Thread by @JoshWComeau

So many folks have lost their job in the last 2 weeks :(

I've been writing a short book on software dev portfolios. It isn't ready yet, but I wanted to share some of the highlights, to hopefully help folks who are job-hunting again!

The most important stuff I know, in-thread 👇

Your developer portfolio is a showcase of your most important projects. I'm using the term "project" loosely, to include:

• Stuff you shipped on-the-job (if not restricted by NDA)
• Side-projects
• OSS contributions
• Volunteer work

Your homepage should list your 2-5 most impressive projects. You should have an image, a brief summary, and a link to a dedicated page to learn much more about this project.

(GIF credit: juliacodes.com)

Don't add more than 5 projects here. If you want, you can have a "view more" link to show a full list, but you should only highlight a few. Most people will only look at 1 or 2 anyway. You want them to see your best work, not randomly check your least-impressive!

Each project should get its own page, and it should include:

• What the major features are
• Why you built this
• Process (how you built it, who you collaborated with)
• Tech stack
• Technical challenges you ran into + How you overcame them
• Takeaways
• Video demo

Notice how this portfolio hits a bunch of those bullets, in clean chunks, with beautiful screenshots interwoven. This is masterful.

Credit: juliacodes.com/Coffee

The tricky part about project pages is that different types of people will be visiting them, looking for different signals.

We need to tell a compelling story about what this project is and why it exists, while also covering technical details + squeezing in relevant keywords.

So: a small handful of highlighted projects, with rich write-ups that speak to technical AND non-technical readers, and can easily be skimmed in under a minute.

It's hard, but thinking in these terms will help a ton.

DO NOT include one of these "skill graphs". Please please don't. They are doing so much more harm than good.

First of all, it's meaningless. What does it mean to know 85% of Javascript? Is your scale the same as the reader's? Probably not.

The bigger problem with these graphs, though, is that they are a no-win scenario, especially at the junior level.

If you're a junior, there's no way you know 85% of Javascript. Nobody on earth knows 85% of Javascript. You'll be seen as over-confident.

If you go for a more "realistic" number like 40% or 50%, it's just not flattering. Would you want to hire someone who rates their skills as 4/10?

It's a no-win scenario. Remove the graphs.

Many junior developer portfolios include taglines like "Stronger than all the rest" or "Exceptionally talented developer". This is the wrong signal. You want to show that you're bright, but aware that you're just starting out, and eager to improve.

(Also: men tend to oversell themselves, while women tend to undersell themselves. So keep that data point in mind when evaluating your own portfolio)

Finally, it's important to be memorable. An open job posting may get hundreds of applications. You want to stand out.

If you do front-end, invest in "sprinkles". This is my word for easter eggs, small effects, stuff like that.

For example, this effect (gregives.co.uk)

(This example might be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be that extreme! Small flourishes that showcase your joy for doing this work are just as effective.

Also, if you're looking for backend/data-science work, this doesn't apply to you as much)

Being memorable is also about the content on your site. Too many portfolios are generic, to the point that the only "personal" aspect is your name and photo.

A generic _design_ is fine, but generic _content_ is bad. Describe your path! What brought you to software development?

To summarize:
• Show off your best work
• Write for a technical AND non-technical audience
• Be memorable—show some of your personality!
• No skill charts
• No bravado

I hope this helps! If you know of some folks looking for work, retweets are appreciated 💖

This content will be explored in much more depth in a short book I'm working on. Subscribers to my newsletter will get that book for free. Subscribe so you don't miss it:

joshwcomeau.com/subscribe/

Stay safe y'all ✌️