How to Create a Portfolio to Land a Job in Tech  

In almost all cases, you’ll need a portfolio to be considered for a tech job. Check out our guide below to learn more about portfolio-making best practices.

Why make a portfolio when applying for tech jobs?

Firstly, it’s to show proof of your skills. Tech job applicants can't rely on positive recommendations alone. Instead, they need a way to showcase their skills in practice through a portfolio.

Portfolios are also a great way to grow your online presence. You can link these portfolios to your social media profiles or create a blog. Either way, sharing that you are actively engaging online is a good sign.

How to put together a portfolio in 5 steps

While you could break this down further, portfolio creation generally focuses on these five main steps. 

1. Create a list of past clients and find your best work

The primary focus of most portfolios is to showcase your work. 

A good portfolio is not just a library of everything you've done. Instead, it should be a small number of your very best projects. Think of it as something similar to a musician's "best of" album; you must be picky about what goes into it.

“Designers tend to emphasize visuals in their portfolios, but don’t forget about the technical descriptions of your projects. It shows your ability to work within a project and create design based on research and analytics. It’s important to show the end-to-end workflow and briefly describe each stage supported by numbers, facts and guidelines you applied.”

Ruslan Bochevar, Designer, EPAM

2. Choose a site builder (or host) and pick a design template

The best way to start the portfolio-making process is by building a personal site. When making a site, you can choose between a site builder or a web host.

A site builder includes hosting as part of its package. These building tools contain a lot of pre-made site templates and design options to create a simple website. These are your best options if you want to get started without coding your site yourself.

Alternatively, you can choose to acquire a web host. Web hosting platforms tend to have more flexibility because you can switch builders. However, using a web host requires more technical skills, which might not be ideal if you don't work with websites.

Once you find a place to put your site, you'll want to pick a basic design. Simple designs start with website templates that let you create consistency for browsing your site.

Consistency makes your website easy to browse and simple to understand. The design provides the essential elements for your remaining pages.

All online portfolios should also have mobile versions. Many recruiters view portfolios through their smartphones, so be sure that your website has mobile support.

3. Highlight the skills you want people to see

Most portfolio sites have a specific page called "portfolio." This page can have all of your past work you want to showcase but should focus on the job you want. If your projects have nothing to do with the job, look through your portfolio for more appropriate selections. You don't want your portfolio to showcase the same skills repeatedly. Instead, you want it to support what recruiters look for in your desired job title.

“As a designer, you should tailor your project showcase to the exact vacancy you’re applying for. I’ve frequently run into the situation when the recruiter can’t find relevant projects in a candidate’s portfolio because it simply contains a mix of everything like motion, graphic and UX/UI design. Be specific and narrow down your project display to the most fit for the job.”

Ruslan Bochevar, Designer, EPAM

4. Create other pages to give people a comprehensive idea of who you are

If you want to create a portfolio, you should be aware that they are rarely limited to technical work. The most powerful portfolios are also excellent displays of soft skills and thoughtfulness.

For a comprehensive online portfolio, you need to create multiple pages, each of which exists to fulfill a different purpose. For example, you might want to add a home page, ‘about me’ page, contact page, a blog, testimonials and certifications page. 

5. Create a physical version of your portfolio (optional)

A physical portfolio is less common but can be a great way to stand out. These are often helpful for those in the design industry.

For designers, creating a custom magazine or other creative approach can help them stand out. Physical proof of your skills shouldn't just be printouts of your digital portfolio. Instead, they must be unique and impressive, showing your innovative approach to problems.

Finally, keep your portfolio up to date. Programmers, for example, should use the latest technology to prove their current knowledge. Update your page every two to three years or just before beginning a job search.

Ready to start the next chapter in your career? Explore our open jobs globally and apply to join the EPAM team.