Let’s be honest, your portfolio can either get you noticed or ignored. And the frustrating part? Most people mess it up for really avoidable reasons.
If you’re trying to land your first (or next) tech role, here’s a simple breakdown of how to make your portfolio work for you, not against you.
What You Should Do
1. Make it easy to open
Your portfolio should open with one click. No login, no “request access,” no waiting. If you’re using a platform that’s passworded or private by default, switch it up.
2. Keep it clean and simple
Don’t stress about design unless that’s your field. Just make sure it’s easy to read and not overwhelming. Let your projects speak for you.
3. Explain what each project is
It’s not enough to drop screenshots or links. Add a short summary:
- What was the project about?
- What role did you play?
- What tools or skills did you use?
- What was the outcome?
4. Choose quality over quantity
You don’t need to show everything. Pick 3–5 strong examples that highlight what you can do. One really well-explained project is better than ten random links.
5. Keep it fresh
If your latest project is from 2021, it might look like you’re not active. Try to update your portfolio every few months, add a new project, reword an old one, tweak the layout.
What You Shouldn’t Do
1. Stop using Google Drive for portfolios
Seriously. Drive links are often private, locked, or just plain chaotic. It also looks like you didn’t bother putting effort into how you present your work.
2. Don’t overwhelm the viewer
Avoid huge blocks of text, endless folders, or too many tabs. Your portfolio isn’t supposed to be your entire Google history—just your best work, neatly shown.
3. Don’t forget your name and contact info
Even if it’s just a Notion page, make sure people can quickly tell who you are, what you do, and how to reach you.
4. Don’t panic if it’s not visual
Not a designer? No worries. Just focus on clear writing. For roles in writing, PM, research, QA, etc., the clarity of your explanation matters more than how flashy your page looks.
Free Portfolio Platforms You Can Use
You don’t need to pay for a fancy website to have a solid portfolio. Here are some platforms that are free and work really well:
- Notion – Great for writers, PMs, researchers. It’s easy to use, clean, and shareable.notion.so
- GitHub Pages – Best for developers. You can build a simple site straight from your GitHub profile.pages.github.com
- Carrd – Perfect for simple one-page sites. Free version is enough to get started. carrd.co
- Polywork – More of a profile-based portfolio, but useful if you want a clean and easy way to show your work. https://join.polywork.com/
Need Some Inspiration?
Here are a few portfolio examples to help you get ideas:
- Product/UX – https://uxfol.io has solid examples of case studies and layout
- Frontend Dev – https://brittanychiang.com/ is a classic example of a clean, coded site
- Data Analytics – https://naledi.co.uk/ combines her work as a data analyst with her personal interests.
- General Tech Roles – A basic Notion layout like this one (you can copy and customize)
Your portfolio is often the first thing someone looks at before deciding whether to reach out. So, make it count.
You don’t need something fancy. You just need something that’s:
- Easy to open
- Easy to read
- Focused on your best work
- Made with the person on the other end in mind
Trust me, doing this well will make you stand out, especially as someone new to tech.
We also broke all of this down in a short video, watch it HERE
