How to Create a Web Dev Portfolio That Both HR and Other Developers Will Love, with Josh Comeau

Meet Josh W. Comeau 🇨🇦! Josh is a developer, indie hacker, educator, and author. He worked in some companies you might have heard of (including, but not limited to, DigitalOcean, Gatsby, and Khan Academy). He also wrote a book on how to build an effective web dev portfolio. In this episode, we're answering that and many other questions! Spoiler alert: all the advice is actionable.

You'll learn why you need to have a portfolio, how to make one, and is there a formula that works. Josh will teach you how to steal a design for your portfolio website and not get caught and how to develop an eye for design in the long run. Plus: why everybody needs junior developers and how to create an exciting portfolio project even if you don't have any niche interests to base them on. Josh and Alex also discuss handy tools you can use, writing cover letters, and hiring biases in the industry.

🔗 Connect with Josh

⏰ Timestamps

Josh's trajectory from development to education (01:09)
Why Josh wrote a book on web developer portfolios (02:12)
Don't put skill bars on your website! What do they even mean?! (04:40)
Who should you cater your portfolio to, and how to do it? There are two main target audiences. (06:16)
How does a portfolio compare to a LinkedIn profile or a resume? (10:53)
Why everybody needs to hire juniors (12:41)
Can you get away with not having a portfolio? (14:40)
What to do if you're a developer but not good at design? (16:00)
Why minimal design could be better (21:53)
Can you use a template? (23:45)
What should you put on your portfolio website (25:46)
How to present your projects (29:49)
How to choose your projects... and write about them (31:10)
How to write a good cover letter (34:58)
How to approach looking for a job (39:07)
Hiring biases in the industry (40:56)

🧰 Resources mentioned

Josh's book, Building an Effective Dev Portfolio (it's FREE!)
xScope
PixelSnap
Fontpair

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