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ambroz
Community Member

Portfolio

Hi guys,

 

Lets start my first discussion here:

 

Some clients would not like to see that freelancers share some parts of the products they developed. Any competitor could steal their ideas. Also if the client did not say anything, I am still not feel confident to share my previous project to everyone on the portal.

How do you deal with it??? One of my ideas is, to develop similar projects (unpaid) on my own, to present my working skill (just as untruth example, if I develop a system for car washing company; then i will present a system for clothes washing company). So projects will be similar, but not the same. Or where I cannot to it, make just a small printscreen and share just a small section - not the whole screen. So nobody could steal any good idea from the project. What do you think??

 

Second topic:

When Upwork removed Tests, they said freelancers can better present their skill with portfolio.

I agree that Portfolio is a very good section for designers (especially web designers), but what about back-end developers?? How to show for example in the portfolio that you are a good database designer (espacially if you do not want to share DB diagram to public).

 

Thanks for answers.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION

re: "...on interview he asked me for my previous projects"

 

Keep in mind that your portfolio items DO NOT NEED to consist only of source code. You can create portfolio items that include a brief description of what you did on a project. You can include any kind of graphic or image for the portfolio item, along with a short explanation about what the project was.

 

These explanations could describe how you helped a site with a certain technical problem... an overview of the problem and what you did.

 

This is going to be more helpful and interesting to most clients than if you included raw source code or server configuration files.

View solution in original post

6 REPLIES 6
prestonhunter
Community Member

Portfolios are public.

 

If you are worried about somebody stealing something, then don't put it in your portfolio.

Hi Preston,

Thank you for your reply.

 

I agree with you.

 

But sometimes the potential clients want to see it.

 

A month ago I applied for a job when a client want to make some repair on his website. The bugget was 20 dollars, and on interview he asked me for my previous projects. 😛 

shefen
Community Member


Ambrož B wrote:

 

A month ago I applied for a job when a client want to make some repair on his website. The bugget was 20 dollars, and on interview he asked me for my previous projects. 😛 


Were they asking for a list of URLs to previous work? Nothing wrong with that, just explain what your role was on each project. The more experience you can show the better. And check all the URLs in the list before sending it out, past clients go off-line or bring in new devs that completely change a website.

 

If they want to see backend code, that's different. I explain that most of my work is custom coding, so the code is proprietary and can't be shared with others.

 

For long-term projects, I have code samples available. Some of the samples are taken from past clients. I also have a public repo on github with code from a test project that I completed before being hired for a full time job, so it's not a live web site anywhere. It includes a sql script for creating a few db tables. In my experience most clients are clueless about db design (a lot of programmers too) so I wouldn't worry too much about proving how "good" you are at db design. If a client is interested in this they will ask questions during the interview to test your knowledge.

 

I can select items of any type and include them in my portfolio.

 

My portfolio DOES include source code that I created. It DOES include database designs that I created. I select item for my portfolio which are completely owned by myself, or which I have permission from clients to include.


Freelancers can create items specifically for the purpose of posting them in their portfolio. A portfolio item does NOT need to be a project you were paid to create.

 

Anything in my portfolio, I realize that it is on the Internet, and it is potentially something that somebody could copy.

re: "...on interview he asked me for my previous projects"

 

Keep in mind that your portfolio items DO NOT NEED to consist only of source code. You can create portfolio items that include a brief description of what you did on a project. You can include any kind of graphic or image for the portfolio item, along with a short explanation about what the project was.

 

These explanations could describe how you helped a site with a certain technical problem... an overview of the problem and what you did.

 

This is going to be more helpful and interesting to most clients than if you included raw source code or server configuration files.

Well, the same doubts that I have as a writer... how can I send other clients' blogs and articles around? On the other hand, I cannot imagine to explain how I process my writing or how I format a SEO copywrite. I understand that they want to check what I am able to achieve with my art. They want to be sure that I can write amazingly and incredibly for them... how do I show them? I was actually deciding to write a few articles right for this purpose, although, I think, it is a waste of time because they could see if I know my grammar and write fluid sentences already in the cover letter I send along with the proposal. If I had an internet site, I would have shared with them my link, in order for them to see my services and web content, but I haven't got one, yet! 

It is indeed a bit confusing for me.... Sorry, if I brought up problems that probably have very easy and immediate solutions, but I am new in freelancing online and I do not have all that experience on dealing with clients.