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1. Building a Rockstar Portfolio
April 2017
http://bit.ly/tf-rockstar-portfolio

2. About me
• Jasjit Singh
• Self-taught developer
• Worked in finance & tech
• Co-Founder Hotspot
• Thinkful General Manager

3. About us
Thinkful prepares students for web development &
data science jobs with 1-on-1 mentorship programs

4. What’s your goal?
• I’m not a developer, but looking to transition
• I’m a developer but don’t have a portfolio
• I have a portfolio but I want to improve it

5. Agenda for tonight
• Portfolio in tech — an overview
• Elements of a great portfolio
• Discussion with Justin & JP

6. How to break into tech?
• Learn the skills
• Build a portfolio of high quality work
• Develop a relevant network
• Prep for technical interviews

7. The good news
By 2020, there will be 1.4M computer science jobs available
and only 400,000 computer science grads with the skills to
apply for those jobs
- Bureau of Labor Statistics

8. Portfolios level the playing field
Hiring in tech is more based on skills, not
credentials. A great portfolio showcases those skills
and can get you an interview.

9. Quick hiring stats
• 80% of job openings are never advertised
• 120 average applicants per job posted
• 20% get an interview
• 56% of hiring managers are “more impressed”
with personal websites
• Only 7% of job seekers have a personal website
*https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/04/26/why-every-job-seeker-should-have-a-personal-
website-and-what-it-should-include/#578fbf6f119e

10. Assembling a portfolio
• What is your goal?
• Who is your audience?
• What should I include?

11. A tech portfolio includes…
• Social media presence
• Github profile
• Personal webpage

12. Managing your search results
• Google yourself (incognito)
• Manage anything harmful (i.e. politics, pictures, etc)
• Ensure search returns LinkedIn, social media, projects

13. LinkedIn
• Strong LinkedIn profile is essential
• List projects, skills, and endorsements
• Include links to portfolio & Github
• Add technologies you’re familiar with
• Each work item should include 2-3 sentences
• Add summary
• Do as I say, not as I do!

14. Examples

15. Twitter (optional)
• Popular in tech community
• If active, make sure to clean up tweets
• If no, just basic presence is fine describing as
developer with link to LinkedIn

16. A tech portfolio includes…
• Social media presence
• Github profile
• Personal webpage

17. Github
Github is a git-based cloud repository — it’s the standard
way developers to store and share their code

18. Github
Github can tell employers more about your abilities than a
resume. For developers, your Github is your resume.

19. Things employers consider
• Project quality
• Documentation
• Commit history (start, frequency, substance)
• Open source contributions

20. General tips for Github
• Add personal page URL and email to public profile
• Add one-sentence description for each repository
• Push most impressive projects to top by committing
to them
• Make sure code is well documented & well-
structured
• Add tests to code when possible
• Get feedback

21. Example
https://github.com/NOUX-NOVA

22. Readme files
The Readme file can help employers understand more
about your project in a glance. It is a marketing
opportunity.

23. Tips for Readme
• Clearly describe what project accomplishes
• Lists installation instructions
• Provides usage examples
• Describe process / approach
• Link to live site (if possible)

24. Readme example (pt 1)
https://github.com/NOUX-NOVA

25. Readme example (pt 2)

26. Readme example (pt 3)

27. Ways to make open source contributions
• Report a bug
• Refactor code
• Improve a Readme
• Contribute to documentation
• Close an issue
• Add a feature

28. A tech portfolio includes…
• Social media presence
• Github profile
• Personal webpage

29. Personal website

30. Need to have
• Full name
• Contact info
• Current location
• Description of skills
• Scannable list of projects
• Call to action

31. Good to have
• Summary of you
• Lots of links (Github, LinkedIn, etc)
• Individual page for each project
• Splash of personality

32. Example
https://noux-nova.github.io/portfolio/

33. Example

34. General tips
• Communicate who you are & your capabilities
• Don’t go crazy on visuals (unless you’re a designer)
• Check sites like onepagelove.com for “inspiration”
• Keep it simple — bells & whistles are distracting for
everyone

35. Peter Kim Interview
• Recent Thinkful graduate
• Background in SEO
• Looking for career in front-
end web development

36. More about Thinkful
• Anyone who’s committed can learn to code
• 1-on-1 mentorship is the best way to learn
• Flexibility! Learn anywhere, anytime, & at your
own pace
•We only make money when you get a job

37. Our Program
You’ll learn concepts, practice with drills, and build
capstone projects — all guided by a personal mentor

38. Our Mentors
Mentors have, on average, 10+ years of experience

39. Web Development Syllabus
• Frontend Development (HTML, CSS, Javascript)
• Frontend “Frameworks” (React.js)
• Backend Development (Node.js)
• Electives (Python, Ruby, Swift, Angular, UX)
• Computer Science Fundamentals
• Technical interviews + Career prep

40. Our Results
Job Titles after GraduationMonths until Employed

41. Special Introductory Offer
• Two-week program, six mentor sessions for $50
• Starts with HTML/CSS/Javascript
• Option to continue into full program
• Talk to me (or email me) if you’re interested

42. October 2015
Questions?
jas@thinkful.com
schedule a call through thinkful.com