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Now I have to admit that this show is honestly a summation of research that I am doing on my own behalf, but I wanted to share it as I researched this topic. There is a ton there, and I wanted to make sure that we have a good conversation about this topic. There were a few topics that I had in mind, but I chose this one because I think that it is as critical as a solid resume, and it is something that we can focus on and take our skills to the next level. Portfolios.
The purpose of a portfolio is important for a number of reasons.
First, it is important to show off your skills with the projects that you have created, or have contributed to. That includes the portfolio itself! It is super important to make sure that you have production-grade code throughout your projects, and you are projecting a professional, and focused portfolio that shows your effectiveness, efficiency, and creativeness.
The second is getting your name out there in tandem with your projects. That really does encompass pretty much everything about building a portfolio. The reality is that you need to get your name out, you need to show off why you stand above the rest.
Let's look at what some of the experts say on the topic:
Every developer who has completed a few development projects should have a software developer portfolio. While a technical resume may be enough to start applying to some jobs, a portfolio will show that you can actually use all the skills listed in your resume. Plus, resumes are usually only seen when you are looking for a job, while your portfolio can work for you all the time. You can share a link on your LinkedIn and social profiles like Twitter to let your contacts see what you can do. Through your portfolio, contacts can learn more about you, see your work — and it makes networking and introductions easy. Who knows? Maybe the best job will come when you aren't even looking for it. Of course, if you haven't created any projects yet you won't need to create a portfolio just yet. But the fact that you're reading this article shows you're in the right spot to start building a strong portfolio as you start creating your own professional-grade projects. If you're learning with Codecademy, you'll find Portfolio Projects built into our Career Paths, giving you the opportunity to start building out your portfolio as you go.
Source: Codecademy
Sounds like we are on the same wavelength. So let's move on.
First and most important you need to have your name on it. Make sure that it stands out! Make sure that it is clear, concise, and is going to be seen by a user within the first millisecond that they get onto your portfolio. Make sure that it is professional, elegant, and make sure it is LEGIBLE!