As a junior developer, it can be easy to overlook the importance of investing in your portfolio. After all, you may have landed your first job using your "old" portfolio, so why bother putting in the extra effort to create a new one? But as I've learned, a good portfolio can open doors for future opportunities and help you stand out from the competition.

Creating a Story with Your Portfolio

A portfolio is not just a collection of facts or smaller projects. It should tell a story of your journey in the tech industry and showcase the amazing projects you have created. For me, this story began as a geologist and environmental engineer, working in a laboratory for six years. But I wanted to make a career switch to tech, and that's where the concept of "From Lab to Web" was born. This slogan represents my transition from one field to another, and helped guide the rest of my portfolio design.

Building a Brand

Creating a portfolio is like building a brand for yourself. The first step was to connect with a UI/UX designer for advice on design principles and work closely with them to achieve my goals. Together, we created a logo that represents the smooth transition from lab to tech industry.

Design Choices

When it came to the look of the portfolio, I had to decide on styles, colors, and themes that represented me. I decided to go for a minimalist, essential theme, and chose colors that represented soils and the environment. I also wanted to create a portfolio that was serious but also had hidden jokes throughout.

Content is King

As a junior developer, the content of your portfolio is crucial. Many HR experts recommend showcasing 2-3 big, complex projects to demonstrate your ability to think critically and solve problems. However, if you don't have any big projects yet, don't worry. You can still put them up on your portfolio with a note that they are under development.

One thing that I want to stress is that as a junior developer, it's important to show not only your technical skills, but also your personal development and growth. Showcasing your journey and how you've learned and grown as a developer is just as important as the projects themselves.

The Bottom Line

Investing in your portfolio as a junior developer is worth the time, money, and knowledge. Start thinking about your story and the message you want to convey from day one. Get your slogan, logo, and content right, and choose just a few bigger, complex projects to showcase your skills.

A good portfolio can help to stand out from the crowd, as David Robert said. It's not just about showing your technical skills, it's about telling a story and showcasing your personal development. It's also about being unique and standing out from the competition.

In my opinion, as a junior developer, it's important to start working on your portfolio early on in your career. Even if you haven't landed your first job yet, it's never too early to start thinking about and planning for your portfolio.

You can check my first version of website and my new portfolio (which is still not ready) to decide whether it was worth it or not.