Two years ago, having an AI chatbot in your portfolio was a big deal. Now, it's nothing special. What sets you apart is building something with an LLM as its brain - a system that can plan, use tools, and make decisions.
This kind of system, called an agentic system, is tough to build. It needs to break down a goal into smaller steps, use tools like APIs or code, and adjust its plan based on what happens. And it has to do all this without messing up.
So what makes a good project? How about a job search agent that takes a job description, matches it to your CV, and writes a cover letter? Or a code review agent that reads a diff, finds issues, and suggests fixes? These projects show you understand the challenges of building a reliable agent.
The tricky part is handling failures. What if your LLM starts generating fake but plausible tool calls? You need validation layers to catch these mistakes. What if your agent gets stuck in a loop? You need to limit the number of steps it can take. And what if someone tries to trick your agent with bad input? You need to sanitize that input and keep it separate from the rest of the system.
When you're choosing a framework, don't worry too much about which one is best. Just make sure you understand how it works. Building something directly on the OpenAI API might be more impressive than using a framework, but only if you can explain what you're doing.
In an interview, be ready to talk about your project's architecture. Draw a diagram if you need to. Be clear about how your agent plans, uses tools, and observes what happens. And don't be afraid to talk about the tough technical problems you solved. What was the hardest part? How did you fix it?
Evaluating whether your agent is working correctly is a tough question. You might not have a clear answer, but show that you've thought about it. How would you scale your agent? What about latency, cost, and reliability? These are all important questions.
And if you're looking for a role where your AI skills are valued, check out Xeito. They've got AI-powered job matching, career tools, and a tracker extension to help you find the right fit.
I guess that's it. Building an agentic system is hard, but it's what sets you apart in 2026. Just don't expect it to be easy.
See what Xeito does end-to-end. Browse all features — application tracker, AI resume + cover letters, interview coach, 130+ job-board sync, built for remote-first developers.
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