Hey everyone, I decided to share some tips on how to create a portfolio that will help you land your dream job or clients. I've been through it myself and know how challenging it can be to differentiate yourself.
1️⃣ Less is more - don't overwhelm your portfolio with dozens of projects. Pick the top 4-6 jobs that really showcase your skills. Rather have fewer quality projects than a bunch of mediocre ones. When I first started, I had just about everything I'd ever created and it was cluttered.
2️⃣ The story behind the project - for each sample, describe what problem you solved, what technologies you used, and why. Clients and employers will appreciate seeing your thought process. I recently updated my portfolio and added short case studies - the response has been much better.
3️⃣ Responsive design is essential - your portfolio needs to look great on all devices. Nothing turns off a potential client more than a website that falls apart on mobile. I verified this myself when a friend told me he couldn't even view my portfolio on his phone.
4️⃣ Personal branding - give your portfolio a distinctive style that reflects your personality. Use consistent colors, fonts and design. Don't be afraid to show who you are. When I added an "About Me" section with a bit of humor, I started getting much more personal and friendly messages.
5️⃣ Contact information in a prominent place - a surprisingly common mistake is to hide the contact information somewhere in the footer. Put a CTA (call to action) button on every page and make it easier for people to reach you. After adding a prominent contact form, I got 30% more responses.
6️⃣ Speed optimization - no one wants to wait. Compress images, minimize JS and CSS, take advantage of lazy loading. A slow portfolio is a bad calling card for a web developer. When I optimized my loading speed, my search engine rankings improved.
What is your experience with portfolio development? Do you have any tips that have helped you land more clients or dream jobs? Share in the comments!
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