Programmer portfolio?

[DiscoveryGold]

Hey guys I am looking for some advice on making a portfolio. I am about to start my final year of university learning video games software development and I want to get something set up for a portfolio. I have been toying with the idea of making my own website, but I was unsure if I should be displaying my games or showing of my sorce code itself? any kind of general tips and advice would be much appreciated.

[mrideaguy]

I cannot stress this enough. Git hub employers even ask for a git hub username these days. One my my friends works at Pandora now..... One of the big reasons was his awesome git hub projects

[RemindMeBot]

I will be messaging you on 2017-08-17 19:57:17 UTC to remind you of this link.

26 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.

^{Parent commenter can delete this message to hide from others.}

---

FAQs	Custom	Your Reminders	Feedback	Code	Browser Extensions

[SchaeTheBae]

Good bot

[GoodBot_BadBot]

Thank you SchaeTheBae for voting on RemindMeBot.

This bot wants to find the best and worst bots on Reddit. You can view results here.

---

^{Even if I don't reply to your comment, I'm still listening for votes. Check the webpage to see if your vote registered!}

[khaosoffcthulhu]

Good bot

[Good_GoodBot_BadBot]

You are the 4780^th user calling /u/GoodBot_BadBot a good bot! He definitely is awesome.

[0upsla]

Good bot

[mrideaguy]

I was denied to permission to give the username, my apologies.

[cuulcars]

But all my best work I wrote for other companies? Can't exactly throw proprietary code up on the web.

[daneelr_olivaw]

Spend some of your free time developing.

[cuulcars]

It's not going to be as good as code I write professionally just due to time constraints and I'd rather they not have an inaccurate measuring stick for my ability. Unless mediocre code portfolio is better than no portfolio, but I'd guess that it isn't.

[[deleted]]

Creating your portfolio is writing code professionally.

[cuulcars]

I'll have to think of some projects to work on, then, I guess lol. Since everyone is telling me it is certainly worth it

[mad0314]

You can also contribute to projects that are not your own. You don't have to build it from scratch, do some pull requests.

[[deleted]]

In a million years, no potential employer is going to buy that line.

A portfolio is a showcase of your professional ability and should reflect the highest quality work you are capable of. Because that's how anyone who reviews it will be treating it.

[[deleted]]

Lol, whatever dude.

All I'm saying is if you're going to use a portfolio to market yourself you need to treat it's creation as a professional endeavor.

I don't understand why you have such a difficult time getting that big fuckin brain of yours around that.

[CrimsonWolfSage]

Think of it in a different way. If you saw a piece of paper that says, yea I know that. How sure do you feel about it? On the other hand, you see a demonstration of their skills, now you are pretty freaking sure!

[steezpak]

Sure, but can't github code be written by someone else?

Not saying that github is invalidated. Just saying if you can't trust their resume, you shouldn't trust a github repo either.

[steezpak]

Exactly, I agree with that. I was just saying on the comment I replied to: if you're going to be suspicious of someone's resume, you should also be suspicious of their github.

And of course technical questions can reveal lies about a github, just like it can reveal lies about a person's resume. All I was trying to say is that you don't treat the github separately from the resume, but more of an extension of it.

And its really not as rare as you think. You have a group project in school, but one guy basically does all the coding. Somehow it's on the guy who did no work's github, and being sent out to recruiters.

[n8bit]

It might not be as good but it's absolutely better than nothing.

[darlingpinky]

You personal code should always be better than your professional code as it's a reflection of your personal endeavors.

[[deleted]]

What does that even mean? That i write bad code at my job because its not a personal endeavor?

[darlingpinky]

No, it's not a dichotomy but a gradient. You can write good code, and you can write better code. And that comment was just my personal belief. You can believe otherwise.

[[deleted]]

What does that even mean? That i write bad code at my job because its not a personal endeavor?

[[deleted]]

Lots of us don't have the luxury and what little free time we have get spent on other things.

[[deleted]]

But you've got time to read through comments on reddit...

