Portfolio/project ideas for computer programming?

[TheMacNerd]

Hi,
I need ideas for developing a portfolio project to land a computer programming/front end developer position. So far I've developed a simple tic-tac-toe web app game. Plus I have my portfolio website at the ready to be uploaded. Any ideas for portfolio projects?
Thanks!

 

[jedishrfu]

While t3 is fun to develop you should add some variation to it to make it more interesting

- play to lose to win. (Scam school video on it)
- play with x only (numberphile video on it)
- play quantum tic-tac-toe
- play a larger grid
- play 5 in a line with a larger grid of 10x10 aka gomoku or caroYou can find more about these on YouTube or the AAPT website for the quantum version

 

[berkeman]

a computer programming/front end developer position.

Can you post some of the position descriptions (you don't have to provide links, just the stuff they are looking for)? It would help to see what kind of positions you are applying for.

If they are very specific, game-developer or other specialty positions, then the projects should (obviously) be in those areas. If they are more general positions, I would think that projects with broad and deep subject areas would be impressive to your interviewers. I found my compiler class in undergrad to be one of the most challenging and eye-opening software classes that I took. Learning how compilers and interpreters work at the nuts-and-bolts level was amazing for me, and I really enjoyed coding up my own simple C compiler as part of the class. I'm on the hardware side of EE for the most part, but I think If I were giving general software interviews, I'd want to ask some specific questions that I remember from my compiler and OS undergraduate software classes.

Beyond that, I think it would be good for you to get familiar with software version control systems and software bug tracking systems, and how they work. In pretty much any professional software job, you will be using shared software version control and bug tracking systems (like Perforce for source control, and JIRA for bug tracking and resolution, etc.), and there are some basics and some subtleties to using those systems. If you already have used some system to manage your own software projects, I think that will impress your interviewers.

Good luck!

EDIT / ADD -- clarified the part of my post about Perforce and JIRA

 

[TheMacNerd]

Hi,

I'm trying to bridge the skills with self-education. I've already done 3 online computer programming bootcamps and I'm just doing projects to add to my professional portfolio with self education to land a front end developer position.

 

[jedishrfu]

That’s not enough. Employers will choose a community college educated candidate with similar skills over you unless you know someone at the company or have an inside connection.

Similarly they’ll choose a 4 year college grad over a 2 year.

 

[berkeman]

front end developer position

Sorry, I'm not real familiar with that terminology. What does "front end developer" in a software employment context mean? You would mainly be involved with embedded systems (at the opposite end of the spectrum from "back end systems" like CMS)?

 

[jedishrfu]

I think he means a web app developer using JavaScript, portlet or JSP technology vs backend web server applications in java or nodejs server side JavaScript.

 

[TheMacNerd]

some places for a developer position in my area don't require a college degree. Some just require a portfolio while others require college.

 

[QuantumQuest]

some places for a developer position in my area don't require a college degree. Some just require a portfolio while others require college.

As a web developer, I can assure you that no matter where in the world you work, an impressive portfolio in and of itself won't get you a job in web development unless it is accompanied by proven respective skills. So, I think that the jobs - talking for web development, requiring just a portfolio they also require the knowledge of the technologies behind it.

So, effectively, they ask for experienced i.e. knowledge + experience, people and this in some clear ways already encompasses knowledge that at a great degree you gain in college but you may have gained through self study - although it is very difficult or very time consuming at best, to reach a senior level with just self study.

There is also the factor of experience i.e. how many projects (web apps, web sites etc.) and of what level of complexity, you have worked/participated in. On the other hand, these job positions that require college degree, also require at least some experience to get even a junior developer job.

All the above - at least to my knowledge, hold true for any serious web development or programming job. There may exist some jobs with very low requirements but with no important gains as well.