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Posted on Jul 6 • Edited on Aug 6

🚀 Pitch Yourself for Jobs: Build Your Developer Toolkit the Microsoft Way

#microsoft #webdev #programming #beginners

“Never miss a chance to showcase who you are — your skills, your story, your spark.”

Whether you're stepping into college life or gearing up for internships and job hunts, your developer presence is your digital handshake — and Microsoft’s developer tools give you the perfect ecosystem to make that handshake strong and confident.

From Visual Studio Code to GitHub, Overleaf, and Azure, you’re just a few clicks away from building a rock-solid personal brand with tools that scale with your career.

Let’s walk through how to set up your developer toolkit, one profile at a time.

💻 Step 1: Set Up Visual Studio Code – Your Developer Workspace

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is the go-to editor for students and professionals — especially if you're working with:

🐍 Python
🌐 JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS
☁️ Azure Functions & REST APIs
🤖 AI and ML projects

VS Code comes with:

💡 IntelliSense (smart code suggestions)
🧠 GitHub Copilot
🔍 Built-in Git & GitHub integration
⚡ Extensions for every language and framework

🛠 Extensions to Install:

Python
GitHub Copilot
Live Server
Prettier
Jupyter
Azure Tools
C# (for .NET developers)

🐙 Step 2: GitHub – Your Developer Portfolio

GitHub is your code portfolio — and recruiters do look at it.

✅ Use it to:

Host code publicly
Track project changes with Git
Write awesome README files
Deploy web apps with GitHub Pages
Collaborate with others using issues and pull requests

💡 Learn Git the fun way on Microsoft Learn

🎓 GitHub Student Developer Pack

Claim it here →

Get FREE access to:

GitHub Copilot Pro
Overleaf Pro
Canva Pro
Namecheap domain (.me)
MongoDB Atlas
Microsoft Azure credits
Replit Hacker Plan
Educative.io, JetBrains IDEs, and more!

🧠 Want to host a Flask app? Use Azure App Service or Replit with custom domains from this pack.

👩‍💼 Step 3: Set Up Your LinkedIn – Professional Branding

A strong LinkedIn profile shows you're developer-ready, even if you're still in college.

📌 Add:

Clear profile photo
About section mentioning your developer stack
Project links (GitHub, portfolio)
Skills: Python, VS Code, Azure, Git, HTML/CSS
Certifications (e.g., from Microsoft Learn)

💬 Mention your involvement in:

Open source
Student communities
Hackathons
Events like Microsoft Reactor

📄 Step 4: Use Overleaf + LaTeX for an ATS-Friendly Resume

Overleaf lets you build LaTeX resumes that are:

Clean
Professional
ATS-compliant

🎁 Activate Overleaf Pro using your GitHub Student Pack.

📝 Use templates like:

Deedy Resume
Awesome CV
One Column Minimal

Include:

GitHub & LinkedIn
Key projects with impact
Action verbs: “Built,” “Optimized,” “Automated”
Certifications (Microsoft Learn, Azure AI, etc.)

💼 Check out Microsoft’s Imagine Cup to see great student projects and how resumes & portfolios are part of pitching!

🌐 Step 5: Build Your Developer Portfolio Website

Your portfolio = your personal brand on the web.

Tools:

GitHub Pages + free domain via Namecheap
Python Flask or FastAPI projects with Azure App Service
Framer or Canva Sites (no-code options)
Astro, React, Svelte, or Next.js for modern devs

☁️ Want to show AI demos or REST APIs? Use Azure Functions or Azure Container Apps.

🧰 Bonus Tools and Tech to Explore

Microsoft Developer Ecosystem

Additional Tools

Dev.to for writing technical blogs
Obsidian or Notion for knowledge management
Figma or Canva for design
Replit and CodeSandbox for quick prototyping
Deta, Render, or Railway for backend hosting

🎯 Wrap-Up: You’re Ready to Pitch Yourself

With:

✅ VS Code — your dev workspace
✅ GitHub — your code portfolio
✅ LinkedIn — your professional face
✅ Overleaf — your clean resume
✅ Azure — your cloud playground
✅ Portfolio website — your personal brand

You're no longer just a student. You're a Microsoft-powered developer-in-progress.

✨ Start small. Be consistent. Build in public.

🎤 And never miss a chance to pitch yourself.

💬 Let’s Connect

Was this helpful? Share your GitHub or portfolio link in the comments!

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