Latest / The Career Change Podcast with Fexingo: Switching Fields, Bootcamps, and Reskilling / How Bootcamps Can Help You Build a Tech Portfolio
Transcript
- Lucas: So we talk a lot on this show about how bootcamps teach you to code — but there's a gap between finishing a bootcamp and actually landing a job. And that gap is your portfolio. Luna: You mean the projects you build during the bootcamp aren't enough on their own? Lucas: Right. They're a start, but most employers I talk to say they want to see that you can take a project from idea to deployment — not just follow along with an instructor. So today I want to look at how a career changer can build a portfolio that actually gets them hired. Luna: Okay, I'm intrigued. Who's our case study? Lucas: Let's talk about a woman named Priya. She was a middle school science teacher in Austin for about eight years. She did a six-month full-stack bootcamp in 2024. But what really set her apart wasn't the bootcamp certificate — it was how she used the projects. Luna: What did she do differently? Lucas: She treated every bootcamp project as a piece of a larger portfolio, not just a grade. For her final project, instead of building the typical to-do app or e-commerce clone, she built a classroom management tool — something she actually needed as a teacher. It let teachers track student participation and generate simple reports. She deployed it on Vercel, open-sourced the code on GitHub, and wrote a blog post explaining her design choices. Luna: So she solved a real problem she understood. That's smart. Lucas: Exactly. And when she applied for front-end developer roles, she could point to that project and say, 'I identified a need, I built something, and real users tested it.' She got three interviews and one offer — at a mid-size edtech company in Austin. Luna: I love that. But for listeners who aren't coming from a teaching background — how do you pick a project that's meaningful? Lucas: Good question. I think the key is to solve a problem from your previous career or a hobby. If you were in retail, build an inventory tracker. If you're into cycling, build a route mapper. The point is to show domain knowledge plus technical skill. Employers love that combination. Luna: So it's not just about writing code — it's about showing you understand a business context. Lucas: Right. And then there's the presentation. Priya didn't just push code to GitHub and hope for the best. She wrote a clean README, included screenshots, and even added a short demo video. She also linked to her LinkedIn profile where she posted regular updates about what she was learning. Luna: That's a lot of extra work on top of the bootcamp itself. Lucas: It is. But consider this: the bootcamp gives you the syntax and the concepts. The portfolio shows you can apply them. And in a market where entry-level tech roles are competitive, that application is what gets you the interview. Luna: I've heard some hiring managers say they don't even look at portfolios — they just look at GitHub activity. Is that true? Lucas: It varies. Some do a quick scan of your GitHub profile to see if you've committed recently, if you've contributed to any open-source projects. But a well-structured portfolio site with a narrative is still powerful, especially for career changers who don't have years of work experience. Luna: So what should a career changer's portfolio include? Give me a checklist. Lucas: I'd say three things. One: at least two polished personal projects that solve real problems. Two: one collaborative project — something where you worked with others, even if it's just a hackathon. Three: a capstone or final project that ties everything together and shows depth. Luna: What about open-source contributions? Those seem to come up a lot. Lucas: They're a nice to have, not a must-have. A single well-documented pull request fixing a bug in a popular repo can be worth more than three half-finished personal projects. But if you're already swamped with bootcamp work, focus on quality over quantity. Luna: I remember a study from a few years ago — I think it was from Indeed — that said 70 percent of hiring managers prefer candidates with a portfolio over those with just a resume. Does that still hold? Lucas: I think that number is probably even higher now, especially for bootcamp grads. Your resume shows you finished the program. Your portfolio shows you can actually build something. And in tech, building is the skill that matters. Luna: So what's one mistake you see career changers make with their portfolios? Lucas: The biggest one is not telling a story. They list projects with a title and a screenshot, but no context. Why did you build this? What problem did it solve? What did you learn? Without that, it's just a list of code — and employers can't see how you think. Luna: So it's almost like a mini case study for each project. Lucas: Exactly. Priya's classroom tool had a write-up that explained the user research she did — even if it was just talking to fellow teachers — and how she iterated based on feedback. That's gold to a hiring team. Luna: I also want to talk about the design aspect. A lot of bootcamps focus on functionality, not aesthetics. But if you're applying for a front-end role, your portfolio site itself needs to look good. Lucas: Absolutely. Your portfolio site is your first project. It should be responsive, load fast, and be easy to navigate. Use a clean template if you have to, but customize it. Priya used a simple Next.js starter and added her own color palette and typography. Nothing fancy, but it felt polished. Luna: And what about the backend? Does a front-end focused bootcamp grad need to show backend skills? Lucas: It depends on the role. For a pure front-end position, you probably don't need a full backend. But showing you can handle an API — even if it's just fetching data from a public API — is helpful. It shows you understand the full stack even if you specialize. Luna: So let's say I'm a listener who just started a bootcamp. Should I start building my portfolio on day one? Lucas: I'd say start documenting on day one. Keep a journal of what you're learning. Save your early projects, even if they're ugly. Then, as you get better, you can replace them. The key is showing growth over time. Luna: That's a good point. A portfolio that shows your first project and your final project tells a story of improvement. Lucas: Right. And when you finally apply for jobs, you'll have a narrative: 'I started here, I learned this, and now I can build this.' That's compelling. Luna: Do you have a favorite resource for helping career changers structure their portfolio? Like a template or a guide? Lucas: I like the 'Portfolio Pyramid' framework from a developer named Sarah Drasner. She suggests starting with a small personal project at the base, then a more complex collaborative project, and finally a capstone that showcases your best work. Each level should demonstrate a new skill. Luna: That's a great mental model. And I think it helps avoid the trap of trying to build too many things at once. Lucas: Exactly. Better to have three solid projects than ten half-finished ones. And each project should have a clear goal: one shows you can work with APIs, one shows you can handle state management, one shows you can deploy and maintain. Luna: So we've talked a lot about the what and the how. But what about the why? Why should a career changer invest all this extra time in a portfolio when the bootcamp already takes up so much? Lucas: Because the bootcamp gets you in the door. The portfolio gets you the job. I've seen too many talented bootcamp grads struggle because they couldn't demonstrate their skills beyond the classroom. A portfolio is your proof of work. Luna: And in a world where anyone can get a certificate, proof of work is what separates candidates. Lucas: Exactly. So if you're in a bootcamp right now, start thinking about your portfolio as the real final project. Not just something you do at the end, but something you build alongside your learning. Luna: I think that's a great takeaway. For anyone listening, what's one small step they can take today? Lucas: Go to GitHub, create a repository for a project you're working on — even if it's just a tutorial — and write a README that explains what you're building and why. That single act starts your portfolio and changes your mindset from student to builder. Luna: From student to builder. I like that. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. And thanks for listening.