You’re Doing Portfolios Wrong – Online Presence and Personal Branding

This article is based on a recent Career Workshop session that took place in our Discord server.

Unfortunately the recording went beep boop, so we are trying to salvage what we discussed in text. Hope it helps! It will be a long one.

Portfolio building is a crucial aspect of one’s career, especially in today’s competitive world. In this blog post, we aim to explore the fundamentals of personal branding, starting with portfolios, and gradually dive into networking and marketing, tying all these concepts into one strategy.

For members of the Wandering Pro Discord server—where the focus is on portfolios, products, and projects—this post is designed to help you navigate these three pillars effectively.

Understanding Portfolios

The term “portfolio” is frequently mentioned in the development community. However, it’s often misunderstood or poorly executed. Many individuals, when asked to present their portfolio, share a single page with 5-6 website links, half of which may be broken or irrelevant, without any substantial details about their contributions to the projects.

Some have improved by including their tech stack, but this alone doesn’t effectively convey their role or impact on the projects.

A good portfolio should not only showcase your work but also tell a story about your skills, experiences, and achievements.

It’s a representation of what you’ve done, how you did it, and why it matters.

The Bigger Picture: Personal Branding

Before diving deeper into portfolios, it’s essential to step back and understand the larger concept of personal branding. Personal branding has become a buzzword, especially with the rise of social media. People often associate it with creating a website, adding a logo, and selecting a color scheme. While these are elements of branding, they are not its essence.

The Roots of Branding

The concept of branding originates from the business world, particularly in sales and marketing.

Businesses establish brands to create a unique identity and differentiate themselves from competitors. Personal branding, while similar in essence, differs significantly in execution.

It’s a relatively new concept, gaining traction through platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. For professionals, it’s an evolution from the term “influencer,” rebranded to sound more professional and appealing.

Defining Personal Branding

At its core, personal branding is about:

1. Your Values: These must be genuine and reflect who you are. If your actions contradict your stated values, it undermines your brand.
2. Core Competencies: Knowing what you excel at—not a vague statement like “I can do everything” but a clear understanding of your strengths and expertise.
3. Problems You Solve: Identifying your ideal audience, whether it’s clients, employers, or collaborators, and understanding how your skills address their needs.

To build a strong personal brand, ask yourself:

• Why do I work? Is it for financial stability, personal growth, or passion?
• What skills do I have, and what skills should I acquire next?
• Who is my ideal audience, and how can I serve them?

Skills: The Building Blocks of Your Brand

Breaking down your skills into hard and soft categories can help you identify gaps and areas for improvement. For example, if you’re a technical professional with 2-3 years of experience, you may lack soft skills like communication or teamwork.

Conversely, if you excel in soft skills, you may need to enhance your technical expertise. Focusing on skills that align with your goals will maximize your return on investment and strengthen your overall brand.

Listen to this episode to learn more about Hard vs Soft Skills: https://sknexus.com/twp006/

A Roadmap for Skill Development

Skill development should be intentional and aligned with your career aspirations. For instance, if you’re starting in a kitchen as a dishwasher aiming to become a chef, the next logical skill to acquire is basic cooking techniques.

Over time, you might need to learn management skills to handle a team. Similarly, in tech or design, identify the most relevant skills to learn at each stage of your career and prioritize them.

The Role of Inspiration

Inspirations play a vital role in personal branding. Look around at professionals, creators, and leaders in your field.

Whether it’s Jason Fried and DHH of 37signals for their innovative approaches to software development, or content creators like LTT and MKBHD for their consistency and quality, draw lessons from their journeys.

Inspiration doesn’t have to come from your industry; it can stem from art, music, or any field that motivates you to strive for excellence.

The Time Investment in Personal Branding

Personal branding isn’t an overnight success. It requires a long-term commitment, often taking 3-5 years to yield tangible benefits. While some may experience quick success, the majority need consistent effort and patience to establish a solid personal brand.

Remember, your brand is a lifelong asset, and building it thoughtfully will pay dividends over time.

In today’s digital world, a personal website can be your cornerstone for building a professional brand. It doesn’t need to be fancy; a basic blog, a simple email address, and maybe a contact form are enough to get started.

Every Professional Needs a Blog

A blog is not just a tool for gaining views or traffic—it’s a tool for personal growth. Writing forces you to articulate your thoughts, thereby enhancing your understanding of your field. Whether you’re learning to code, designing, or building products, blogging about these topics will make you a better practitioner. It’s not about SEO or showing off; it’s about improving your craft.

Writing a blog once a month, about 1,000 to 1,500 words, can help you:

1. Reflect on Your Learning: Documenting your journey helps reinforce what you’ve learned.
2. Gain Clarity: Explaining complex topics simplifies them for you as well.
3. Stay Accountable: A public blog drives consistency, ensuring you revisit and refine your skills.

Important Note: Avoid shortcuts like using AI tools to generate generic articles. The purpose of writing is to engage with your own learning process, not to impress others with quantity.

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Looking for more helpful tools, guides, and templates?

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What to Include on Your Personal Website

Once you’ve set up a blog, it’s time to expand your website with the following components:

1. Personal Introduction

Your introduction should be concise and impactful. In job interviews or online profiles, an effective introduction can make a lasting impression. Here’s how to craft one:

• Who You Are: Start with your name.
• What You Do: Specify your role or expertise (e.g., product manager, cybersecurity analyst).
• Who You Help: Define your target audience (e.g., early-stage startups, enterprise clients).
• Why You’re Good at It: Mention a unique skill or approach you bring to the table.

Example:
Hi, I’m Saqib. I’m a product manager specializing in early-stage startups. I help founders take their products from strategy to launch using a proven five-stage framework.

