Building a Personal Portfolio

Looking for a job? Build a portfolio. Not just a résumé. If I were job hunting in 2025, here’s what I’d do. Build ONE great portfolio project in the next 30 days. Something that shows - not tells - your skill, thought process, and creativity. I say this as someone who's also hired half a dozen people in the past 2 years. There's too much noise out there. You've got to find a way to stand out. Here are 3 roles and 3 portfolio projects you can build in the next 30 days to stand out: 👩🏽💻 1. Product Manager Build: A new feature for an app you love → Pick a product (Spotify, Notion, Duolingo) → Design a new feature: user problem → solution → wireframes → Write a PRD (problem, KPIs, edge cases, success metrics) One of the most creative ways I've seen a friend get an interview was this: He mocked up a "Spotify Social Listening" feature - then sent it to Spotify PMs. This got him an immediate response and interview. Tool stack: Notion, Figma, Canva, ChatGPT, Whimsical 📱 2. UX/UI Designer Build: A 2-week redesign challenge → Pick a real-world flow that sucks (e.g. booking train tickets on IRCTC lol or the entire Goodreads web app) → Interview a few users (just ask around within your friends) → Redesign the flow with better UX → Share your case study on Behance or your website Write a post on the entire process you followed. Tool stack: Figma, Maze, Framer, Medium 📊 3. Data Analyst Build: A dashboard + case study → Choose a public dataset (NYC taxi data, Netflix ratings, upcoming Indian startups) → Clean + analyze it using SQL/Python → Build a dashboard in Tableau or Power BI → Publish your insights + charts as a case study Once again, write a post on the entire process you followed. Tool stack: SQL, Python, Tableau, Canva, Medium ... It's easy to get stuck in the rut of applying to jobs every day. Try something a tiny bit different... and you can easily stand out from the noise. Best of luck! 🌿 Found this useful? Repost it to help someone who’s job hunting. 🟢 Want a free guide to acing your first PM interview? Comment below “portfolio” below and I’ll send it over. :)

Unfortunately, many job seekers aren’t comfortable with self-promotion because they see it as bragging. Or they don’t do it because they lack confidence in their value as a candidate. I’ve spoken to thousands of job seekers who UNDERESTIMATE and UNDER MARKET their skills and accomplishments. The problem is that we are passed over for better opportunities and higher earnings when we don't market our skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Employers can't guess or assume your abilities; you must make them clear and compelling. Self-promotion is a powerful tool for career advancement when done authentically and effectively. Here are 5 ways to draw attention to your qualifications and skills without sounding arrogant. 1. Quantify Achievements: Show the impact of your leadership by quantifying your achievements. Did you increase revenue or reduce costs? By how much? Did you lead a team? How big was it and what were the results of your team's work? Use concrete numbers where possible to illustrate your effectiveness. 2. Highlight Leadership and Strategic Skills: As an executive, it's important to demonstrate not only your ability to manage, but also to lead and strategize. Highlight experiences where you've set strategy, guided teams through change, or demonstrated thought leadership. 3. Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume for each application, highlighting the most relevant experiences and accomplishments. 4. Use Action Verbs and Power Words: Start each bullet point with a strong action verb like "led," "spearheaded," "orchestrated," etc. This helps create a powerful image of you as a proactive leader. 5. Add High-Priority Hard Skills: Add relevant hard skills for your target role to your resume in four key places: your headline at the top of your resume, your core strengths section, the accomplishment section, and within your work experience. BONUS TIP: Showcase Your Executive Presence: Executive presence is a blend of temperament, competencies, and skills that send all the right signals. Show instances where you've had to make tough decisions, guide a team, or navigate a company through challenging times. Want a free executive resume template that helps you put all these strategies into action? Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/euFAH39f #Resumes #Careers #LinkedInTopVoices

