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1. The Problem
I was reviewing for software engineering roles, and at some point I noticed something uncomfortable: my CV had almost no personal projects.
I had professional experience, but there wasn't much I could point to and say, "I built this."
That made me think about whether adding personal projects to a CV is actually important.I also think projects can help fill some gaps in your resume, especially because recruiters often spend only a short amount of time reviewing a resume.
2. Why Work Experience Isn't Always Enough
Professional experience shows that you can work in a team, contribute to a real product, and work with production systems.
But a personal project can show something different: how you approach a problem and build something independently.
There is also another problem. Most developers work with private repos at their jobs. Their contributions, architecture decisions, and day-to-day work aren't publicly visible.
So even if you have several years of professional experience, a recruiter looking at your GitHub might not see much.
A personal project gives them something concrete to look at:
- GitHub repository → How do you write and organize code?
- README → Can you explain what you built?
- Live demo → Can you take an idea and turn it into something usable?
- Tests / Git history → How did you develop and maintain it?
Of course, a project doesn't replace professional experience. But it can give recruiters and hiring managers another way to understand your technical skills.
3. What Makes a Project Worth Adding to a CV?
I don't think every project belongs on a CV.
For example:
- Tutorial clone ❌
- Calculator/weather app with no additional value ❌
- Abandoned repository ❌
- A project copied entirely from an AI tool ❌
Instead, I'd look for a few things:
- Solves a real problem ✅
- Has a clear README ✅
- Has a live demo, if possible ✅
- Demonstrates relevant technologies ✅
- Has meaningful Git history, issues, or tests ✅
I think the main purpose is to have something worth showing.
And that's where I found myself asking another question:
What should I actually build?
To be continued...
