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In 2025, Just Having a Portfolio Won't Cut It: Show Evidence of Your Skills

The job market in 2024 was a harsh wake-up call for many. Layoffs and hiring freezes reshaped the landscape, but while the market evolved, job seekers essentially did not. The days of simply learning to code, building a portfolio, and hoping to land a job are over. In today's competitive environment, showcasing finished projects in a portfolio is no longer enough. Employers need to see evidence of how you think, learn, and solve problems.

Why the Old Approach Fails

The journey from novice to employed developer typically spans six months to two years, with another year needed to reach proficiency. Why so long? This extended timeline is compounded by an antiquated approach: learning to code, tackling challenges, and eventually building a portfolio. A generic portfolio doesn't stand out anymore. What's missing is evidence—proof that you're not just a coder but a thinker, a problem solver, and a learner.

An Evidence-Based Framework for Success

Instead of following the old model, we need to embrace an evidence-based approach. This involves creating smaller, polished artifacts highlighting your skills and decision-making process. These artifacts become the building blocks of your professional brand and demonstrate your value to potential employers. This approach lets you market yourself while you learn, building your reputation and network organically instead of waiting until you're "ready."

Here’s how you can start:

1. Create Polished Artifacts

   Build small but impactful pieces that showcase your abilities. This could include:

   • Code snippets addressing specific problems.
   • Detailed write-ups about your projects.
   • Small, polished apps that emphasize quality over quantity.

2. Explain Your Decisions

   Document your work with blogs, videos, or even simple posts on LinkedIn. For example:

   • If your portfolio has a specific color palette, write about why you chose those colors, the psychology behind them, and how they reflect your branding.
   • Share how you researched technologies for a project and why you picked specific tools over others.
   • Discuss design choices, such as where and why you’ve incorporated white space.

3. Showcase Your Learning Journey

   Let’s say you’re learning scripting to solve a workflow problem. Turn that process into an artifact:

   • Write about the problem you wanted to solve.
   • Share your first script, explain how it works, and reflect on what you learned.
   • Make the artifact public, inviting others to learn from or improve your work.

This approach demonstrates your technical skills and highlights your ability to communicate, collaborate, and learn—all qualities employers value.

Building a Network Through Artifacts

Each artifact you create becomes an opportunity to build meaningful connections. Instead of cold-networking at events, you can reach out to potential allies with something concrete to discuss. By asking for feedback on your artifacts, you create natural opportunities for engagement while keeping yourself top of mind with industry professionals.

• Contact experts in the areas you’re exploring and ask for their thoughts.
• Post your artifacts on LinkedIn, Slack, or Discord platforms, and invite constructive criticism.

Every piece of feedback improves your work and strengthens your professional relationships. This focused, intentional networking approach helps you build meaningful connections based on shared interests and experiences.

Proven Success at Vets Who Code

At Vets Who Code, we’ve seen firsthand the power of this evidence-based framework. When we implemented this approach, our success rates soared. The evidence speaks for itself:

• Participants who published weekly blogs or code snippets demonstrated their progress, leading to 40% faster job placement.
• Those actively sharing these pieces externally grew their networks by an average of 300% in six months.
• Graduates using this approach landed roles an average of 4 months faster than those who didn’t.

By consistently building and sharing evidence of their skills, our participants became better developers and positioned themselves for more significant opportunities.

Why This Matters in 2025

In 2025, the job market will demand more than just portfolios. Employers want to see your thought process, ability to learn, and commitment to continuous improvement. Unlike traditional portfolios that only showcase results, this evidence-based approach demonstrates your growth in real time, keeping you visible and relevant in your industry even before you’re job hunting.

By adopting an evidence-based framework, you can stand out in a crowded field, build valuable connections, and create opportunities for yourself—even while you sleep. Stop focusing solely on portfolios. Start creating artifacts that tell your story, showcase your skills, and prove your worth. The future belongs to those who can demonstrate their value—and now's the time to start.

Support Vets Who Code

If this story resonates with you, consider supporting Vets Who Code to help more veterans transition into successful tech careers. Your donations can make a significant impact. You can also sponsor us on GitHub to get technical updates and support our mission. Together, we can make a difference.

Donate to Vets Who Code here.