http://danismith.codes/
Hi, working to transition from a dead end senior helpdesk admin/engineer career to software dev career. I do some junior level sys admin work but it’s not reflected in my current title. I have a degree in I.T- network administration and I completed a programming bootcamp 2022 but due to life It wasn’t a good time for me to switch careers in 2023. Anyway I am hoping to get some feedback on my portfolio particularly the overall layout and presentation. I’m in the process of cleaning up my projects and building new ones with MERN stack.
I haven’t seriously started applying but I’ve done some linked in applications and gotten rejections.
Thanks to anyone who takes the time to check it out!
http://danismith.codes/
This project took me about 2 weeks to complete from design to code although I still make edits to it here and there. It is vanilla JS so no framework. This is my second portfolio. The resume button does work but I have unlinked it currently.
5 Likes
Good for you for making a change!
(I’m not a dev. so these suggestions won’t be code-related).
Overall, I really like it! I like the animations and the interactivity when hovering over the top menu. I think your personality shines through too (you’re not a drone, yay!).
A few things—
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On mobile, the “party mode” button covers the words, “tech stack” when the phone is in portrait mode/vertical. It displays correctly when the phone is held in landscape-wise or horizontally.
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Under “tech stack” is it possible to link the skill icons with actual examples of those skills? I know one can click on the projects and see those skills. Show, not tell is the norm. Maybe that would be overkill(?) 
Something to consider.
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I can’t tell if you’re using an accessible color palette or not. Might be something to consider too.
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I would avoid using the common phrase “thinking outside the box”. Try some different adjectives and action verbs to describe how you interpret or approach situations/tasks. This may sound weird, but when I was writing stuff for my site or resume, I used a thesaurus b/c apparently my lexicon isn’t that large. 
(I also paid a professional to re-write it. I realize not everyone can do this, but there are discount codes out there if you look for them. There are several sites out there too. They usually match you with someone in your field who will work w/you and will re-write it 2-3x with your approval).
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Check here as an example of alternative words to use.
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One thing I think that you can convey since you worked in IT and as tech support/help desk–is that you possess empathy. Empathy goes a long way in an organization (& life)–whether you’re customer-facing or not. Also, I assume that you maintained an infrastructure/architecture, checked for vulnerabilities in the network, etc. Use action verbs that describe that skillset and how those skills are transferrable to a dev.
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In re: Twitter. Don’t link any of your socials. I know yours is private/protected but still. Only link them if they are business-oriented. I say this for a few reasons: there needs to be a separation between work-life and outside of work. No employer needs to know what you do outside of work hours; it’s none of their business. That said, they will google you. So, if necessary, make sure to clean up stuff that’s easily searchable. I cringe every time I see someone link their public FB or Instagram pages.
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Change the footer to 2024. 
Again, these are just random thoughts from a stranger. I hope some of it is useful. Good luck!
3 Likes
Exceptionally professional! Your portfolio is a brilliant display of your technical prowess in web development.
1 Like
it look great, i love the design, expecially The Party and Business mode
the twitter was being maintained as dev thoughts for a while but is no longer so I shall unlink it. Thanks so much for taking the time to look through this and provide suggestions 