Now that you’ve perfected your web development skill, or at least learned to the extent that you can confidently jump on a client’s project, and with good research and the help of various support websites online, you can create something a client will be happy with.
If you are a new developer, and this is the level you are in, then your next step is to create a web portfolio, mesmerize your potential clients, and get hired ASAP.
In this article, you will learn how to create a brand for yourself as a web developer using your portfolio.
What is a developer portfolio website?
Since web development is an industry that anyone can enter without requiring a degree certificate from school, employers or your potential clients need the means to see that you are qualified for the job they are about to give you.
Hence, a web developer portfolio is an online collection of your best web development projects that accurately present your skills and showcase what you can do and the quality of the work you are capable of rendering.
A portfolio serves as a curated collection of your proudest professional web development examples you can show potential employers or clients so they can make up their minds to trust you with their projects.
Your web developer portfolio doesn’t have to be a full-blown website or something complex.
A single-page website can effectively convey your message to any potential client or employer.
Why Do Web Developers Need Portfolio Websites?
Talk is cheap…
Any tom, dick, and harry can show up in the tech space to tell clients they can do this and that, but action carries more weight.
Not every job seeker needs a portfolio.
But there are certain careers where having a portfolio will help your job hunting quest more than just a résumé with written words telling potential employers about your skills and experience.
This is true for careers like art, design, and web development.
A portfolio with many projects on display can speak louder than any word to a potential client looking to hire you.
It can be the difference between getting hired and the client or employer bouncing off to another web developer.
You can put all the sweet and persuasive words in your resume(a resume has its time and place), but a portfolio is where you show (not tell) your potential client what you’re capable of doing.
With a Portfolio, you have the liberty to make yourself stand out, demonstrate your commitment and dedication and make your services appear unique, allowing you to justify to the client why you are charging them the amount you have in mind to charge them.
If you want to be taken seriously as a web developer – land the best clients willing and able to pay you whatever amount you want to be paid, work remotely, and have a portfolio website is non-negotiable.
Branding yourself as a web developer
A dedicated portfolio website is your own personal space on the internet where you can brand yourself the way you like by providing information on who you are and the context of your web development projects.
It serves as your office on the internet, where your profiles on social platforms and other sites will direct people to, like GitHub, StackOverflow, Quora, LinkedIn, Medium, or Twitter.
What’s your personal brand?
It all starts from deep within you.
Unfortunately, nobody can answer that question for you because your personal branding starts with your inbuilt strength, and you are the only person that can decipher your strengths and weaknesses.
Where would you like to be in the next five years spent as a web developer? —
- What type of professional position would you like to be holding?
- What kind of company would you want to be working for, or…
- How many SaaS projects do you have under your name?
These are the questions you should ask yourself and answer sincerely.
They will give you a clear path to connect the person you are right now to the person you want to become in the future after spending the next couple of years as a web developer.
Only then can you understand the type of person you need to brand yourself as to become the person you want to be in the nearest future.
With those in mind, you can start focusing on the skills (both technical skills and life skills) that will get you there.
And if you lack any of these skills, then it should be on your bucket list to learn.
Once you’ve figured these out, then you’re ready to begin letting the outside world know.
What should be on a web developer portfolio?
As a newbie web developer who’s looking out for a job, it’s safe to assume you already know how to create a beautiful and appealing website.
So, we will not waste time discussing the technicalities of creating your portfolio website. Instead, we will talk about the things that should be on it.
The content of your portfolio website is the most important thing.
You need to organize the content to control how your “would-be” client sees you and what’s going on in their mind while they go through your portfolio.
Your web developer portfolio should outline:
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Who you are:
Here you include relevant highlights about yourself, ensuring you portray your personality in the most appealing way possible.
Other developers may have your skills, experience, and even better education—but personality is peculiar to you, and it’s what makes you, you!
This is your opportunity to make yourself competent and likeable because likeable people have an easier time getting hired.
Endeavour to put a link or download button on this section and make your résumé downloadable.
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What you can do:
Here, you outline your strongest and, most important skills that will be relevant to the type of job you are looking for.
To take this to the next level, check job postings online similar to the type of job you are looking for to see the listed skills; have this section in your portfolio match as much as possible.
One important thing to note is not to list a skill you don’t really have.
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What have you done( your projects)
This is where you display your past projects.
This is one of the most important sections, and you should at least have four projects relevant to the type of job you are applying for or at least show the client or employer that you are capable of working for them.
If you are starting out and don’t have real experience, you can start by building your own pet projects, working for someone for free or cheap, or reverse engineering platforms already existing on the web, like working on a YouTube clone, Twitter clone, and so on.
This is a great way to focus your energy and build real-life projects that your clients can relate to.
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Where you have worked (your past experiences)
This gives the potential employer an insight into where you’ve worked in the past and the experience you are bringing along with you.
If you are changing careers from a different field to tech and web development, please specify where and what you worked for; that’s your job title.
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How to contact or connect with you
If you can’t be reached by phone or email, then there’s no point in having a portfolio.
Leave two or more means of contact.
You can also do that if you feel comfortable leaving your phone number public online.
Extra features to impress recruiters.
These features are mostly evidence of social proof.
It helps the potential client or employer make up their mind about you pretty fast, and they include:
- Testimonials from happy clients
- References from past employers
- Links to publications or websites that your work was featured in
- Media mentions or podcast interviews you’ve done
- Awards or recognition you’ve received
All of this helps establish your professional credibility — and looks impressive!
Final thoughts
With all that said, your portfolio is just a way for your potential clients or employers to know about you, your personality, and what you bring to the table.
Finally, your portfolio should grow with you as you gain experience, learn new skills, create new projects, and progress in your web development career.
Always revisit your portfolio website and update it.
If you are just getting started with web development, then check our helpful guide on How to Become a Web Developer.
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Till we meet again on another article,
Happy Coding!
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