For folks who use GitHub and are in early stage careers and hope to add GitHub as a value add to your profile - here is a note. If interviewing for an SDE role, GitHub projects that don't solve a problem and are just a coding exercise are not very helpful. This may sound perplexing but it needs to be said. : Hiring managers and tech leads (like me) look for problem-solvers. A repository full of practice exercises might show you can write code, but it doesn’t demonstrate that you can build impactful solutions. ► How to Make Your Projects Stand Out 1. Frame Them as Solutions: Instead of presenting your project as "just another app," position it as a business solution or a tool that solves a real-world problem. For example: - Instead of “Expense Tracker App,” say, “A tool for freelancers to manage and categorize expenses for tax season.” - Instead of “Weather App,” frame it as, “A weather app optimized for agricultural planning with location-based crop suggestions.” 2. Highlight the Problem It Solves: Every great project starts with a problem. Make it clear what problem you identified and how your project addresses it. - Example: “This tool was designed for small business owners who struggle with automating their daily sales tracking.” 3. Show Quantifiable Value: Numbers tell a story. Include metrics like: - How much time/money the solution saves. - How many users it could potentially impact. - Any test data or feedback you’ve collected. - Example: “This app reduced invoice processing time by 35% in a real-world test case.” 4. Document It Well: A project is only as good as its README. Include: - A brief description of the problem it solves. - Key features. - Instructions on how to run/test it. - Screenshots, GIFs, or a demo link to bring it to life. Having a GitHub full of clone apps or unfinished side projects sends the wrong signal. It doesn’t show creativity, ownership, or impact, it shows you can follow tutorials, and that’s not what companies hire for. Instead, invest your time into one or two high-impact projects that: - Solve real-world problems. - Show off your ability to understand user needs. - Demonstrate your thought process, design skills, and technical execution. So, take a step back, revisit your GitHub, and think: - Does this project solve a problem? - Can I explain its value to someone outside of tech? - Would I hire someone based on this work? If the answer isn’t “yes,” it’s time to rethink how you approach your projects. Remember: One impactful project > 100 clones. Focus on impact, not just output.

I’ve hired designers for 14 years, sifted through ~1000s of portfolios, but never read a full case study. Shocking? Maybe. But let's be real: time is a luxury, and hiring managers don't have it in abundance. Here’s what catches their eye and could seal the deal for you. 1. Speed wins: Your portfolio needs to cut to the chase. Show high quality visuals of your work above the fold on your landing page. It shows what you’ve accomplished right off the bat. 2. Make It scan-friendly: Optimize your headers, images, and image captions. A quick scan should tell everything the reader needs to know. If your design fundamentals are solid, your portfolio will reflect that. 3. Long text blocks are your enemy. Remember, hiring managers skim a lot. Ever skimmed through a long read online? Guess what? They do the same thing on your portfolio. ==== BONUS: 3 more pro-tips to really stand out: → Avoid red flags: Clunky navigation, low-res images, or a slow-loading site? That’s a hard pass. Make everything about your portfolio high quality and easy to navigate. - Tailor-made: Adapt your portfolio for the type of work you’re trying to get. Trying to get work as a product designer? Gonna be hard if your portfolio is full of web design and logos. - Be easy to find: Make sure your LinkedIn, resume, and contact info are just a click away. Don't make them hunt for you. TL;DR: Make the hiring manager’s job easy. Don’t give them easy reasons to say “NO”.

Not getting another interview after your portfolio presentation? Maybe this is why 👇 I've sat in many portfolio presentations. I also work with numerous mentees, helping shape their stories. The biggest mistake I always see is not showcasing the why behind your work. Context. So many presentations go like this: - Hi, it me 👋 - Here's my first case - Here is a persona I made - Here is another persona I made - Here is an arbitrary user flow - Here is a sketch I made - Here is a wireframe I made - Here is the final solution - I learned a couple of things Your presentation should be a story, not a simple show and tell. Don't just tell your audience WHAT you did. Tell them WHY you did it. The why connects your thought process to your design. We want to hear what drove your decisions. Paint a vivid picture of the challenges you faced, the insights you stumbled upon, and the brainstorms that led to breakthroughs. What separates you from other designers is how you think and your design decisions. ✅ Frame your failures ✅ Dissect your decisions ✅ Incorporate your successes ✅ Create a beginning, middle, and end ✅ Show the path from initial idea to final Each slide and each statement should reveal a bit more about your thinking process. Details matter. Subtleties matter. They all add up to a powerful narrative. When your presentation is infused with purpose and passion, your work shines. It demonstrates your technical skills and your capacity for critical thinking, problem-solving, and empathetic understanding. And that's what sets you apart. Not just the sheer quality of your work but also the depth of thought put into it. Make them remember what you did and why you did it. Because, in the end, it's the why that truly matters. ------------------------------------- 🔔 Follow: Mollie Cox ♻ Repost to help others 💾 Save it for future use

