Hello everyone! I’m excited to say that I’m almost out of tutorial hell and have built a solid foundation as a front-end developer. I’m currently wrapping up my first project, which is my portfolio website. Now, I’m eager to take on the next challenge, but I want to ensure that my efforts are focused on projects that will truly stand out to potential employers.
I recently heard that landing pages may come across as student work, so I’m looking for other project ideas that will make me a more competitive entry-level/junior front-end developer. I don’t want to waste my time on projects that won’t add value to my portfolio.
If you have any suggestions or insights on the top 2-3 projects that would impress employers and showcase my skills effectively, I’d greatly appreciate your input! I’m particularly interested in projects that challenge me because I am open to diverse opportunities. I have a background in technologies like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, React, and more.
Thank you all for your support and guidance! Looking forward to your valuable suggestions.
Make an e-commerce app similar to Amazon.com with support for user registration - and then add unit & integration tests to it (there are frameworks for that type of thing). You can simplify what’s normally a back-end to a static JSON file at first (and then expand it to an SQLite database later, then to a full SQL database later after that).
You don’t need to do 2-3 of this type of project, just make it sufficiently full-featured and complex.
I have taken a look at a few companies but I could do a deeper dive on that for sure. What is the best way to find a long list of companies near me?
I was thinking about building an app/website that allowed users to store all the information from the recipes they use. Then you could have a personalized cookbook that has all your recipes in one place. Instead of cooking something from an Instagram chef and eventually losing that recipe or having a bunch of cookbooks you have to flip through. Just trying to think of issues you would like to solve could definitely have the potential to be a good project.
It addresses the common problem of recipe management and streamlines the cooking process by providing a personalized cookbook accessible anytime, anywhere. Does anyone know an app/website like this? I know I can’t be the only person that wants to solve this issue
I was thinking of doing an e-commerce page similar to Amazon. It would show a wide range of capabilities and there’s nothing easy about it. I am thinking between a e-commerce website, the personalized cookbook app I mentioned in my previous post, or cloning a design on dribble and making it functional. Maybe I am too indecisive
What you build is less important than the architecture and the tech stack. If you can build a full stack project with an SQL database that processes CRUD operations from the front end to a RESTful API and includes authentication and some unit testing, and is mobile responsive, and if you can deploy the whole thing to a cloud server and demonstrate that it works, then you are ready for a job.
MyCookbook is a full-stack app built with React for the front end and an SQL database for recipe storage. It communicates with a RESTful API for CRUD operations and includes authentication for security. The app is mobile responsive and will be deployed to a cloud server, showcasing readiness for a front-end development job.
After considering everyone’s feedback, I’ve chosen ‘MyCookbook’ as my first independent project. While it will be similar to the app ‘RecipeKeeper,’ I’m committed to making mine even more aesthetically pleasing. I used to believe I needed 2-3 projects to impress employers, but now I’ve learned that quality matters more than quantity. It may be possible to secure a job with one really good project.
I recommend watching Developer Pros channel to get some tips.
He deserves a lot more subscribers. He is talking straight and doesn’t sugar coat the hard search for that first dev job.
The summary of this video is that you should build a digital product like an app for portfolio. It doesn’t need to be published, a fully functional prototype should be enough. Your are already on the right path with your cook book.
