Having a good portfolio is crucial to showcase what you are capable of.
It can lead to jobs, gigs, and long-term clients.
Here are some ways to build a portfolio for software developers, developer advocates, data scientists, UX designers, and many more.
A thread. ↓
It can lead to jobs, gigs, and long-term clients.
Here are some ways to build a portfolio for software developers, developer advocates, data scientists, UX designers, and many more.
A thread. ↓
1. Create a portfolio page
A portfolio page is one of the most crucial things to have if you aim to market yourself and showcase your work.
You can be present on multiple platforms, but there should be one central place that you own.
A portfolio page is one of the most crucial things to have if you aim to market yourself and showcase your work.
You can be present on multiple platforms, but there should be one central place that you own.
You can build this page yourself, use a no-code platform, leverage WordPress and a template, or whatever else helps you in building your page.
Spend some time on this page. It's a one-time effort.
Don't simply use the first template or design that you find on the internet.
Spend some time on this page. It's a one-time effort.
Don't simply use the first template or design that you find on the internet.
Your portfolio page should:
- Be easily accessible
- Make it low-effort to find something out about you and your work
- Highlight your "best" work (meaning the one you like the most)
- Not list everything you have ever done
- Tell your story, so visitors see the human behind it
- Be easily accessible
- Make it low-effort to find something out about you and your work
- Highlight your "best" work (meaning the one you like the most)
- Not list everything you have ever done
- Tell your story, so visitors see the human behind it
No matter on what other platform you publish something.
Make sure to link to your best work from your portfolio page.
And for the rest, link to your profile on those platforms so someone interested can take a look at everything you created.
Make sure to link to your best work from your portfolio page.
And for the rest, link to your profile on those platforms so someone interested can take a look at everything you created.
2. Put your work on GitHub
As a software developer or someone dealing with code, put your work on GitHub and spend some time polishing your projects.
There is no better way to showcase how you code than to show code.
I wrote a thread about it here:
As a software developer or someone dealing with code, put your work on GitHub and spend some time polishing your projects.
There is no better way to showcase how you code than to show code.
I wrote a thread about it here:
https://twitter.com/oliverjumpertz/status/1421873789512654848
It can even make sense to publish case studies on GitHub, as well.
This is a good way for data scientists, analysts, or UX designers, for example, to showcase their work.
For example, as a data scientist or analyst, you will still write some code you can include.
This is a good way for data scientists, analysts, or UX designers, for example, to showcase their work.
For example, as a data scientist or analyst, you will still write some code you can include.
Include your Jupyter notebooks, and if you have written a detailed analysis, put it into one or multiple markdown files and include them, as well.
The same holds true for UX designers. Write your case studies in markdown and then push them there.
The same holds true for UX designers. Write your case studies in markdown and then push them there.
3. Publish blog articles
Blog articles can be tutorials, how-tos, but also case studies.
As a developer advocate, a lot of your work is creating content. Blog posts showcase your written work.
Blog articles can be tutorials, how-tos, but also case studies.
As a developer advocate, a lot of your work is creating content. Blog posts showcase your written work.
As a data scientist or UX designer, publish your full case studies.
You'll usually have to deal with a certain problem, analyze it, and come up with a solution or an answer.
A blog article is perfect for this. It is nothing else than a document you would usually hand over.
You'll usually have to deal with a certain problem, analyze it, and come up with a solution or an answer.
A blog article is perfect for this. It is nothing else than a document you would usually hand over.
A nice side-effect of this approach is that you also directly market yourself.
I've seen some UX designers and data scientists publishing their case studies on Medium and building a community while also earning money with it on the side.
I've seen some UX designers and data scientists publishing their case studies on Medium and building a community while also earning money with it on the side.
4. Build your personal brand on social media
If your job somehow has to do with creating content, be it developer advocate, community manager, or marketer, what better way is there to showcase what you can do than just do it?
If your job somehow has to do with creating content, be it developer advocate, community manager, or marketer, what better way is there to showcase what you can do than just do it?
Especially as a marketer, and with content marketing becoming more and more important, you can showcase what you are capable of by showing that you can grow your own brand.
Pick a topic, talk about it, grow your community.
Pick a topic, talk about it, grow your community.
As a developer advocate, you can also talk about what you love. Your personal brand is even often essential for your job.
You need to build credibility for the content you create for a company to be deemed valuable and relevant.
You need to build credibility for the content you create for a company to be deemed valuable and relevant.
If you are a UX designer, why don't you try and make videos where you analyze websites, apps, or what else, and suggest how you would improve certain aspects of it?
Twitter threads might also do well, cross-posted to Facebook and other platforms.
Twitter threads might also do well, cross-posted to Facebook and other platforms.
5. Put your work on more or less specialized platforms
There are many platforms out there that aim at giving specific professionals a place to share their work.
You can pick one of those to publish your work. The built-in communities usually give you a lot of visibility.
There are many platforms out there that aim at giving specific professionals a place to share their work.
You can pick one of those to publish your work. The built-in communities usually give you a lot of visibility.
A non-exhaustive list:
- dribbble for designers
- Behance for designers
- DeviantArt for artists
- Polywork to showcase all your work no matter your profession
- and many more
Googling for them will usually give you a good idea of what else is out on the internet.
- dribbble for designers
- Behance for designers
- DeviantArt for artists
- Polywork to showcase all your work no matter your profession
- and many more
Googling for them will usually give you a good idea of what else is out on the internet.
6. Thread end
That's it for this thread. 💛
I hope you found something useful in it for you. 🙏🏻
If you enjoyed reading this thread, feel free to drop a like, retweet the first tweet, and follow me (@oliverjumpertz) for more content like this.
That's it for this thread. 💛
I hope you found something useful in it for you. 🙏🏻
If you enjoyed reading this thread, feel free to drop a like, retweet the first tweet, and follow me (@oliverjumpertz) for more content like this.
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