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Jason Pallone
11,340 PointsWhere do you include your portfolios?
When you apply for Junior Web Dev jobs, where do you include your portfolio? Like should there be a link to it in my resume\cover letter?
2 Answers
Cody Fisher
12,309 PointsHi Jason,
If you are going to be linking to a GitHub account or something similar where you have a repository of code you've worked on, then it is best to include this link in the header of your resume or beside your contact information. You can include multiple links to your portfolios there, just make sure that they are professional and relevant.
Jason Pallone
11,340 PointsWell thank you very much! I greatly appreciate all of this! I'll be sure to make a LinkedIn account and put my skills on there, with my bio including my eagerness to learn and being open to criticism and feedback! This all helps me a lot. Thank you so much!
Cody Fisher
12,309 PointsAny time! Good luck with everything.
Jason Pallone
11,340 PointsJason Pallone
11,340 PointsOk thanks! So in my cover letter should I make a reference to my portfolio being in my resume so the recruiter knows? Or do they look in those areas for a portfolio normally?
Cody Fisher
12,309 PointsCody Fisher
12,309 PointsHi Jason,
If there is only one link to your portfolio then you can certainly include the link in the header of your cover letter as well. The recruiter may not know exactly what it is or be overly interested in it, but hiring managers will know and look for it. Just make sure that any projects you are linking them to are thoroughly documented and working properly.
Jason Pallone
11,340 PointsJason Pallone
11,340 PointsOk thanks! I appreciate it. I have another question if you'd be willing to answer it, if not that's totally fine. How many projects on average should a junior dev have in their portfolio? Just curious because say it is 5 projects, then I'll shoot for 10, I want to stand out as a developer :)
Cody Fisher
12,309 PointsCody Fisher
12,309 PointsHi Jason,
The fact that you have any projects to show is a plus. There is no minimum number that you should have in your portfolio. I would say a fair amount is 3-5 projects. Enough to showcase your abilities and impress the hiring manager. A great quality to have as a junior developer is an eagerness to learn. By including a link to some of the projects you have worked on that have challenged you, you are displaying this enthusiasm and eagerness that managers look for in a junior developer.
As I stated before, just make sure that your projects are well documented (explaining what the project is and how to use it). This should be done using proper markdown in your readme.md file for the project. If you'd like a good tutorial on writing markdown, checkout this site: https://www.markdowntutorial.com/
Good luck!
Jason Pallone
11,340 PointsJason Pallone
11,340 PointsThank you so much for your help! This cleared up a lot for me. Being in Boston I've heard it will be challenging for me without a degree this is why I had this question. I really appreciate your help!!
Cody Fisher
12,309 PointsCody Fisher
12,309 PointsWelcome to Boston! :)
Jason Pallone
11,340 PointsJason Pallone
11,340 PointsThanks! Do you live in MA as well?
Cody Fisher
12,309 PointsCody Fisher
12,309 PointsYes, I live in the North Shore and commute to the city. There are plenty of great opportunities in the Greater Boston area. I am sure you will do well with your future endeavors. Just keep learning and expanding your knowledge base at every opportunity and you'll do just fine!
Jason Pallone
11,340 PointsJason Pallone
11,340 PointsAwesome to hear thanks! I've heard it's very tough without a degree for a junior dev in Boston to land their first job, is that true ? Sorry for all the questions, it's just you're one of the only I've spoke to around the area. Thank you for all the help it really means a lot!
Cody Fisher
12,309 PointsCody Fisher
12,309 PointsI started my career as a helpdesk tech with no degree or work experience in any tech related field (I was an electrician). It is certainly more difficult to get your foot in the door without previous experience or a degree, but the job market is very great at the moment and you are taking the right steps. Make sure that you have an active LinkedIn account with up-to-date information about your skills, experience, and interests. I have gotten many of my previous positions this way as internal recruiters use this to scan for candidates that have matching keywords in their bios. It is also not a bad idea to work with local recruiting agencies. I won't list any here, but a quick google search will provide you with a handful. These agencies get paid by the hiring company if they place an employee with them so they are on your side. As another way to pad your resume, if you can find any open source projects that you are interested in then try your hand at those as they will add some experience to your resume. Most people hiring for junior devs are not expecting you to be an expert though. They just want people that have a good attitude, a good personality, and an eagerness to learn. They will teach you the rest.
Cody Fisher
12,309 PointsCody Fisher
12,309 PointsIt is also a great idea to learn about the software development lifecycle (or SDLC) if you haven't already. I think this course would be pretty relevant for you to take: https://teamtreehouse.com/library/scrum-basics
It will expose you to some of the processes and methodology behind coding in a real-world environment.