Hey Paul,
sorry for the slow response, it was nice to get your email.
Different agencies will tell you different things, and will look for different things in your portfolio. Most of my work is within the Arts and Cutural sector of society, so my advice will possibly be very different to any you might get from more corporate design studios who work with finance, business to business etc.
Personally, regardless of the sector you're aiming for, I like seeing evidence of real creativity in a persons work. A lot of designers fill their portfolios with weighty industry names (Nike, Barclays, Sony etc) that they've done some work for, in order, presumably, to get more of the same kind of work. I'm rarely impressed by that stuff because those kinds of companies are so laden with guidelines that it's almost impossible to do anything vaguely creative for them. You're much more likely to be able to flex your creative muscles working for a start up, or for other creative indiviuals or companies. Don't be too averse to designing for free either. 90% of designers will tell you never to work for free, but for me, if it's going to look good in my portfolio then I'll definitely do it for free if there is no chance of getting paid.
You're in your 2nd year so you have a little while to think about it, but for me, I was never interested in working for a big design agency churning out fairly generic work - this is the best way to get paid well, but I prefer to get by modestly, and maintain some creative integrity. That said, it's nice to have a balance to keep afloat. 70% of the work I do is low paid but artistically rewarding, the other 30% is for solicitors, parmaceuticals and the entertainment industry. Without that 30% I'd be very poor, but without the 70% I'd have lost my soul.
After you're studies, if you can afford to, get an internship somewhere decent. I never did this, as they didn't really exist when I finished uni, but they will give you some work to do, which you can stick in your portfolio and it will look great on your CV. Regardless of the design route you want to take, if you can get in with a decent agncy somewhere straight after uni then go for it, even if the work isn't exciting. You'll learn so much about how the industry works, and this will be really valuable if you decide to go freelance.
I hope that helps a bit, not sure if it's what you were after. The PDF you attached looks good and professional, but as I mentioned above, personally I like to see something exciting and wildly creative in a portfolio, even if it's for a person or company I've never heard of. One thing I like to do when things are a little quiet on the work front, is to approach companies that I'm interested in, or that I've seen designs for that I feel could be improved, ie billboards, websites etc, and send them a carefully worded letter suggesting I design something for them, on the basis that they only pay for it if they like it. This has had mixed results for me, but whatever happens you end up with something that you are pleased with that can go straight into the portfolio.
All the best with it & good luck with your final year.
Peter Moffat
www.rooted-design.co.uk
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