Can I combine my CV and portfolio into a single page?

You can, but it rarely serves either audience well. A recruiter wants scannable dates and titles; a client wants project context and links. Separating the two lets each document do its job without compromise.

How many projects should a one-page portfolio include?

Three to five is a practical range. Each project should be well-documented with a supporting link. More projects without context adds noise, not credibility.

What if my best work is under NDA?

Include the project with the client anonymised. Describe your contribution and the problem solved without showing proprietary visuals. A brief note explaining the NDA is honest and expected in many industries.

Does the portfolio need to match the CV exactly?

Dates, tool names, your job title, and client references should be consistent across both. The portfolio is allowed to go into more depth — that is its purpose — but it should not contradict what the CV states.

Should my CV link to my portfolio or my homepage?

Link directly to the portfolio page, not the homepage. If someone is reading your CV, they are already interested — send them straight to the evidence rather than making them navigate your site.

CV and One-Page Portfolio: Give Each a Clear Job

Why the Confusion Happens

Most people build a personal site and then try to make it do everything at once: timeline of roles, testimonials, project images, contact form, and a downloadable PDF — all on a single page. The result pleases nobody. A recruiter scanning for dates cannot find them; a potential client looking for evidence of craft gets buried in bullet points about responsibilities.

Separating the two is not about having more pages. It is about being clear on what each document is for before you write a single word.

What a CV Is Actually For

A CV is a structured record of your professional history. Its job is to answer: who hired you, in what role, for how long, and what were you responsible for? That is it. A recruiter or HR screener should be able to extract that information in under thirty seconds.

Chronological list of roles with employer, title, and dates
Three to five concise bullet points per role describing scope and tools used
Education, certifications, and relevant courses
Contact details and links — including a direct link to your portfolio

What a One-Page Portfolio Is Actually For

A one-page portfolio is a curated argument. It says: here is selected work that demonstrates I can do the thing you need. It does not need to show everything you have ever made — three to five well-documented projects are almost always stronger than twelve thumbnails with no context.

Each project entry should contain a brief description of the problem, your specific contribution, the tools or methods used, and a link to the live work or a case-study page. That last element — the supporting link — is what turns a portfolio from a gallery into evidence.

Mapping a CV Entry to a Portfolio Project

The simplest way to keep the two consistent is to treat each portfolio project as an expansion of one bullet point from your CV. Here is a practical mapping:

CV entry: 'Redesigned checkout flow for e-commerce client (Shopify, Figma), 2023'
Portfolio title: 'Checkout Redesign — [Client or Anonymous], 2023'
Portfolio description: What the brief was, what problem you solved, which decisions were yours
Portfolio link: Live URL, Figma prototype, or a short case-study page with before/after screenshots
Consistency check: Role title, year, and tool names must match exactly across both documents

If a project appears in your portfolio but has no corresponding CV entry, add a line. If a CV role has no supporting portfolio work, that is fine — not every job produces shareable output.

Checklist: Keeping the Two Consistent

Run through this list whenever you update either document:

Dates match: the year in the portfolio entry matches the CV role period
Tool names match: if the CV says 'Webflow', the portfolio does not say 'no-code platform'
Client references match: anonymous on CV, anonymous on portfolio — or named on both
Your role description is consistent: 'lead designer' in one place, not 'designer' in the other
The CV links directly to the portfolio (not just a homepage)
All portfolio links are live and load correctly
Both documents carry the same contact email and professional name

Format and Hosting Decisions

A CV works best as a PDF sent on request or linked from your site. Keep it to two pages maximum. A one-page portfolio works well as a lightweight web page — not because it is trendy, but because live links are clickable, images load at full quality, and you can update it without redistributing a file.

If you are using a site builder such as Webflow, Framer, or even a simple HTML page, host the portfolio at a clean URL you can share in emails and on LinkedIn. The CV PDF can live at something like yourname.com/cv so it is findable but does not clutter the main navigation.

When One Page Is Not Enough

Some projects cannot be explained in four lines. In that case, link from the one-page portfolio to a longer case-study page — but keep the case study off the main navigation. It exists for people who want depth, not as the first thing a visitor sees. The one-page version remains the entry point; the case study is the supporting evidence for those who ask for it.