Why this matters
A small set of finished, well explained reports does more for your job search than a long list of skills. Employers hiring for admin, accounts, MIS and M&E roles want to know three things: can you handle messy data, can you get the numbers right, and can you present them clearly? A good portfolio answers all three before the interview starts. Freelance clients looking for Excel and Power BI help also hire from portfolios.
What to include
Aim for two or three pieces that show different skills:
- A data entry and cleaning piece. A validated entry sheet with dropdowns and rules, plus a messy file you cleaned with formulas or Power Query, showing before and after.
- A one page Excel report. Key numbers against target, a PivotTable summary, one clear chart and written highlights.
- A Power BI report, if you have had access to a Windows computer: a small star schema, a few DAX measures and one or two well designed pages. If you have not yet, a Data Studio dashboard shows the same thinking, and you can add Power BI later.
Choosing data
Use data that is open or invented, and say which on the first page.
- Invented data: make it realistic. A market trader's daily sales in cedis across a month, a youth programme's attendance across districts, a savings group's contributions. Include the problems real data has (spelling variations, missing values, text dates) so you can show your cleaning.