Latest / The Career Change Podcast with Fexingo: Switching Fields, Bootcamps, and Reskilling / How Bootcamp Grads Can Build a Side Project That Gets Them Hired
Transcript
- Lucas: You know, I was scrolling through LinkedIn the other day, and I saw a post from a bootcamp grad that stopped me. She built a simple web app for a local food bank — a dashboard that tracks inventory and expiration dates. Nothing fancy, no AI, no blockchain. Just a clean CRUD app with a solid README and a three-minute Loom walkthrough. That post got her three interview requests in a week. Luna: Three interview requests from one project? That feels like the exception, not the rule. Most hiring managers I've talked to say they barely look at side projects. Lucas: That's exactly the point. Most side projects are forgettable. But this one wasn't. And there's a pattern here. Her name is Priya, and she graduated from a full-stack bootcamp in Austin about eight months ago. She told me she spent the first three months after bootcamp just applying to jobs with no callbacks. Then she decided to build one project, but with a very specific approach. Luna: What was the approach? Lucas: She didn't just build for the sake of building. She found a real problem — her friend worked at a food bank and mentioned they waste a ton of food because they don't track expiration dates well. So Priya built a tool that solves that exact problem. Then she documented everything: why she built it, how it works, what tech stack she used, even what she'd do next. And she recorded a short walkthrough showing the app in action. Luna: So it's not just the code — it's the story around the code. Lucas: Exactly. The story is what gets you the interview. The code gets you the job offer, maybe. But the story — the clear problem, the thoughtful explanation, the documentation — that's what separates a project that gets skimmed from one that gets a reply. I've been calling this the 'job-ready project framework.' Luna: I like that. Break it down for me. What are the key pieces? Lucas: Step one: pick a real problem. It doesn't have to be world-changing. It could be something your friend's small business struggles with, or a tool your local library needs. The key is that it's not a generic todo app or a weather app. Those are fine for learning, but they don't show initiative. Luna: Right. Hiring managers see hundreds of weather apps. They want to see that you can identify a need and build something useful. Lucas: Step two: build something small but complete. One feature, done well. Priya's app has maybe four screens. But it works end to end — you can add items, see them listed, and get alerts when something is about to expire. No bugs that she knows of. She tested it with actual food bank volunteers. Luna: That's a great point. A complete project, even if small, shows you understand the full lifecycle of software delivery. Not just coding, but testing, deployment, feedback. Lucas: Step three: document and share. Write a README that tells the story. Who is this for? What problem does it solve? How do I run it? What tech did you use? Then write a short blog post or LinkedIn article explaining your approach. And record a Loom — two to three minutes max — walking through the app. That's your portfolio piece. Luna: And step four? Lucas: Step four: share it with intention. Not just a link dump. Tag the people you want to work for. Write a specific message: 'I built this tool to solve X problem. I'm looking for a role where I can do similar work.' That's what Priya did. She tagged three local tech companies and a few engineers at those companies. Two of them replied. Luna: I want to push back a little on the technical complexity piece. A lot of bootcamp grads I've spoken to feel like their projects are too simple. They think they need to use the latest framework or some fancy algorithm to impress. Lucas: And that's a misconception. I actually saw a survey from a tech recruiting firm — this was published in early 2025 — where they asked nearly 500 hiring managers what they look for in a side project. 62 percent said they'd rather see one polished, well-documented project than five half-finished ones. Only 18 percent cared about the tech stack being cutting-edge. Luna: Sixty-two percent. That's a huge number. So the pressure to build something 'impressive' is mostly self-imposed. Lucas: Totally. And think about what a hiring manager actually wants to know: can you write clean code? Can you communicate about your work? Can you finish what you start? A single, small, complete project answers all three questions better than a sprawling, half-broken app. Luna: So what's a realistic timeline for someone to build a project like this? Priya's app sounds like it took at least a few weeks. Lucas: She told me she spent about four weeks. But that included time to talk to the food bank volunteers, iterate on feedback, and polish the documentation. If someone's doing this on evenings and weekends, I'd say four to six weeks is a reasonable goal. And that's not a full-time commitment — maybe ten to fifteen hours a week. Luna: That's doable. And during that time, they're also applying to jobs, right? Or should they pause