These 4 versions of my resume have landed me every job as a college student and post-graduation. Here's what they are, why they matter, and how you can create yours too: Your resume is traditionally 1-2 pages as a student or recent grad (ideally 1 pg), but you can expand them in so many ways beyond a page Throughout my #earlycareer, my resume existed in 4 places. 1. My Traditional, PDF resume You're always going to need this one when submitting job applications. Here's how to improve yours now: - keep it simple and digestible so it's easy to read. Times new roman, pt 12 font, 0 colors, 1 page if your entry level. No headshots, very minimal color. - I learned in a recent Wonsulting post that recruiters read resume in a "F format" meaning that when they scan your resume, they're quickly looking at your most recent experiences and skim through your past roles. Make sure that your resume is SUPER clear about what roles you're interested in and have past experience in. - your resume is like your brag book. you need to flex more than you've ever flexed before. lead with accomplishments and results, what you did matters but you can talk about that in the interview. show off what you achieved vs explaining what your roles and responsibilities were. 2. My LinkedIn profile: I consider my LinkedIn as an extension of my traditional resume AND a form of professional blogging where I can share my story as young professional. Under your work experiences, you can add visuals (links, presentations, skills used, etc) to expand on the work you did. Yes, recruiters are 1000% looking at your Linkedin! 3. My Personal Portfolio: Your personal portfolio is truly your place to showcase all of your work experiences without any limitations to creativity or self-expression. Professional portfolios aren't only for people who are in creative fields, you can have one no matter what industry you're in! I like Adobe's portfolio site because it was easy to use and super customizable but you can use any website maker (even Canva). 4. My student profile on a Gen Z Job Board My first college job was found on WayUp. Today, I work there. Companies are using Gen Z job boards (https://lnkd.in/gGC-NV73) to find talent, I work with corporate clients who do this everyday. After uploading your resume, here's tips for your profile: - fully complete it with your experiences and what you're looking for - update it every semester (or school break) - be clear about the roles you're interested in - apply for roles within the platform, recruiters have systems that note that you applied from a job board they're working with (which is a good thing!) - attend virtual info sessions because they often hire from these events Want more of this #earlycareer content on your TL? Follow Jade Walters! #resumewriting #resumehelp #entrylevel #internships

Confession: While I've reviewed thousands of portfolios, I've never read a case study all the way through. I ALWAYS scan them. I just don't have the time to look through every detail. And I know that most other folks who are reviewing portfolios are doing the exact same thing for the same reasons. This means that your portfolio should: 1. Make it easy to scan 2. Use big, high quality visuals 3. Tell quick, concise stories 4. Most importantly, make that story easy to consume in two minutes or less If I were to build my portfolio today, here's how I would do it using these principles: 1️⃣ I'd have a top overview section that has a short blurb of what to expect/what I accomplished AND the final mockups/prototype of what I created. 2️⃣ I'd write out each case study using a word document first to make sure that my headlines told the entire story quickly and concisely. I'd use a classic story arc 1. Context/background 2. Conflict 3. Rising action 4. Climax 5. Falling action 6. Resolution The simpler version of this is the 3 Cs of storytelling: 1. Context 2. Conflict 3. Change (AKA what improved as a result of your work) 3️⃣ I'd optimize my headlines below the overview to tell the story of what I learned. Once everything was written out in a Google doc, I'd edit everything down to the essentials. I'd make sure to pull out the important learnings/quotes and make them big so reviewers could easily scan them. 4️⃣ I'd break up sections with large images to make it feel more interesting and less fatiguing. 5️⃣ I'd ask friends and family to read it and provide feedback about clarity and how much time it took them. If they can easily understand it, see my impact, and quickly go through it, then I'm on the right track. 6️⃣ I'd use LinkedIn and adplist.org to find more folks to provide feedback. Again, I'd focus their feedback on clarity and the amount of time it took for them to go through it.

I’ve spent years observing how the best tools and strategies can help you stand out and land your dream cloud role.  Here’s what I learned: *** 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺: 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 Documentation is your secret weapon. Use Medium to share your cloud projects, showcase your thought process, and let your work speak for itself.  Don’t just describe the end result, explain your 𝗦.𝗢.𝗔.𝗥.𝗙 process:   • 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼: What problem were you solving?   • 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲: What challenges did you face?   • 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: What steps did you take to solve it?   • 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁: What did you achieve?   • 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲: What didn’t work, and how did you adapt?  Tip: Add screenshots and detailed steps to make it even more engaging.  *** 𝗚𝗶𝘁𝗛𝘂𝗯: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Your GitHub profile is a testament to your growth and proof of your codebase.  𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁:   • Keep your commits consistent, regular updates show you’re improving.   • Add clear descriptions of your code and a READme file, what it does and why it matters.  Think of it as a portfolio that showcases both your technical skills and your problem-solving mindset.  Profiles with regular commits and well-documented READMEs are 5x more likely to catch a recruiter’s eye. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗠𝗘? Use this GitHub README template to structure your project descriptions clearly and professionally.: https://lnkd.in/eWjmJqjC *** 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧: 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 Explaining your projects doesn’t have to be intimidating. Tools like ChatGPT can help break down technical concepts into simple, digestible language.  𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁:   "𝘙𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 5𝘵𝘩-𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭.”  Your goal isn’t to sound like a genius, it’s to ensure anyone following along understands the value of your work.  *** 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗨𝗽: 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁  When it’s time to share your project on LinkedIn, storytelling matters. Craft posts that answer the reader’s unspoken question: “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲?”  For example:   • 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳: “Check out my new project!”   • 𝗧𝗿𝘆: “This is how I deployed AWS Infrastructure in less than 10 seconds.”  Build a story around how your project helped you solve 𝗫, 𝗬, 𝗼𝗿 𝗭. You’ll resonate more with your audience and inspire them to engage.  *** Landing your next cloud role isn’t just about showing what you’ve built, you have to be able to articulate how you solved problems and how you improved on solving that problem.  Don't forget, its all about building your 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗! Using tools that can make it easier for you to stand out. What's your tech stack that you use to build your brand on LinkedIn.

