Several common mistakes on web developer portfolios are, adding skill charts, being boastful of your abilities, and adding tutorial projects that are not uniquely your own.

Skill charts

A skill chart is some time of graphical display of how much you know of individual languages and technologies in the form of percentages. Although they may be tempted to create and visually engaging, it is not in your best interest to tell others you know 80% of JavaScript out of 100%. Deciding your own abilities through percentages is not a viable metric, and it will only hurt your reputation, not help it. Let your projects do all of the talking, as they will showcase your skill level.

Instead of a skill chart, it is advisable to list all of the technologies you do know and use. If you are displaying icons for each technology, be sure to include the name of the technology. Keep in mind a non-technical person viewing your portfolio may not know the logos for each technology.

Being boastful

Refrain from being boastful. Although you may have the programming skills to pay all your bills, coming off as arrogant is not a good first impression. In a corporate environment, soft skills are just as essential as programming skills. Companies are looking for team players, so it is in your best interest to show humility and teachability.

Tutorial projects

Another common mistake on web developer portfolios is adding tutorial projects you worked on through a YouTube video, a course you purchased, or even a coding school such as Scrimba and presenting them like your own. It is best to take the concepts you learned from the projects and take them to the next level by adding your own functionality.

So, what projects should you put on your web developer portfolio? The consensus is to create unique projects that stand out from the rest of the typical API weather app and calculator types.

Consider creating a project based on a hobby you have. A website or app revolving around music, art, movies, games, or other interests you have has the potential for an amazing and unique project. Then, for your work to stand out further, provide detailed documentation explaining the project and any difficulties you overcame for others to evaluate.

An outstanding web developer portfolio provides you with a viable alternative to professional work experience, as it showcases your abilities, work ethic, and passion.

Tip: If you do not have design skills and do not want to create your portfolio website from scratch, you can use a template from a site such as themeforest.

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