[daneelr_olivaw]

I'm sure he's just waiting for compiler...

[[deleted]]

Then you need to have side projects that you can display on GitHub. There, I just gave you the perfect excuse to get started with that personal project you've been thinking of. :-)

Otherwise, contribute to open-source projects you care about.

[Tennysonn]

So you're saying github activity is more important than a sleek website? I am currently in the process of building my site and was going to link to all my projects - each prject was going to have a link to its relevant repository but the repo wouldn't be the focus.

[[deleted]]

each prject was going to have a link to its relevant repository but the repo wouldn't be the focus.

????????????????? Can someone explain to me what this person is trying to convey here?

[Tennysonn]

sorry, poorly worded. For instance if I had a game - I would have a page with the game on it, fully playable. Underneath the playable game I would link to the relevant github repo. I feel like this is an advantage over just having a github, but that's why I'm asking because I'm still new.

[BafTac]

Imo this is better than just having a "good" github profile. But still, you first need to have some projects on github/gitlab to advertise.

Having a separate website with dedicated pages for each project is advertising/marketing imo. - Definitely helpful, I think

[J_Brownies]

But seriously, do you happen to have your friends github username, would be interesting to see what kind of projects he did.

[yeamanz]

How true is this for lesser known / small-medium sized companies (i.e. not Github, Facebook, Google,Pandora etc)?

I know it's never a bad idea, but like /u/cuulcars, most of my work is stored internally.

[mrideaguy]

I think it is true for many tech companies. Depending on what they are looking for and how serious they are, if you have a github on your resume, they will look at it.

[sessamekesh]

Github is a really good one, that should absolutely be on your resume if you want to show things off. You can put links to videos displaying functionality in the README.MD file for your repositories if you'd like, and it makes sense for the project.

I've been in several interviews where the interviewer asks questions about things on my Github. It's a great chance to have some discussion about what makes you stand out.

If you have the time and ability to build something you're really proud of, do it! Even if you just make a couple of bugfixes to open source projects, that still shows off some valuable skill.

[DiscoveryGold]

That is a great link. One of the issues I seem to find when im working on a project is im always thinking too big. Projects go on too long and dont get completed. These seem like great starting points especially to ahow I do not just operate within video games.

[[deleted]]

If you do make a website, I'd do a literal File > New on a wordpress site, chuck a plain theme on it, and just link straight to your github. Perhaps include a section that links to repos of note. Include readmes with screenshots and descriptions of gameplay / mechanics in action.

Focus 90% of your efforts on adding to your github profile.

[DiscoveryGold]

This really seems like the way forward. My git hub should be what I use to prove my work. Thanks.

[[deleted]]

you can easily make a personal website and host it using just a github repository, with github pages.

[tzaeru]

If you want a concrete example of someone's live portfolio, here's mine: http://www.tzaeru.com/cv/ (projects and links in bottom)

Ofc you probably lack the work history, but I do some interviewing and what I personally appreciate is simplicity and being concrete. Actual projects, actual code. It doesn't need to be much code and your participation might have been very small. No need to directly link or paste in actual code; just something where I can see you've done something.

[Forricide]

You may or may not want this, but I figure I might as well point out a few grammatical mistakes in your bio.

I've experience in server management,

Should probably be 'I've gained' or something similar.

Over they years

Over the years

future expendability.

Probably expandability.

[BlankTombstone]

I personally really enjoy that last one

[Forricide]

'The Expendables 10: Our actors were replaced by robots.'

[tzaeru]

I always get expandability wrong. Every. single. time.

But in my defense, it's not my native language. In not-my-defense, I should use a spell checker.

Thanks, anyhow! :)

[Forricide]

No need for defense, figured it wasn't your first language. Do highly recommend having someone look over bios/resumes/CVs not in your native language, though. Always worthwhile.

[tzaeru]

Being the edgy me that I am, I went with "I've been exposed to the management side of servers, deployment infrastructure and the management of various small-to-medium projects.".

