How to Build a Web Developer Portfolio That Will Help You Stand Out
It’s not a big secret that building a web developer portfolio can greatly increase your chances of getting hired. Everyone tells you that. But, they don’t always tell you what makes a good one.
You see, many portfolios are generic and rather uninspiring. If your portfolio looks just like everyone else’s, then how can you expect it to stand out? Well, it won’t.
Luckily, we have some ideas that will help.
The Bare Minimum of a Web Developer Portfolio
First, let’s go over the non-negotiables of any web developer portfolio:
- Responsive design
- Projects showcasing your work
- An “about me” section or somewhere people reading your site can learn about you
- Your portfolio needs to be accessible
- Your portfolio should have a custom domain. Buy a domain name.
- A way for people to contact you, preferably your email
If you have these six non-negotiables on your portfolio, you are off to a good start.
What you need to do next is…
Explore Other Web Developer Portfolio Ideas
Starting with a blank slate can feel overwhelming. While you may have some sense of the approach you’d like to take with your portfolio, hammering out the details – from typography and color palette to your portfolio’s format and presentation – takes careful consideration.
The best place to start is by gathering as much inspiration as possible. While the goal is to create a unique portfolio that exemplifies your work and creativity, browsing other web development portfolios can give you a sense of what direction you’d like to take with your own.
GitHub, for instance, is an excellent resource for exploring web developer portfolio ideas. Users have compiled threads of their own (or other developers’) portfolios for inspiration and feedback. This list can help form your portfolio’s design, user interface (UI), layout, and types of projects to spotlight.
Here are some good .ME Web Developer Portfolio examples that will inspire you and if you are looking for a front-end developer job you can try job search websites like this one.
Give Your ‘About Me’ Some Personality
The about me section of your portfolio is a small section describing yourself to a potential employer. When written well, this section can imprint your personality inside the memory of an employer. In the opposite situation, it can make you look anonymous or even boring.
I’ve seen a lot of about me sections and a lot of them look the same. If I were to change your name, town, and tech stack, many of these candidates would just become one.
Your about me needs to be a little bit spicy, it needs to show your personality and experience. Your personality is different from other people, so, naturally, your about me section should be too.
Show The Projects You’re Proud of
This is the essence of your portfolio. This is where you show your skills and what you can do technically. We said this a thousand times and here’s one more. Your portfolio should only have work that you are really proud of.
People aren’t there to view your history channel. They are supposed to see the work which you’ve specially created out of a kaleidoscope of skills and expertise. Don’t show off work that you aren’t 100% proud of. It’s much better to see a portfolio with 3-4 really stellar projects than 10-15 that are so-so.
Read More: How And Why You Should Curate Your Portfolio
Create An Efficient Contact Form For Your Web Developer Portfolio
A great portfolio is composed of three main sections: about me, projects and a contact me form.
No need to get fancy about this, as this is simply the final section of your portfolio, where you will allow potential employers to contact you easily. But if you don’t want to go just with the usual – mail, name, memo, here’s what you should do.
Think about your contact form questions strategically. You want to capture enough details that you have a baseline understanding of their request, but not so much that you scare them off.
A good rule of thumb is to include one to three questions from each of the following sections:
Contact information — This stuff is mandatory for any contact form. Examples of these fields include their name, email address, and phone number.
Business information — These questions allow you to get a better understanding of who you’re dealing with, and are vital if you’re focused on a specific vertical. Examples of these fields include business website, industry, product offering, and primary contact/decision maker.
Project information — This is the most important part of your contact form since it provides you with the necessary details to qualify their project and determine if it’s the right fit. Examples of these fields could include project type, estimated budget, estimated timeframe for completion, and even the business problem they’re trying to solve.
As a final suggestion, remember to also include links to your social media if you find them valuable in this section.
In Conclusion
Creating your own web developer portfolio presents a unique challenge.
Sure, you’re great at cranking out websites for clients. But, coding one for yourself that accurately captures all of your competencies and experience is tough at best. But, as tricky as it might seem, it certainly isn’t impossible. Use these tips to put together your own portfolio, and you’re sure to end up with something that impresses even the most discerning of potential clients.
