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Review my portfolio
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NickyYo
modro
The Initiative.
#1 - 2013-03-06 13:53:27 UTC
Yo guys,

I've just recently re-done my whole portfolio for job applications, in my about section i've written about how Eve has helped me push my tech boundaries thoughout uni by linking fun with tech and using Eve's awesome API and database dumps.

Can you guys review my site and give some feedback?

Cheers!

Site Link: www.froggycreative.com

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Dei
Cosmic Core Industries
#2 - 2013-03-06 18:36:42 UTC
Considering that someone put forward a suggestion yesterday, which you have acknowledged and have done nothing about before posting here for more advice, I can only think that you are plugging yourself.

Not to mention that this is hardly the place to post such things anyway. I may be being a bit harsh, but I can't really see you taking any advice even if it is given.
NickyYo
modro
The Initiative.
#3 - 2013-03-06 19:22:55 UTC
Thanks for the reply, i did correct those mistakes but forgot about spelling thanks for bringing that up! and good research.
If you guys think this is not an appropriate place i'll ask a mod to delete this thread.

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Lorellei Blackmoon
Blackmoon Cartel
#4 - 2013-03-11 19:34:51 UTC
Hi there.

As a programmer with some experience in the area, I can tell you this:

1. It is hard to know at a first glance what is it that you do, or what you want to do. You see, the layout and the name of the site suggest you work in the creative area, but your strong skills are in programming. You want to try to make that clear from the start, or you risk people having the wrong impression and leaving the site before even taking a better look on what is your area of expertise.

2. Some companies like when professionals are involved in open source projects for specific communities (like ours), some couldn't care less, so I think your should make it clearer which projects are commercial and which are personal or community-oriented.

One example: I have some years in experience in web and graphic design, and I love illustration. But that is not what people are interested in when probing me for a job as a System Analyst, which is my main occupation. ;-)
NickyYo
modro
The Initiative.
#5 - 2013-03-14 23:56:39 UTC
Lorellei Blackmoon wrote:
Hi there.

As a programmer with some experience in the area, I can tell you this:

1. It is hard to know at a first glance what is it that you do, or what you want to do. You see, the layout and the name of the site suggest you work in the creative area, but your strong skills are in programming. You want to try to make that clear from the start, or you risk people having the wrong impression and leaving the site before even taking a better look on what is your area of expertise.

2. Some companies like when professionals are involved in open source projects for specific communities (like ours), some couldn't care less, so I think your should make it clearer which projects are commercial and which are personal or community-oriented.

One example: I have some years in experience in web and graphic design, and I love illustration. But that is not what people are interested in when probing me for a job as a System Analyst, which is my main occupation. ;-)


Thanks for the tips, i totally agree with your first point. I got offered an interview for a Junior PHP Developer or you could say all around developer, I basically said to them what you just said. "I feel my portfolio doesn't really represent my coding abilities" I answered questions for about an hour and a half did a quick 15 min programming test then got it. So hopefully it will go well. Just learning their framework atm so will do the updates in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for your input guys.

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Lorellei Blackmoon
Blackmoon Cartel
#6 - 2013-03-15 13:16:47 UTC
No problem, that is what we are here for.

Best of luck out there !
KhalimAmnov
Almost Dangerous
Wolves Amongst Strangers
#7 - 2013-03-26 05:05:59 UTC
If you're going down the programming route, going Microsoft is a pretty good way to get ahead on the pay scale. Honestly, the more languages you know (as long as you're not shotgunning them and thus know jack about each) the better a candidate you are. It shows that you have passion for what you're doing, and look to learn as much as possible about it all.

That being said, I've found that .NET positions tend to offer much more than PHP positions. I happen to prefer the framework as well, so it's a double bonus for me. Started out in PHP since that's what was taught at college (since it's free) but then self-taught myself .NET through internships and experience. You may be interested in at least delving into .NET in your free time to widen your portfolio and open you up to even further employment opportunities. (Note: .NET is actually pretty easy to get into these days since you can get Visual Studio Express for web and SQL Server Express, both of which are free, to learn on.)

Obviously, the more rounded you are, the more desirable you are in the web professional world. Having some experience (at least basic image manipulation ability) in Photoshop can go a long ways towards making you a valuable asset in your workplace as well, particularly if nobody else really knows how to use it.

You also need to get a strong grasp of client-side coding, HTML, CSS, AJAX, etc. You seem to have a decent grasp at least on HTML and CSS based on a quick look at your page's source, so that's a plus. But don't lag behind in it because you are focusing on server-side talents. Always be up to date in the latest technology here, otherwise you're of no use in the web world.

While what Lorellei says is true for certain positions (like System Analyst, System Admin, etc) where they don't care what your other talents are, if you're looking to go into the web development world (which you seem to be), you definitely want to have a rounded portfolio.

Just my own two cents and experience as a .NET developer specializing in web technologies.