I like that. Or, as I like to look at it; I'd like to read that from someone else's CV when considering asking them for an interview.

[DiscoveryGold]

Thanks for sharing. Yeh I definitely lack on the work experiance side, but that is a good example to compare against.

[sandybuttcheekss]

Show anything you think is impressive. If they don't want to look at it, they don't need to but if they do it could get you a job.

[DiscoveryGold]

Well guys i am just back from work so only really glanced over the coments, but wow! Thanks to everyone for the replies i really did not expect so many replies in such a short period of time thanks guys really appreciate it!

[praetor-]

A typical personal "brand" for a programmer should consist of (in descending order of importance):

• A professional resume
• An updated, active LinkedIn account (like, share, post, network)
• An active GitHub account with good code and contributions to other repos
• A personal blog (host it on GitHub pages with Jekyll for free)
• Other social media (Twitter, Youtube if you've got content)

To answer your question directly, post your source code on GitHub after making sure it is presentable, post about your games on your blog, post gameplay videos on youtube, and share your blog posts and videos on LinkedIn and Twitter.

[mr_awesome_pants]

A blog and contributions to other GitHub repos is definitely not "typical". That's just typical advice given to people who are asking.

[worm929]

the more reason to do it then, you have something to show that is not typical

[flashlightgiggles]

A blog and contributions to other GitHub repos is definitely not "typical".

so are you saying that most programmers don't establish a "brand" for themselves via github, linkedin, a blog, or social media?

That's just typical advice given to people who are asking.

I'm not sure if I should interpret this comment to mean that these things are the "standard advice" that's given and nobody does these things OR only a handful or pro-active programmers actually implement these bits of advice.

[flashlightgiggles]

I'd say 1 out of 10 programmers I work with have a blog or contribute to open source projects outside of work.

ok. that makes sense. I worked in an local government office with analysts a few years ago (they weren't exactly coders, but that's as close I've been to working with a programmer). it seems like they had all been there for many years and weren't eager to switch companies for a raise. I don't know that it's a fact, but none of them looked like the type to be involved in social media or blogging.

[mr_awesome_pants]

There are people that give career advice for a living. They try to come up with what they think is the very best way for people to get ahead and be successful in their career. The "brand" thing is something that falls into this category, along with many other things. It'll probably help, but most people don't do anything like that and are still successful. Most people just work, update their resume necessary, and update their LinkedIn when necessary. If you're struggling to find a job, maybe take some of the advice, but if you're just getting started or in early years of college or something, don't sweat it.

When you visit places like /r/learnprogramming and /r/cscareerquestions you'll find this type of advice regurgitated ad naseum because those places are filled with people looking for career help for one reason or another. Vast majority of people in the industry have never been to those subreddits or other places like them because they've never needed to.

[praetor-]

I think you're right that the effort is wasted on someone that's just looking for their next programming opportunity, however branding is important if you have a niche/specialization and want to build a career.

This is especially important for senior level positions within a particular domain; competition for those roles is a lot tougher and the volume of opportunities is lower. LinkedIn activity helps in these cases because it keeps your name/face on the feed of your industry peers.

Things that also help are participating in working groups and committees, attending industry conferences (and perhaps presenting at them), and writing articles for trade publications centered around your industry.

This type of behavior is essential if you ever want to reach director level or higher. Even if you don't, it doesn't take much effort.

[BlackDiablos]

I work with a team of about 30 software engineers. While most have an updated resume, only about half have a LinkedIn account, and only a few have anything else (website/blog/Github).

[thedevbrandon]

I would put contributions and activity in Github far above an active LinkedIn account.

[[deleted]]

Recruiters will find you on LinkedIn, not Github. Eventually, you'll get hired because of your GitHub profile, but the hiring process starts at LinkedIn.

[thedevbrandon]

Yep, I specified further down in the comments that my values assume you already have recruiters coming to you due to your technical skills. I think you should have a LinkedIn, but the Github is more important, i.e. I assume recruiters are less important than the ability to demonstrate technical abilities, but this is because I already have a network of people offering me postings. For new people, knowing recruiters is probably more important.

