That shiny certificate might impress your aunt, but it won't land you the gig.
Let's be real: in the dev world, what you've built trumps what you've studied every single time. While certifications might tick a HR box, projects are the real currency, speaking volumes about your actual skills and problem-solving abilities.
Think about it from an employer's or client's perspective. A certificate says you passed an exam. A project, however, tells a whole story:
- You can initiate: You started something from scratch.
- You can problem-solve: You hit roadblocks and figured them out.
- You can deliver: You actually finished it.
- You write real code: Not just theoretical examples. For instance, building a simple utility like this for a project:
// A debounce function, super useful in many web projects
function debounce(func, delay) {
let timeout;
return function(...args) {
const context = this;
clearTimeout(timeout);
timeout = setTimeout(() => func.apply(context, args), delay);
};
}
// Usage in a project:
// const handleSearch = debounce(() => console.log('Searching...'), 500);
// <input type="text" onkeyup={handleSearch} />
Certificates are static; they capture a moment in time. Projects are dynamic. They show your growth, your tech stack choices, your Git commit history – basically, your journey. They demonstrate not just what you know, but how you apply it and why you made certain decisions. That's invaluable.
What kind of projects? Anything!
- A personal portfolio website (a must for any web developer).
- A small utility app that solves a personal pain point.
- Contributing to open-source (even tiny bug fixes count!).
- Recreating a popular website feature.
- A simple CRUD app with a database.
The takeaway is simple: stop collecting badges and start building. That’s where the real learning happens and where you generate tangible proof of your abilities.
As someone who builds websites and does a fair bit of freelance work, I can tell you clients don't ask for my certs. They want to see my portfolio, the live sites I've built, and hear about the challenges I overcame. If you’re curious about my work, check out my services here: https://hire-sam.vercel.app/
Share this with your dev friends who are stuck in tutorial purgatory!
