You now officially have the developer skills to shine in the job market. Now what? Every path is a little different for each person. Some may instantly have a job lined up for them through mutual connections, some may land their dream job after the third application sent in, and some may slowly go on interviews here and there. Regardless of which path you may be facing or walking on currently, there’s one overlapping fact: Having a great portfolio online sure can do a lot for you during the job search.
Having a portfolio ready to send is the extra sparkle any resume can use. It’s a fantastic way to show off your talent and break through any added barriers that a plain written resume may have. Don’t have your portfolio setup yet or need to know where to start? You’ve come to the right place.
Tips to Create an Eye-Catching Online Developer Portfolio
Have Variety
When gathering all of your past work, make sure you pick a wide range of different projects to showcase on your portfolio. Not only does this prove you are capable of working on an array of different things, but it may also closely align with the work you are applying for. Having any sort of variety is a huge benefit in this case. So, make sure to pick the work that not only shows off your abilities, but also proves you can easily get the job done for any recruiter or employer viewing.
Make the Portfolio Presentable
Having a presentable portfolio is almost as important as the work that is displayed on it. Making the page easy to glance at and navigate should be one of your highest priorities during the set-up process. You have to remember the limited time you have to impress whoever is viewing. So, make that time count! If the portfolio is clunky and challenging to navigate then it could be a crucial mistake. Regardless of how impressive your displayed work may be.
Presentable portfolio checklist:
- All the links are working and go to the correct place
- All the videos are viewable
- All the displayed code is working
- The page is responsive for web and mobile viewing
- All of the embedded buttons are clickable
- The page’s images are high quality and working
- No spelling or grammar errors
Make Sure to Show Off Your Best Work
When narrowing down the decision of what past work to include in your portfolio, make sure to add the work that best shows off your skills and knowledge. This may be more challenging than it seems. Especially if you have a lot of projects you’ve created or worked on. When making this decision, make sure to approach it as non-biased as you can. You want to include what your very best work is. Not the work that took the longest or is your favorite. It’s ultimately up to you what to include. But we encourage you to always be critical of your own work and think hard before making the final decision.
Provide Information for Each Project
For each piece of work you include in your portfolio, you may want to consider adding a few lines of context. This small writeup can include what types of programming languages and technologies were used, how long it took to complete, what the project was originally made for, and anything else that may give more insight to the viewer. Just be careful to not make these write-ups very long. Giving only a few lines of insight can usually do the job perfectly.
Don’t Forget Your Contact Information
Finally, make sure to include your contact information. Don’t assume they already have it or will search for it because they are on your portfolio. It’s not uncommon for recruiters and employers to have hundreds of applicants for the same role you applied for. Make it easy for them to remember who you are and how to reach you exactly. It’s also a wise decision to include a downloadable or viewable updated resume in this section, too. That way it can be a quick reminder of who you are and your work experience.
The best way to have an impressive portfolio is to have impressive work. At devCodeCamp, we take adult students from all walks of life and transform them into career ready developers and data analysts. If you are needing the skills it takes to launch a career in tech or if you are searching for a way to advance your current knowledge, devCodeCamp has full-time and flexible part-time options to get you on track to reach success. Our graduates can be found in companies such as Facebook, Amazon, IBM, HubSpot, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, and many more. Don’t wait to change your life. Reach out now!