Do you really need a portfolio to land an instructional design job? My answer is yes. There may be some different opinions on this topic. In our digital world, you need to have a digital presence. Today I joined Cath Ellis and friends in her Monthly eLearning Hangout meetup, we were talking portfolios, and she agrees a portfolio is helpful and recommends having one. Cath said she had her portfolio before she was a freelancer, and because of this, she was able to transition to freelance. People were reaching out to her do complete projects, and she has not had to look for work since moving to freelance. Hanging out with Cath and I was Mohd Mudassir Nagaria. He stated he was inspired by Cath during The Show to develop a portfolio and highlight his skills.
Here are my reasons why I think you should invest the time to build your instructional design portfolio: