A small work sample can help an employer understand your abilities when professional experience is limited. The aim is not to collect ready-made templates, but to solve a clear task and present your own result. Office assistants, junior sales staff and entry-level social media specialists need different examples. The three exercises below are practice projects, not real client commissions. Label them honestly and share them with your CV. A portfolio cannot guarantee an offer, but it provides concrete material for discussing your skills.
Choose a focused direction
Sales, office administration, logistics and accounting support require different evidence. Choose one or two related directions for the coming week. Record recurring requirements such as languages, Excel, documentation, communication and working hours. Then identify which you can demonstrate with a real example. A focused search does not mean rejecting every other opportunity. It helps you prepare a more relevant CV and explain why a particular role makes sense for you.
An Excel exercise for an office role
Create a table of 20 orders for a fictional office, including date, product, quantity, unit price and status. Calculate totals with a formula, format headings clearly and add a status filter. Show the weekly summary on a separate sheet. Label all figures as practice data, not real sales. Check empty and duplicate rows, then briefly explain which formulas you used and what decision the table supports.
A one-product presentation for sales
Choose a product you understand and prepare one page covering its audience, purpose, details to verify and likely customer questions. Do not invent a price or specification; label illustrative figures as hypothetical. Add polite responses to three possible objections. This sample should show an understanding of customer needs rather than pressure tactics. Distinguish facts from assumptions and explain where a salesperson would need further information before making a promise.
A seven-day plan for a social media role
Choose a fictional cafe or shop and plan seven days of content. Include topic, format, purpose and call to action for each day. Separate product introductions, usage examples and answers to common questions. Add your own copy and a simple design sketch for two posts. Never present fictional followers, views or sales as achieved results. Explain the intended audience and the measure you would use to assess each content type after a real publication.
Write a specific application message
After a greeting, identify the vacancy and two relevant skills. For example: I am applying for the office assistant position; I prepared an Excel report and organised documents in a course project. Mention the attached CV and sample. Avoid an identical vague message for every company. Use the requested email subject when one is specified. Sending a message does not establish that it has been read or that you have been shortlisted. Check replies and your spam folder.
Check the portfolio before sharing
Keep personal and confidential information out of the folder. Use fictional records and remove payment details, phone numbers and sensitive fields from screenshots. Do not claim someone else's design as your own, and check rights to any materials. Test the link without signing in and consider view-only access. Check PDF page breaks and readability on a phone. Give each sample a task description, your personal contribution and a preparation date.
Track applications and improve weekly
Keep a simple record of employer, position, date, application channel and outcome. Check relevant new vacancies, but avoid sending the same CV repeatedly to one role. Respect any stated response period; a single polite follow-up afterwards is enough. After an interview, record difficult questions and practise the relevant skills. Complete your Workly profile, keep your CV current and apply through the vacancy page form. A profile or an application does not guarantee a job offer.
How many samples should I include?
One to three complete examples relevant to the vacancy can be enough to start. Quality, clear personal contribution and accessible files matter more than quantity.
Can I present a practice sample as a client project?
No. Label it as a practice project. An honest description makes it easier to explain your own work confidently during an interview.
