How to Sell Your Side Projects in Your Professional Resume

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So, you’ve been tinkering away in your digital workshop, elbow-deep in side projects that not only give you a sense of accomplishment but also help you expand your tech skills. But, have you ever considered how these side projects could be your hidden asset when applying for jobs? In today’s competitive tech scenario, a snazzy CV listing all your creative side projects can be just the ticket you need for your dream job. So, put on your salesman hat and let’s dive into how you can sell your side projects effectively in your professional resume.

Highlight the Challenge, Process, and Result

One of the significant aspects that employers seek in a resume is not just what you’ve accomplished, but how. Therefore, when including side projects in your resume:
Don’t just write – “Created a pet adoption website using HTML, CSS, and JS.”
Do write – “Built a responsive pet adoption website from scratch. Identified an optimal solution for pet adoption flow, applied coding skills in HTML, CSS, JS to establish user-friendly interface and effectively increased local pet adoption rate by 30%.”
By doing this, you instantly showcase your problem-solving skills, your grasp of the tech stack, and your ability to deliver results, all in one go.

Quantify Your Achievements

Numbers not only bring credibility but are also easy on the eyes. Quantifying achievements helps employers understand the scale, complexity, and impact of your side projects.
Don’t just write – “Helped manage an e-commerce website.”
Do write – “Administered an e-commerce WordPress site with over 1000+ unique daily visitors and $50K monthly revenue.”
Another trick to quantifying is using percentage to present your effect on a project.

Professional Presentation

Remember, your resume isn’t just a fact-sheet; it’s a marketing tool. So, make sure your side projects don’t look like they were haphazardly chucked in the mix. Incorporate them professionally in your ‘Projects’ segment.

Use Action Verbs

Kickstart sentence descriptions of your projects with powerful action verbs like ‘Optimized,’ ‘Engineered,’ ‘Designed,’ etc., to instantly bring attention to your role in the project.

Prioritize Relevance

If the job you’re applying for is of a front-end developer, don’t flood your resume with your back-end or data science projects. Stick to relevance and place your most relevant and impressive projects near the top.

Don’t forget the Tech Stack

Employers love to see the technology stack you’re comfortable with. So, for every project, do include the list of languages, frameworks, tools, and databases you’ve worked on for that particular project.
Remember, you’re not just selling a side project; you’re selling your skills, your creativity, and your potential to add value to any project you touch. So, flaunt your side projects like badges of honor and watch your professional life take off. We hope this guide was ‘write’ up your alley (programming pun intended). Until next time, keep coding, keep creating!

FAQ

How can I highlight my side projects on my professional resume?

Simply create a dedicated section on your resume titled “Side Projects” or “Personal Projects” and list the projects along with a brief description of each one. This will make them stand out to potential employers.

Can I include side projects that are unrelated to the job I’m applying for?

Yes, you can include all side projects on your resume, even if they are not directly related to the job you are applying for. They can demonstrate your skills, passion, and creativity in various areas.

Should I provide links to my side projects on my resume?

Absolutely! Include URLs to your side projects so that employers can easily access them and see your work firsthand. Make sure the links are clickable and lead directly to the project.

How should I describe my role in each side project?

When describing your role in side projects, focus on the skills you used and the impact you had. Highlight any specific technologies you worked with and any significant contributions you made to the project.

Is it important to quantify the results of my side projects on my resume?

Quantifying the results of your side projects can add credibility to your resume. If you can, include metrics such as number of users, growth percentages, or revenue generated to showcase the impact of your work.

Can I mention side projects that are still in progress on my resume?

Yes, you can include ongoing side projects on your resume. Clearly indicate that they are still in progress so that employers know you are actively working on them and continuously improving your skills.

How can I demonstrate the skills I gained from my side projects on my resume?

Use specific examples from your side projects to demonstrate the skills you have developed. Whether it’s coding, design, project management, or other skills, show how you applied them in real-world scenarios.

Should I include side projects that were completed a long time ago?

While it’s good to showcase a range of projects, prioritize recent or relevant side projects on your resume. If an older project is particularly impressive or demonstrates key skills, you can still include it, but keep the focus on more recent work.

What should I do if I have a lot of side projects to include on my resume?

If you have numerous side projects, select the most relevant or impressive ones to feature on your resume. You can also create a portfolio website where you can showcase all your projects in more detail and provide a link to it on your resume.

How can I make my side projects stand out to potential employers?

To make your side projects stand out, focus on quality over quantity. Highlight unique or challenging projects, mention any recognition or awards they have received, and tailor the presentation of each project to align with the job you are applying for.