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Portfolio: turning your projects into case studies
6 minutes · 8 steps · workout 1 of 6 in this module
What you'll be able to do
By the end of this workout, you'll be able to turn a training project like your funnel map or persona cards into a one-page case study that a hiring manager can read in two minutes.
A first look: A case study, not a gallery
A portfolio is not a gallery of pretty deliverables. It is a set of short case studies, and each one answers the same five questions: What was the situation? What was the problem? What did you do? What changed? What would you do next? The projects you finished in FunnelGym already fit this shape. Your funnel map has a weakest stage (the problem) and two improvement ideas (what you'd do). Your persona cards have evidence from reviews (what you did) and a value proposition (the result). Be clear that these are training projects on a fictional brand. Honesty costs you nothing here; the thinking is what gets judged, and a labelled training project is far stronger than a vague claim about “real experience”.
Example: Title: “Northpack: finding the leak in a backpack store's funnel (training project)”. Problem: 3.2% of visitors add to cart but only 1.6% check out. Result: two checkout fixes proposed, with an estimated lift.
What this workout covers
- A case study, not a gallery
- Case: Which project goes on the front page?
- Show the decision, not the clicks
- Case: The honesty question
A question from this workout: The honesty question
A friend suggests you present your Northpack funnel map as work for “an online retail client” and drop the word “training project”, because “nobody checks”. Your estimated result (1.6% → 2.2%) was a projection, not a measured outcome.
What do you do?
- Take the advice; every portfolio exaggerates a little
- Label it a training project on a fictional brand and mark the result as an estimate, with the assumptions shown
- Remove the project entirely, because training projects don't count
- Keep “client” but delete the numbers so nobody can question them
Pick your answer first, then open the reasoning below.
Show the answer and the reasoning
Answer: B. Label it a training project on a fictional brand and mark the result as an estimate, with the assumptions shown
Interviewers ask follow-up questions, and a made-up client falls apart in the second question. A clearly labelled training project with visible assumptions shows exactly the thinking they want. The most common mistake is the third option: dropping the project. Hiring managers know that entry-level candidates have training work; what they check is whether the reasoning holds.
The other steps work the same way: you decide first, then see why each option is right or wrong.
How you practice here
- 2 short concept cards
- 2 multiple-choice questions
- 2 campaign cases with real-looking numbers
- 1 put-in-order exercise
- 1 guided calculation
Part of the module: Portfolio, Resume and Interviews
Prove what you have learned to a recruiter: a project portfolio, an ATS-friendly resume, a LinkedIn profile and case interview practice.
More workouts in this module
- A marketing resume: write results, not duties
- Setting up your LinkedIn profile for recruiters
- The case interview: "How would you spend this budget?"
- Take-home assignments: structure and presentation
- Job offers: salary research and negotiation
Programs that include this workout