The value we bring is the most important element that we can take to a new job or a new project.
The client wants to see your portfolio or your degree before they hire you, but both of those things are relics of the past. Tomorrow is a new day and there is no guarantee that your best work is still ahead of you.
However, both the degree and the portfolio give prospective clients (or bosses) some sense of security in hiring you for the job.
For the artist, it is important to use the portfolio as a tool to gain more work, not as something that gives a sense of entitlement. That was yesterday’s work. The best and most valuable people don’t rest on the laurels of what they’ve done in the past.
The important thing is the value you bring today and the success you foster for tomorrow. Work hard on important things.