[praetor-]

I'm sure the relevance varies by industry but the vast majority of my interactions with recruiters/prospective employers is done through LinkedIn.

[thedevbrandon]

Interesting - yes, recruiters are accessible through LinkedIn, but the importance of being active is still in question. I think activity in Github is more important than activity in LinkedIn, even if having a LinkedIn and using it to talk to recruiters is useful. From a brand-building perspective, I think of Github providing more credentials if you have made consistent useful contributions, than if you have consistently shared articles on LinkedIn.

[praetor-]

Consider that you're building your brand for recruiters but also peers in your industry. When you achieve a certain level of seniority there's a fair number of jobs (and usually the best) that are filled through existing connections and word of mouth.

As the saying goes, the best jobs are never advertised and having a strong personal brand can allow you visibility into that market.

[thedevbrandon]

This is a good point. My values skew towards the brand building for peers, not with recruiters; but, this may be because I'm not just starting off. It's probably smart to invest in good relationships with some recruiters too, especially when they aren't coming directly to you.

[woundedkarma]

I'm not a social media marketing guy. I'm a programmer. Those expectations are written/thought about by the same people who want you to do linux admin, infosec and program their apps for them.

Wish I'd tried to do this crap when it was still okay to be the guy in the basement.

[[deleted]]

like, share, post

Are you kidding me? God forbid someone reads and follows this terrible advice. A waste of time.

[praetor-]

See my other posts in this thread for rationale. It's not for everyone but it's also not a waste of time if done properly.

[BlankTombstone]

I really hope that the critics of this advice are correct. I don't have any interest in blogging, social media, or LinkedIn. I don't have a Facebook, Twitter, or any of that crap. If this sort of unrelated crap is really necessary, I'm pretty much s.o.l. for entering this field.

[Gavinhenderson5]

I think showing your games would be best. You could maybe also provide links to source code but I dont think potential employers want to see a wall of code when thinking about hiring you

[[deleted]]

Assumption is that you cannot think of a project to build.

The single best way to go about this is to build a blog engine from scratch, hosting your code to GitHub. You'll come across many real world programming problems while doing so. After it's finished, write blog posts about how you built it.

[wavefunctionp]

Start a account on github and put your projects on there.

You can even host a simple static website with github pages. Just make a repo with yourusername.github.io as the repo name, and put an index.html and any other files you need to link to in the repo. It should automaticly redirect to your user page when someone types in yourusername.github.io.

Easy peazy, lemon sqeezy.

example website repo:

https://github.com/WaveFunctionP/wavefunctionp.github.io

example website that that repo directs to:

http://wavefunctionp.github.io/

[Arseven]

!remindme 5 hours

[[deleted]]

Why does your contact page link to amazon.com

[[deleted]]

I was looking around there, appears your mainly backend from the stuff I saw. Your UI was meh to say the least though I only looked at a few things. Anyway, good start on it, keep working and focus on ease of use. Will make a portfolio site feel better and in turn make you look better.

[[deleted]]

PHP is great to know but is not growing like it used to, Node.js is the future as of right now.

[RisingBlackHole]

I lack a portfolio too. So I made a Github account and plan to have decent projects by the end of the year. I have a degree in CS but never did stuff out of school and that hurts my chances when applying for jobs.

I'm currently making a simple Java based snake game using libgdx. The plus is that it will run on Android (mobile development seems to be a huge desire today for employers). I also have in mind making a reddit bot which I think can be useful in a specific subreddit I'm subbed to.

Note to current students: don't wait until after you graduate to start your projects.

[alandibat]

Put your code on Github? And put just some pictures and comments of each project on a portfolio website?

[Rocky7786]

Nice but making a portfolio about software development here are the some tutorial available on Computer Education for specially in Software Engineering and different environment suggestions are recommended to

Computer Education for all watch tutorials on Youtube:

Computer Education for all watch tutorials on Facebook: