I've mostly been working on personal projects instead of client work or formal business experience, and I find that they allow me to experiment and learn a lot about software development. For instance, I'm currently building a comment section designed to handle a large volume of comments and replies. This project isn't something I was assigned at a job, but I believe it showcases my ability to create a scalable solution. I'm curious if the actual quality of these projects or how I present them matters more when applying for formal positions. I've seen some projects that don't even function well or lack essential features, so I'm looking for advice on how to effectively showcase my personal projects as proof of my software-building skills. Any thoughts?
4 Answers
Yes, if your projects are professional quality, they can definitely show what you can do. Ultimately, employers want to know your capabilities, not so much the context behind the work. Just be cautious; some people suggest embellishing personal projects as freelance work, but that can backfire if they ask questions about it during an interview.
For someone just starting out, personal projects are often all you have to showcase your skills. Make the most of them!
It's true that personal projects usually don’t count as formal experience on a resume, but they can be valuable. Just make sure to create a separate section for them, like "Projects," on your resume. Including a link to your GitHub can also help, even if many recruiters don't always check it out.
I totally agree! I’ve been in the hiring game for a while, and to be honest, I seldom look at GitHub repos, either. I see personal projects more as tie-breakers. If you lack solid experience, they can help, but they won't replace it.
You can definitely use personal projects, even if they aren't as strong as commercial experience. I started my career that way. Just make sure your work is top-notch, because a poor portfolio can hurt more than having none at all.
That feels a bit risky to me. If they dig deeper during the interview, you'd have to keep up a lot of lies about outcomes and challenges that may not even be true.