Building A Portfolio As An Entry-Level Engineer

In my junior year of college, a Google recruiter told me that none of my portfolio projects stood out... I thought “building a portfolio” meant uploading a few code snippets and calling it a day... She showed me what real portfolios actually look like, and how top candidates quietly bypass the resume pile. Since then, I’ve helped thousands of students use this same system to land internships and New Grad offers at top AI companies. Here’s the play: 1. Pick a portfolio project that turns heads. Forget Titanic datasets and MNIST. Try one of these instead: - Fine-tune a real open-source LLM - Implement a research paper from scratch - Build a RAG pipeline with your own data These are what hiring managers actually get excited about. 2. Don’t just build, showcase it like a pro. Spin up a clean portfolio site (no need to code from scratch) And walk through: - Why you built it - The architecture and tradeoffs - What you learned Make it skimmable but technical. 3. Optimize for recruiters AND engineers. That means: Buzzwords for ATS ✅ GitHub links ✅ Clean formatting ✅ Deep README ✅ This is what I call your Second, Invisible Resume...it works for you even when you're not actively applying. 4. Stop cold applying. Start attracting. Once you’ve got the right project + positioning: - Turn it into a LinkedIn post - Add it to your profile - DM engineers at your dream companies It’s not about going viral... It’s about being impossible to ignore.

If I did not have an internship, here's what I would do to increase my chances for next time. Multiple students have asked me in mentorship calls, "What to do if they don't have an internship?" Sharing a few options: (I followed #4 and #2) 𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: - Pick one technology (e.g., React, Python, AWS) and build a comprehensive project around it. - Example: If you're interested in AI, build a sentiment analyzer and deploy it on Hugging Face or Streamlit. 𝟮. 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 (focus on AI usage in every domain): - Clearly document your projects on GitHub using professional READMEs. - Add detailed explanations, architecture diagrams, and deployment links. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: - Even small contributions count. Use sites like goodfirstissue.dev or explore GitHub repositories in your domain. - Document your contributions clearly on LinkedIn or your resume. 𝟰. 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀: - Engage in academic research projects or summer schools offered by universities or organizations. - This provides experience, mentorship, and networking opportunities. - Explore options like Stanford University Summer Session, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summer Research Program, or the Amgen Scholars Program. Many universities globally offer virtual or on-campus summer research and learning programs -> check their official sites for deadlines and details. Ex: https://oge.mit.edu/msrp/ | https://lnkd.in/gPXEqgxn - 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦? In my freshman year, I joined the Stanford Summer School and Research Program. At the same time, I built my web portfolios to increase my chances of securing interviews with big tech companies. 𝟱. 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: - Post weekly or bi-weekly updates on LinkedIn explaining what you're learning or building. - This boosts visibility and demonstrates initiative to recruiters. 𝟲. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: - Leverage high-quality online resources like Coursera, Udemy, or FreeCodeCamp. - Example: Deep Learning Specialization or AWS Cloud Practitioner. https://lnkd.in/ggPDt7qV Internships are beneficial, but your career growth isn’t limited by not having one. Strategic skill-building and visibility can position you strongly for future opportunities.

This is for all the recent Computer Science graduates who are having a tough time finding a job. Anybody being unemployed is upsetting to me, but this focus is on the many recent CS graduates who have busted their tails to get to this point, only for it to seem a waste of time as they are facing one job rejection after another. Spend your time building personal code projects with LLMs (I'm partial to Claude for good reason). An LLM like Claude is only $20 per month for a basic subscription. 90% of the software tools are free, and you can build up a sophisticated software development environment on your computer. When you enter the workforce, you will have to embrace LLMs and use them as an integrated part of your workflow. I personally won't depend on another engineer in a project unless he or she is fully engaged with LLMs. In past times, that engineer might tell me that it will take a day or two to get a C++ project put together as a component of the system. If I hear that answer today, I'll say "never mind" and do it myself in about an hour with Claude. That being said, you must view the LLM as an expert human engineer assisting you who has human flaws and limitations. In other words, you must be in charge. Thus - you must take the time to understand the code generated by the LLM. Ask it to explain sections you don't understand, add your own comments everywhere (do NOT ask the LLM to do it - you learn by adding the comments yourself). Stay focused on the path it's going - if you sense that it's too much or not where you wanted to go, then pull back and redirect it. If it generates a class with one or more bugs, take the time to try and fix the bugs yourself instead of asking the LLM to do it. Be fully immersed. Start building a portfolio of interesting projects (and dare to go in areas that are unknown but of interest to you - have no fear). Understand these projects well so that when you are interviewed, you can explain them. In your resume or cover letter, let them know that LLMs are part of your integrated workflow. Keep the faith and hit this hard - the effort will pay off.

