Portfolio building for job seekers

Your portfolio is the difference between "I know React" and "I built and deployed a production app that handles 500 users." Interviewers at every level look for evidence that you can ship — not just write code, but take something from idea to working product.

This guide covers what to build, how to present it, and how to talk about your projects in interviews.

1. Why projects matter more than tutorials

Tutorials teach you syntax. Projects teach you problem-solving. Here is what interviewers actually evaluate:

| Tutorial completion | Project building | |-------------------|-----------------| | Followed someone else's instructions | Made your own decisions | | Used pre-built examples | Handled real edge cases | | Never deployed | Deployed and running | | No users | Potentially has real users | | Shows you can follow | Shows you can lead |

The bar is not perfection. A deployed, working project with clean code and a good README beats a half-finished "perfect architecture" every time.

2. Three project types that impress

Type 1: Full-stack application

A complete app with frontend, backend, database, and authentication. This is the strongest signal for mid-level and senior roles.

What interviewers look for:

Can you build a complete system, not just one layer?
Do you understand data modeling, API design, and state management?
Is it deployed and working?

Examples:

Task management app with real-time updates
E-commerce store with payment integration
AI-powered tool (chatbot, content generator, search engine)

Tech stack suggestion: Next.js + TypeScript + PostgreSQL + Prisma + Vercel. This stack is modern, in demand, and shows you understand the full picture.

Type 2: Open source contribution

Contributing to an established open source project shows collaboration, code review awareness, and communication skills.

What interviewers look for:

Can you read and understand someone else's codebase?
Can you follow contribution guidelines and communicate in pull requests?
Did you solve a real issue, not just fix a typo?

How to start:

Look for "good first issue" labels on GitHub projects you use
Fix a real bug or add a small feature — not documentation-only changes
Write a clear PR description explaining what you changed and why

Type 3: Side project with real users

Nothing impresses more than a project that actual people use. Even 10 users is meaningful.

What interviewers look for:

You solved a real problem, not a hypothetical one
You handled feedback, bugs, and iteration
You understand the full product lifecycle

How to get users:

Build something you personally need
Share it on Reddit, Hacker News, or relevant communities
Ask friends or colleagues to try it and give feedback

3. What interviewers actually evaluate

When an interviewer opens your GitHub or portfolio site, they spend 30-60 seconds deciding if they are impressed. Here is exactly what they look at:

README quality (first 10 seconds)

A great README has:

One-line description — What does this project do?
Screenshot or demo link — Can I see it without cloning?
Tech stack — What did you use and why?
Getting started — Can I run it locally in under 5 minutes?
Key features — 3-5 bullet points of what it does

A bad README: "This is a project I built for fun." with no other information.

Code quality (next 30 seconds)

They will click into 2-3 files. They are looking for:

Consistent formatting — Use ESLint and Prettier
Clear naming — Variables and functions that explain themselves
No dead code — Remove commented-out blocks and unused imports
Reasonable file structure — Organized by feature or layer, not a single giant file
Type safety — If using TypeScript, actually use types (no any everywhere)

Deployment (instant pass/fail)

If your project is deployed and running, you are ahead of 80% of candidates. If the demo link is broken, you are behind.

Use Vercel, Netlify, or Railway for free deployment
Make sure it loads in under 3 seconds
Test it on mobile

Git history (bonus points)

Clean, descriptive commit messages show professionalism:

Good: feat: add user authentication with Clerk
Bad: update stuff or fix or asdf

Use conventional commits: feat:, fix:, docs:, refactor:

4. From idea to shipped project

Use this framework to go from "I should build something" to "here is the live link."

Week 1: Choose and scope

Pick a problem you personally care about
Write down 3-5 core features for v1
Cross out the two least important ones — ship with 2-3 features maximum
Choose your tech stack (stick with what you know for speed, or what you want to learn)

Use the Idea Executioner to validate your project idea — it gives you market research, competitor analysis, and a build plan in minutes.

Week 2: Build the core

Set up the project (repo, CI, deployment pipeline)
Build the main feature first — the thing that makes this project worth existing
Deploy early — even if it is ugly. A live URL motivates you to keep going.
Do not add auth, payments, or analytics yet

Week 3: Polish and deploy

Add authentication if your project needs it
Write the README
Fix the mobile layout
Add error handling for the common paths
Make sure the deployment works reliably

Week 4: Share and iterate

Post your project on relevant communities
Ask 3-5 people to try it and give honest feedback
Fix the top 2-3 issues they raise
Write a short blog post about what you built and why (great LinkedIn content)

Want structured guidance? ShipWithTez courses walk you through building 5 real AI-powered projects from scratch, with the same patterns used in production.

5. How to talk about your projects in interviews

Interviewers will ask "tell me about a project you have built." Here is the structure:

The 60-second pitch

What it is (1 sentence) — "I built a real-time task management app for small teams."
Why you built it (1 sentence) — "My team at work used Notion but it was too heavy for our daily standups."
What you used (1 sentence) — "Next.js, PostgreSQL, WebSockets for real-time sync, deployed on Vercel."
What makes it interesting (1-2 sentences) — "The real-time sync was the hardest part — I implemented optimistic updates with conflict resolution using CRDTs."
Impact or outcome (1 sentence) — "My team of 8 used it for 3 months before we switched to Linear."

Follow-up questions to prepare for

"What was the hardest technical challenge?" — Pick one specific problem. Explain the problem, what you tried, what worked, and what you learned.
"What would you do differently?" — Show self-awareness. Maybe you would use a different database, or start with better error handling, or write tests earlier.
"How did you decide on the tech stack?" — Show you evaluated options. "I chose PostgreSQL over MongoDB because my data was relational and I needed strong consistency for the real-time features."
"How does the system scale?" — Even if your project has 5 users, show you thought about what would break at 5,000 users.

6. Portfolio site vs GitHub profile

You do not need both, but here is when each makes sense:

GitHub profile is enough when:

You are applying for backend or full-stack roles
Your READMEs are strong
Your pinned repos show your best work

A portfolio site helps when:

You are applying for frontend roles (the site IS the portfolio)
You want to show projects that are not code-only (design, writing, consulting)
You want more control over the narrative

If you build a portfolio site:

Keep it simple — your work should be the focus, not animations
Include 3-5 projects maximum — quality over quantity
Link to live demos and source code
Include a brief "about me" with what you are looking for

7. Common mistakes

Too many half-finished projects — Better to have 2 complete projects than 10 abandoned repos
Tutorial projects presented as original work — "Todo app" and "weather app" from tutorials do not count
No deployment — If I cannot click a link and see it working, it barely counts
Ignoring the README — Your README is your project's resume. Treat it accordingly
Over-engineering — A simple, working app is better than a complex, broken one
Not removing sensitive data — Check for API keys, passwords, or personal data in your repo

8. Portfolio checklist

[ ] Have at least 2 deployed, working projects
[ ] Each project has a clear, informative README
[ ] Code is clean, consistent, and well-structured
[ ] Git history has descriptive commit messages
[ ] Demo links work and load quickly
[ ] Projects represent different skills (frontend + backend, or individual + team)
[ ] Can give a 60-second pitch for each project
[ ] Prepared for follow-up questions about technical decisions
[ ] No sensitive data (API keys, passwords) in any public repo

Level up your prep

Master the terminal — Coding interviews expect terminal fluency. Practice at pranoytez.sh
Build real projects — Go from idea to shipped MVP with structured guidance. Start with ShipWithTez courses
Validate your idea — Get AI-powered market research and a build plan for your project with the Idea Executioner