For the past half a year or more, with all the recent layoffs, seeking a job as a software engineer has become increasingly difficult, especially if you're just starting out. The situation mirrors what it was like 13-15 years ago, with long interview processes that include whiteboard questions, home assignments, and, often, a wall of rejection at the end. It feels like the wheel has turned full circle, bringing us back to similar challenges.
When you’re in your twenties, you have much more time to sit at your computer compared to when you start a family later in life—it’s a cliché, but it’s true. During this time, you can focus on building your portfolio by learning new languages and tools. Always choose projects that go beyond the typical ToDo examples found in tutorials. If you’re unsure what to build, scratch your own itch. Identify something that bothers you or wastes your time and find a way to automate or simplify it. Yes, there may already be 100 alternatives out there, but none of them might be exactly what you need—most are likely overcomplicated. Build something simple, something you will use weekly or daily.
Here are a few project ideas—most of which I developed when learning something new—that can serve as inspiration:
Budget Tracker: Track your daily expenses with a customizable budget tracker. Create categories, payment methods, and set spending limits. Include a simple form for adding expenses with fields for date, description, category, and payment method. Later, visualize your spending habits and forecast your budget for the rest of the month.
Parking App: In places like MK, multiple parking providers use different zone labels and SMS formats. Build an app where users can enter vehicle details, select a parking provider, zone, and duration through a user-friendly interface. The app can then construct an SMS ready to be sent.
Invoice App: If you freelance, you’ll need to send invoices to clients. Build a simple invoice app that generates invoices. Hardcode most of the details initially; you can improve it as you continue using it.
Vehicle Manager: Create an app to log all your car-related expenses, from service costs to fuel and insurance. Add features like reminders for upcoming services or when insurance is due.
Pro Bono Projects: Even the greatest experts occasionally take on pro bono work. Look for local businesses, friends with a law firm, an Airbnb, or a local newspaper, and offer to build something for free. It’s a great way to gain experience and expand your portfolio.
This is just a fraction of what I’ve done to build my portfolio, and believe me, it works. Employers appreciate when you have a few public repositories on your GitHub account.
Good luck with your job hunting!