Build a Project Case Study

A project link shows what you made. A short case study can explain what you were trying to solve, which part was yours, and what you learned.

Use this when work samples are relevant to the role or requested by the employer. A public portfolio or repository is not a universal requirement, and a polished case study does not guarantee an interview. Follow the requested format and keep private notes outside Jobplorer.

Choose Something You Can Explain

Start with a real piece of work you understand well enough to discuss. It could be a small software tool, game prototype, documentation improvement, or study project. Prefer a specific contribution over a long list of technologies.

The National Careers Service recommends reflecting on work, education, and daily experience to identify skills. Use that reflection to choose an example, then connect it to a responsibility in the actual posting. Understand and develop your skills.

If the connection is unclear, first read the job posting and identify the work you want the example to illustrate.

A Five-Part Outline

This is Jobplorer’s suggested outline, not an employer’s required portfolio structure:

1. Problem: who or what was the project for, and what needed to work differently?
2. Your contribution: what did you personally design, write, test, investigate, or document? Separate that from teammates’ work.
3. A decision: describe one choice and a tradeoff. Explain why you chose an approach rather than listing every tool.
4. Evidence: point to something a reader can inspect, such as a permitted screenshot, a demonstration, a test description, or a relevant excerpt.
5. Limits and learning: say what remains incomplete and what you would change next. Describe a prototype as a prototype.

You do not need an invented percentage or a large user count. A narrow, verifiable result is more defensible than an impressive claim you cannot explain.

A Fictional Before-and-After Example

Too vague: “Built a great game using modern tools.”

More specific: “In a two-person puzzle prototype, I implemented the restart flow and a test level. I chose a single reset function so the timer and board returned to the same state. A short demonstration shows the reset from both a completed and an unfinished level. My teammate created the artwork. The prototype has no saved progress; I would test longer sessions next.”

This example is invented for practice. Do not copy it as personal experience. The improvement is the explanation of responsibility, a decision, evidence, and limits, not a claimed commercial result.

Make the Evidence Understandable

For a code project shared through GitHub, its official README guidance describes explaining the project’s purpose, usefulness, and how someone can get started. That is documentation guidance, not a statement that employers require GitHub. GitHub Docs: About READMEs.

Alongside a link or image, add a sentence about what the reader should notice. Check that the linked version matches your explanation. If a demo needs a particular environment, state that rather than implying it works everywhere. Do not ask someone to use a personal account or real customer data to understand your example.

Before sharing, remove credentials and personal information from screenshots and files. Do not publish employer or client material unless you have permission; this checklist does not determine ownership or replace that permission. If sharing is uncertain, choose a different example that you can safely show.

A Quick Review Before Sharing

• Does the opening explain the problem without assuming the reader knows the project?
• Can someone distinguish your contribution from the team’s?
• Does each result have evidence, or is it clearly described as a limitation?
• Do links and images open in the way you intend for the recipient?
• Have you followed the employer’s requested format rather than adding unwanted attachments?

For discussion practice, turn the example into a short answer using Prepare for an Interview. For role context, read Software Developers or Game Developers.

Sources and Review Scope

The official National Careers Service and GitHub documentation linked above were checked on September 22, 2026. They support skills reflection and code-project documentation respectively. The five-part outline, fictional example, and sharing checklist are Jobplorer editorial suggestions, not universal hiring requirements or legal advice.