Building Your Portfolio¶

A portfolio demonstrates your abilities better than any resume. It shows potential employers what you can do, not just what you claim.

Why Portfolios Matter¶

What Employers Want to See¶

Can you write clearly?
Can you explain complex topics?
Do you understand user needs?
Can you work with technical content?
Do you have relevant experience?

Portfolio vs. Resume¶

Resume	Portfolio
Claims you can write	Shows you can write
Lists experience	Demonstrates skills
Tells what you did	Shows how well you did it
Gets you considered	Gets you hired

What to Include¶

Sample Types¶

Essential Samples:

Procedural/How-To Shows you can write clear instructions.
Conceptual/Explanatory Shows you can explain complex topics.
Reference Shows attention to detail and completeness.

Valuable Additions:

API documentation
Tutorial with code
Troubleshooting guide
Restructured/improved existing docs

Sample Selection¶

Choose samples that demonstrate:

## Portfolio Coverage

| Skill | Sample Type |
|-------|-------------|
| Clear writing | Any well-written sample |
| Technical depth | API docs, developer content |
| User focus | Task-based how-to guide |
| Problem solving | Improved documentation |
| Tool proficiency | Docs-as-code project |
| Domain knowledge | Industry-specific content |

Quality Over Quantity¶

3-5 excellent samples beat 10 mediocre ones.

Each sample should: - Be polished and error-free - Represent your best work - Demonstrate specific skills - Include context about the project

Creating Portfolio Pieces¶

From Scratch¶

Document Open Source Projects:

## Open Source Documentation

### Finding Projects
- GitHub "good first issue" + "documentation"
- Write the Docs community requests
- Projects you use that need docs

### Process
1. Contact maintainers
2. Understand the project
3. Identify documentation gaps
4. Write and submit
5. Get feedback and iterate
6. Use in portfolio (with permission)

Create Original Documentation:

## Original Documentation Ideas

### For Beginners
- Installation guides for tools you use
- How-to guides for processes you know
- Explanations of concepts you've learned

### For Experienced Writers
- API documentation for public APIs
- Developer tutorials for frameworks
- Architecture documentation

### Improvements
- Rewrite poor documentation
- Restructure confusing content
- Add missing sections

From Experience¶

Work Samples: - Get permission to share - Anonymize confidential info - Explain your specific contribution - Include before/after if you improved existing docs

Personal Projects: - Document your side projects - Create documentation for your tools - Write guides for your hobbies

Portfolio Presentation¶

Online Portfolio¶

Create a professional website:

## Portfolio Site Structure

Home
├── About Me
│   ├── Brief bio
│   ├── Skills summary
│   └── Contact info
├── Writing Samples
│   ├── Sample 1 (with description)
│   ├── Sample 2 (with description)
│   └── Sample 3 (with description)
├── Resume/CV
└── Contact

## Platform Options
- GitHub Pages (free, shows Git skills)
- Personal domain with static site
- Portfolio platforms (Notion, Webflow)

Sample Presentation¶

For each sample, include:

## Sample: [Title]

### Context
What was the project? What problem did it solve?

### My Role
What specifically did you do?

### Audience
Who was this documentation for?

### Challenges
What was difficult? How did you solve it?

### Results
What was the impact? (metrics if available)

### Sample Link
[View the documentation →]

PDF Portfolio¶

For applications that request files:

## PDF Portfolio Structure

Page 1: Title and Contact
Page 2: Professional Summary
Page 3-4: Skills and Experience Overview
Page 5+: Sample 1 (2-3 pages with description)
Page 8+: Sample 2 (2-3 pages with description)
Page 11+: Sample 3 (2-3 pages with description)
Final: Contact and Links

Keep under 15 pages total.

Highlighting Your Skills¶

Technical Skills Demo¶

Show tools in action:

## Demonstrating Technical Skills

### Git/GitHub
- Host portfolio on GitHub Pages
- Show commit history
- Include README with build instructions

### Docs as Code
- Use static site generator
- Show source files
- Demonstrate CI/CD deployment

### API Documentation
- Document a real API
- Include code samples
- Show request/response examples

### Tool Proficiency
- Mention tools used
- Show output from various tools
- Demonstrate versatility

Writing Skills Demo¶

Let samples speak for themselves:

Error-free writing
Consistent style
Clear organization
Appropriate voice and tone
Effective use of visuals

Common Mistakes¶

Samples¶

Too Long: Include relevant excerpts, not entire manuals.

Too Short: Provide enough to demonstrate skill.

Unpolished: Every sample should be publication-ready.

No Context: Always explain what and why.

Outdated: Keep samples current and relevant.

Presentation¶

Hard to Navigate: Make finding samples easy.

No Contact Info: Always include how to reach you.

Broken Links: Test all links regularly.

Generic: Tailor for roles you want.

Maintaining Your Portfolio¶

Regular Updates¶

## Portfolio Maintenance Schedule

### Monthly
- Check all links work
- Review analytics (if tracking)
- Add new relevant samples

### Quarterly
- Update skills list
- Refresh bio as needed
- Remove outdated samples

### When Job Searching
- Tailor for target roles
- Ensure best work is featured
- Test everything works

Growing Your Portfolio¶

Add new samples that:

Demonstrate new skills
Show career progression
Represent better work
Target desired positions

Remove samples that:

No longer represent your abilities
Are outdated or irrelevant
Are weaker than newer work

Portfolio Examples¶

Entry-Level Portfolio¶

## Entry-Level Portfolio

### Samples
1. Installation guide for open source project
2. How-to guide for process you know well
3. Explanation of technical concept

### Key Messages
- "I can write clearly"
- "I can learn technical topics"
- "I'm eager and capable"

Experienced Portfolio¶

## Experienced Portfolio

### Samples
1. API documentation (shows technical depth)
2. Before/after improvement (shows judgment)
3. Complex tutorial (shows teaching ability)
4. Architecture document (shows technical skill)

### Key Messages
- "I handle complex technical content"
- "I improve existing documentation"
- "I understand developers and users"

Summary¶

An effective portfolio:

Shows your best work (quality over quantity)
Demonstrates relevant skills
Provides context for each sample
Is easy to navigate and professional
Stays current and maintained

Your portfolio is often the deciding factor in getting interviews. Invest the time to make it excellent.