thoughts and advice on personal development with the world at large! Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:16:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jon Jones http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/01/15/portfolio-tip-1-dont-include-art-tests-in-your-portfolio/comment-page-1/#comment-362611 Jon Jones Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:06:46 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/01/15/portfolio-tip-1-dont-include-art-tests-in-your-portfolio/#comment-362611 I'd agree with that statement, but with a qualification: that may be what you *end up* doing once you're hired, but I don't think most companies approach the hiring process looking for mundane talent. Most try to hire the very best they can, and *then* assign them the mundane bulk of the work. :) In any case, marketing yourself that way is a really bad idea. Hiring managers \ art directors look over dozens of portfolios at a time, and trying not to stand out or be unique is a quick and sure way to be ignored in favor of someone the AD will remember from the crowd. I’d agree with that statement, but with a qualification: that may be what you *end up* doing once you’re hired, but I don’t think most companies approach the hiring process looking for mundane talent. Most try to hire the very best they can, and *then* assign them the mundane bulk of the work. :)

In any case, marketing yourself that way is a really bad idea. Hiring managers \ art directors look over dozens of portfolios at a time, and trying not to stand out or be unique is a quick and sure way to be ignored in favor of someone the AD will remember from the crowd.

]]> By: Kevin De Smet http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/01/15/portfolio-tip-1-dont-include-art-tests-in-your-portfolio/comment-page-1/#comment-362605 Kevin De Smet Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:48:24 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/01/15/portfolio-tip-1-dont-include-art-tests-in-your-portfolio/#comment-362605 Although I agree about being unique, there is some merit to being mundane. Because the mundane more closely represents the bulk of the work, and employers hire you to do "the bulk of the work". Some merit... just some ;) Although I agree about being unique, there is some merit to being mundane. Because the mundane more closely represents the bulk of the work, and employers hire you to do “the bulk of the work”.

Some merit… just some ;)

]]> By: Chris Holden http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/01/15/portfolio-tip-1-dont-include-art-tests-in-your-portfolio/comment-page-1/#comment-10244 Chris Holden Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:25:48 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/01/15/portfolio-tip-1-dont-include-art-tests-in-your-portfolio/#comment-10244 Absolutely! While reviewing a portfolio, I noticed it had a failed art test in it. I suggested he remove it considering I passed the same test and worked at the company he did it for. His excuse for keeping it was “other companies might like it”. This humored me that he thought he could still use a failure to snag a company of lower standard. Either way, one year later it’s still in his portfolio, he doesn’t have a job, and he’s still not ready for one. Absolutely!

While reviewing a portfolio, I noticed it had a failed art test in it. I suggested he remove it considering I passed the same test and worked at the company he did it for. His excuse for keeping it was “other companies might like it”. This humored me that he thought he could still use a failure to snag a company of lower standard. Either way, one year later it’s still in his portfolio, he doesn’t have a job, and he’s still not ready for one.

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