this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2026
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I am thinking of doing freelance web development and I'm currently building my portfolio for it. However, I don't have any degree at all and I live in an expensive country. My friend however says that I still might have a chance if I make good quality stuff. Right now I'm even working on creating a video platform website similar to YouTube (with it being fully functional) just to impress potential customers.

Would that work?

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[–] undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch 28 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I’m a self-taught web developer and it took me ages to finally get my act together, but what finally landed me a professional position was having extensive examples of systems I created while working for non-development companies. So even though it was mainly fast food, warehouse and shipping work I was able to prove myself by saying things like “I developed an application that allowed me to dump CSV from Sage then process it to track orders normally tracked only on paper” and “I developed a system to manage food cost.”

[–] litchralee@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 week ago

Having conducted technical interviews after managers have screened the candidates' resumes, I second this. Businesses absolutely look at example works, precisely because it's what they care about: it doesn't take a leap of the imagination that if someone has churned out excellent work for hire, that they can do it again once hired on.

It's a bit harder for prospective employers to take someone at their word without works that they can point to, or can succinctly describe said works in sufficient detail.

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