Didn’t land an internship? Just build *something*. ANYTHING. You don’t have to wait for a company to give you permission to build something that matters. I used to think the only way to move forward was to get an official offer. Turns out, the projects you build on your own can have just as much, if not more, of an impact. Here’s how building my own projects (like TikTok filters) actually helped me stand out, grow my skills, and get noticed by companies like Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Roblox: 1. Pick something that excites you. It could be a TikTok filter, a Chrome extension, a small app, or even a newsletter. What matters is that you actually want to build it, you’ll stick with it longer, learn more, and your passion will show. 2. Start small, but start today. You don’t need a huge idea. Even a tiny project can teach you new tools, help you build a portfolio, and give you something to talk about in interviews. 3. Document the process. Share updates online, post your progress, write about what you’re learning. I posted about my filter experiments, and people took notice, both online and in real life. I made sure to update my friend's communities to my progress as well as kept a daily view tracker for my TikTok Filters. 4. Reflect on what you learned. Every project comes with challenges. Take time to write down what worked, what didn’t, and how you’d do it differently next time. Then, make sure you actually use this knowledge to improve your project. 5. Leverage your story. In interviews, the story behind your project becomes proof that you’re proactive, creative, and persistent. It shows you’re not just waiting for opportunities...you’re making your own. Learn how to communicate exactly what you did and how you did it and what impact you've had. You don’t need a fancy title or a perfect plan. All you need is the willingness to start and the drive to keep going. P.S. You can learn to better tell your stories and communicate your experiences with Interview Prepper If you want help coming up with project ideas, building your story, or showcasing your work. Comment “build” below and let’s get started together. No one’s career is a straight line, sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you make for yourself. Keep building. You’re closer than you think.

Building a strong portfolio as a software engineer isn’t just about showcasing what you’ve done. It’s about telling your story and proving your growth. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, a well-curated portfolio can set you apart from the crowd. Here’s how I built mine and how you can do the same: 1️⃣ Show real projects, not just theory: Employers want to see what you can do, not just what you know. Include personal projects, open-source contributions, or freelance work. Real-world examples speak volumes. 2️⃣ Focus on quality, not quantity: A few well-done projects that demonstrate a range of skills are better than a ton of half-finished work. Show your best, not everything. 3️⃣ Explain your thought process: Don’t just share the code—tell the story behind it. Why did you choose that tech stack? What challenges did you overcome? Show how you think, not just what you build. 4️⃣ Highlight both technical and soft skills: Don’t forget to mention collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. These are just as important as writing clean code. 5️⃣ Keep it updated: Your portfolio is a living document. Update it with every new skill or project you take on. It should reflect your growth as a developer. A strong portfolio isn’t about impressing others, it's about proving to yourself how far you’ve come and where you’re heading. What’s one project in your portfolio that you’re proud of? Let’s chat about building a portfolio that stands out! #softwareengineer #faithwilkinsel

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫? 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐈𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: A recruiter is looking at two resumes for a data analyst position. Both candidates have similar skills and experience, but one has a portfolio filled with real-world projects, detailed explanations, and tangible results. Which candidate stands out? When I was starting, I didn’t have a portfolio. I quickly realized that without it, I was missing a crucial opportunity to showcase my work. A strong portfolio isn’t just a collection of projects, it’s your story. It demonstrates how you think, solve problems, and make an impact. Here’s how to build a portfolio that truly shines: 1️⃣ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤: Focus on quality over quantity. Pick 3-5 projects that highlight your skills and have clear, measurable results. Whether it’s a model that improved decisions or a dashboard with impactful insights, each project should tell a story. 2️⃣ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭: Don’t just list what you did, tell why it mattered. What problem were you solving? What was your approach? How did your solution benefit the business or users? This context helps employers see the value you bring. 3️⃣ 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: Employers want to know how you think. Detail the steps you took, the tools you used, and any challenges you faced. Did you clean a messy dataset? Choose a specific algorithm? Showing your process sets you apart from others. 4️⃣ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐈𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞: Make sure your portfolio is easy to navigate. Use a simple layout, and clear headings, and ensure all links work. If it’s a website, make sure it’s mobile-friendly. The easier it is to explore, the more likely it is to impress. Your portfolio is more than just an add-on to your resume, it’s a reflection of your skills, creativity, and attention to detail. In a competitive job market, it could be the difference between landing an interview and being overlooked. If you don’t have a portfolio yet, start building one today. If you have one, review it, does it showcase your best work? If you need feedback or help getting started, I’m here to support you. Found this helpful? Consider re-sharing 🔁 with your network. Follow Mohammed Wasim for more tips, success stories of international students, and data opportunities in US!