Confession time: My graphic design portfolio was gathering digital dust. 🙈 During a 30-day direct outreach challenge, I resorted to sharing a PDF of work samples. The result? Crickets. 🦗 Clients and recruiters didn't want to see a PDF, they craved an up-to-date, online portfolio. (Bonus discovery: PDF attachments often triggered spam filters!) Here's the truth bomb 💣 Your portfolio isn't just eye candy. It's your chance to show potential clients how you approach design, how you solve creative problems, and ultimately to give them an idea of what it would be like to work with you. 💼✨ Companies like A+E, SYFY, and MLB gave me a chance because my portfolio: ✅ Told a compelling story ✅ Showcased only my ideal work ✅ Demonstrated clear value Want to level up your own portfolio? 🧐 I've just added 5 projects to my Adobe Portfolio, along with my Behance website, documenting every step so we can go through it together. Key ingredients for a stand-out portfolio: 1️⃣ Showcase your process whenever possible, not just final products 2️⃣ Highlight problem-solving abilities 3️⃣ Use high quality mockups to enhance your work 4️⃣ Keep it fresh, keep it current Want to see how it all comes together? I break it all down in my latest YouTube video (Link in the comments) 👇 #DesignPortfolio #CreativeCareer #PortfolioTips #GraphicDesignPortfolio #KeyArtDesigner #BrandDesigner #Adobe #AdobePortfolio #Behance

Recently I’ve been receiving a number of DM’s asking about generalized tips for portfolios. And although I’ve been sending off links to everyone, I realized that it may be time to resurface some of the common “mistakes” I’ve noticed on Junior portfolios. 1️⃣ Not making your title obvious Hiring Managers have very little time to decide if they should move you forward in the interview process. That is why you don’t want to waste any time, even a few seconds. So having your title be understood within the first 2-3 seconds really plays a big difference. Think about ways to help it stand out so that your reader can know your area of specialty without doing any work or digging. 2️⃣ Creating a checklist, not a story It is important to note that there are two stories at play. One is the play by play of what you did. The other is your case study. Although this one should provide insights into what you did, it should be a more simplified and stripped back version of the story. This allows you to think through which deliverables are the most important, ultimately creating a better overall experience for your reader. For help with this one, check out my link in the comments. 3️⃣ Not thinking about the overall flow I’ve seen so many case studies where I end up at the bottom with no navigation showing so my only option to see more work is to scroll back up to the top and figure out my next step from there. In reality, I know that only takes about a second or two, but if we remember that our reader only spends 60 seconds max, losing 1-2 on scrolling is a lot. One way to fix this “mistake” is to add a button at the bottom of the case study that takes you directly to the next project. This way, you are creating a flow for your reader so they don’t have to think, while engaging with a number of different projects. 4️⃣ Not showing your personality I understand that using a template is an easier route, but by doing this it makes it harder for your case study to standout. The reason being is that it tends to look like all the others. Think about ways in which you can bring in pieces of who you are. This can be done through graphics, illustrations, or even fonts and colors. I have seen some that have gone as extreme as making their site look like a video game but it also doesn’t need to be that intense. Do what feels right for you. These are just four of the most common “mistakes” I have noticed. There are several other ones since everyone is going to have an opinion. These insights are from years and hundreds of portfolio reviews (Maybe even in the thousands now!) These 4 tips are a great starting point to try and elevate your portfolio. But if you want more personalized feedback, take a look at the link in the comments to understand how I can help you more.