Projects for my portfolio

Dev Zone Code
1

I've been looking for work and saw a posting for: Apprentice Digital Software Developer

Duties include:

  • Writing and testing code for our Web or Mobile Applications
  • Using distributed version control systems to maintain our solutions' source code
  • Applying software design patterns to commonly encountered coding problems
  • Using Behaviour Driven Development practices to deliver quality solutions

Training to be provided:

  • Level 4 Software Developer
  • Systems Development and Object Programming
  • Database Design and Project Management
  • HTML5 Application Development MTA
  • External Assessments

Skills and qualifications required:

  • Evidence of programing interests (e.g. examples of own written codes)
  • Performance driven
  • Good team player, networking across the Virtual team
  • 3 A-Levels or equivalent is Desirable
  • Must want to peruse a long term career within the Industry.

I meet all the requirements, except that I don't have any evidence of my programming interests. I have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS, but beyond that I've mostly tinkered and edited code in LUA, Pascal, and random stuff in games. I'd like to be able to build a quick portfolio showing that I'm interested in code, but I'm not sure where to start. I was hoping some people here would have good advice as to what code would be best to show off for this position and what sort of project would be realistic for me to achieve.

2

It's hard to say. You can make an indie game if you are interested in game development, simple desktop application, something for Android (app/game) or web service basically anything you are interested in. But if you want to make something bigger (more impressive) it would be much easier to join existing open source project or at least gather few friends and make something together. Making something you don't like just to "build a quick portfolio" in my opinion is a waste of time. Think a little what application would be useful for you or what game you liked to play when you were younger. If you are totally out of ideas you can ask your family or your friends what application they would like to have on their phone/PC.

3

Making a game is way beyond my capability and a bit outside what I would be doing in this role. As this is an apprenticeship I assume they aren't looking for anything overly fancy so I was hoping for ideas that could demonstrate basic code ability.