Avoid lengthy, irrelevant details like your educational background unless directly related. Keep it professional and to the point.

2. Testimonials

Testimonials can lend credibility to your profile. Here’s how to gather and display them:

• From Managers or Colleagues: Politely request endorsements from people you’ve worked with, specifying the skills or projects you’d like them to highlight.
• Structured Feedback: Guide them on what to include, such as specific contributions (e.g., full-stack development for XYZ project).
• Format: Include the testimonial text, along with the person’s name, title, and a photo (with their permission).

If you’re a student, request testimonials from professors or academic mentors. These could focus on your punctuality, resourcefulness, or specific competencies.

3. A Detailed Portfolio

Your portfolio is the heart of your website, showcasing your work and projects. A modern portfolio goes beyond listing links; it must be detailed and organized. The case study method is an excellent way to structure it.

Types of Roles to Highlight in Your Portfolio

There are two broad categories of roles to consider:

1. Task-Based Roles: These involve well-defined tasks with clear deliverables, such as designing a logo, writing an article, or developing a webpage.
   • Include start and end dates for these tasks.
   • Provide context about the task, the process, and the outcome.
   • Example: Redesigned the homepage for a SaaS platform, leading to a 20% increase in conversions.
2. Process-Based Roles: These are less structured and more process-driven, such as participating in bug bounty programs or organizing events.
   • Document the entire journey, not just the result.
   • Highlight challenges, learning moments, and how you achieved your goal.
   • Example: Completed a bug bounty program for XYZ company, identifying and resolving critical vulnerabilities through a systematic process.

By combining both structured and process-oriented examples, your portfolio will stand out as comprehensive and reflective of your abilities.

This foundational approach to building a personal website is just the beginning. As you grow in your career, keep revisiting and updating your site to reflect new skills, achievements, and experiences.

Building a Portfolio That Stands Out

Creating a portfolio isn’t just about listing tasks—it’s about presenting a clear narrative that showcases your expertise and highlights your impact.

A successful portfolio defines the problem, outlines the solution, and details the results.

This three-part framework ensures that your work is presented in a way that resonates with potential clients or employers. Here’s how to do it effectively:

Problem-Solution-Impact: The Core of Any Portfolio

Take the example of a bug bounty program.

You start by defining the problem: identifying bugs in a platform within certain criteria and restrictions.

The solution encompasses the tools, methodologies, and processes used to identify and report those bugs, along with any trial-and-error involved.

Finally, you present the impact: how you documented the findings, explained the bug’s symptoms, and provided a reproducible solution.

This same methodology applies across industries and projects. Whether you’re a developer, designer, or freelancer, using this structured approach provides clarity and demonstrates the thought process behind your work.

One-Pagers vs. Detailed Portfolios

The format of your portfolio depends on the nature of your work. For complex, process-driven projects, condensing your case study into a one-pager can be highly effective. For instance, a well-designed one-pager might include:

• Project Name
• Tech Stack
• Key Challenges
• Solutions
• Impact

This concise presentation showcases your ability to distill complex work into an easily digestible format, which is often appreciated for its efficiency.

On the other hand, task-based portfolios that involve relatively straightforward work may require more detailed explanations spanning 2-5 pages. Here, you’ll need to articulate why your approach was unique and provide deeper insights into your contributions.

Specialization: The Key to Visibility

Specializing in a niche can significantly boost your portfolio’s effectiveness.

QSR Apps & Integration with 3rd Party Services

Consider the example of a case study involving a QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) and an Olo integration. Even without SEO optimization, a well-written, niche-specific article can rank highly in search engines. This is because the audience searching for such specific topics is limited but highly targeted.

By focusing on a niche, you position yourself as the go-to expert in that area. The more specialized your portfolio becomes, the more likely it is to attract opportunities from individuals or companies facing similar challenges.

Personal Branding: Beyond the First Impression

Personal branding begins where marketing ends. While marketing may help you land your first client, personal branding ensures that the client returns and recommends you to others. Personal branding encompasses:

• Client Interaction: How well you communicate and document the project.
• Delivery Quality: Ensuring your work exceeds expectations.
• After-Sales Service: Providing support and maintaining relationships.

For example, if you’ve successfully handled multiple Olo-related projects, you could create a dedicated website or section in your portfolio highlighting your expertise in solving QSR-related problems. With testimonials and case studies, you establish yourself as the go-to professional in this niche.

Branding vs. Marketing

Many people confuse branding with marketing, but the two serve different purposes. Marketing is about attracting clients initially, while branding focuses on the experience clients have after working with you. Branding is what makes clients remember you positively and refer you to others.

For personal branding, remember:

1. Quality Work Creates Value: A happy client can lead to ten more.
2. Consistency Is Key: Every project should reflect your commitment to excellence.
3. Focus on Long-Term Relationships: Branding is built over time, with every interaction contributing to your reputation.

Building a strong professional presence online is all about telling your story in a way that shows who you are and the value you bring. Your portfolio isn’t just a list of projects—it’s your chance to highlight the problems you’ve solved, how you tackled them, and the impact you made.

Whether you’re diving deep into detailed case studies or creating snappy one-pagers, the goal is to show people what makes you stand out. 

Your personal website and blog should include a clear intro about you, testimonials from people who’ve worked with you, and a portfolio that shows off your best work.

Writing about your experiences or insights not only helps others see your expertise but also helps you grow by organizing your thoughts and keeping your skills sharp.

At the end of the day, personal branding is about being consistent and creating an experience that sticks with people. It’s not just about making a good first impression—it’s about delivering quality work and building trust so people come back or recommend you.

Over time, your skills, effort, and reputation will speak for themselves, creating opportunities that keep growing with you.

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