applications and focus on the project? Lucas: I'd say keep applying, but treat the project as the priority. Because the project is what will make your applications stand out. Priya actually stopped applying for two weeks to finish the project, and then she started again with that project in her portfolio. Her response rate went from maybe one in fifty to one in ten. Luna: That's a massive improvement. And I think the key is that she wasn't just building — she was also documenting and sharing. That act of sharing forces you to clarify your thinking and present yourself as a professional. Lucas: Right. And it also signals that you can communicate with non-technical stakeholders. That's a huge skill that bootcamp grads often underestimate. A lot of the feedback Priya got was specifically about how clear her README was and how easy it was to understand the app's purpose. Luna: So for anyone listening who's thinking, 'I don't know what problem to solve,' what's your advice? Lucas: Start with your own network. Ask friends, family, or people you've volunteered with — what's a repetitive task they do manually? What's a process that's broken? You'd be surprised how many small businesses, nonprofits, or even hobby groups need a simple tool. And they'll be thrilled if you build it for free. That's your real-world experience right there. Luna: And that real-world experience is gold on a resume. You can say 'built an inventory management system for a local food bank' instead of 'built a CRUD app.' That's much more compelling. Lucas: Exactly. And it shows you can work with a client, gather requirements, and deliver something that actually gets used. That's the kind of story that comes up in interviews. Priya told me that in every interview she got, the conversation started with her project. They didn't even ask about her bootcamp projects. Luna: I love that. So let's talk about the actual job search process for a moment. Let's say you've built your project, you've documented it, you've shared it. What's next? Lucas: You use that project to drive the conversation. When you apply, include a link to the project and a one-sentence pitch. In interviews, lead with it. 'I built this project to solve X problem. Let me walk you through my process.' It gives you a narrative arc that most candidates don't have. Luna: I think that's where a lot of bootcamp grads trip up. They have the technical skills, but they don't know how to tell their story. A side project like Priya's gives you a story that's easy to remember. Lucas: And it's authentic. It's not contrived. That's why it works. Look, we talk a lot on this show about strategies for getting hired, and a lot of it comes down to standing out in a way that's genuine. The job-ready project framework is one of the most concrete ways I've seen to do that. Luna: And we've seen this work across different fields, not just web development. We've had listeners write in about data projects, automation scripts, even simple mobile apps. The principles are the same. Lucas: Absolutely. So if you're a bootcamp grad listening and you're stuck in the application loop, try this approach. Pick one problem, build one small thing, document it, share it. It might just change your trajectory. Luna: Speaking of changing trajectories — this show is all about helping you make career moves. And we keep it ad-free because we think the advice should be the focus, not commercials. If you've gotten value from episodes like this one, and you want to help us keep it that way, you can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a simple way to say thanks. Lucas: Yeah, we really appreciate that. It keeps the lights on and lets us keep digging into topics like this. So thank you to anyone who's ever chipped in. Luna: Alright, back to the framework. Lucas, you mentioned a four-week timeline. Can you give a more detailed breakdown of what each week might look like? Lucas: Sure. Week one: find your problem and validate it. Talk to at least two people who actually have that problem. Make sure it's real and that a simple solution would help. Week two: build the core feature. Just get the MVP working. Don't worry about polish yet. Luna: And week three? Lucas: Week three: polish the user experience, fix bugs, and deploy it somewhere accessible. Free tiers on platforms like Render or Vercel work fine. Then week four: write the documentation, record the walkthrough, and prepare your LinkedIn post. Then launch. Luna: That's a solid plan. And one thing I'd add: during week four, also reach out to a few people for feedback on your documentation. A fresh pair of eyes can catch things you missed. Lucas: Great addition. And if you can, ask someone who's not technical to read your README. If they understand it, you're in good shape. Luna: Alright, I'm convinced. I think this framework is something every bootcamp grad should try. It's low risk, high reward, and it builds skills you'll use on the job. Lucas: Exactly. And if you do it, let us know. Tag us on LinkedIn or send us a message. We'd love to feature your story on a future episode. Luna: That's a wrap for this episode. Thanks for listening, and good luck building. Lucas: See you next time.