Building your own products, platforms or brands can be a great way to demonstrate initiative, creativity and technical skills. It is common advice to include a portfolio section in your CV to showcase your projects.
Potential risks
However, if you don’t present these side projects in your CV correctly, they can work against your chance of landing jobs, without you realizing about it.
| What the job seeker think about themselves | What an employer might perceive (Risk) |
|---|---|
| Entrepreneurial initiative | Divided attention |
| Independent decision-making | Difficulty accepting direction |
| A personal product or brand | A competing business or conflict of interest |
| A career transition or side project | Uncertainty about long-term commitment |
| Broader business experience | Less specialized expertise |
The dangerous part is nobody gives this feedback directly to you.
Challenges of entrepreneurial mindset
An entrepreneurial mindset encourages independence, initiative and creativity. However, these qualities can sometimes create challenges in a traditional employment environment.
Employers may have concerns about divided attention, long-term commitment, accepting direction or adapting to established organizational structures.
A practical way to present them
Before adding a personal project, consider the following:
1. Keep it relevant to the role
Highlight projects that demonstrate skills, experience or achievements relevant to the position you’re applying for.
2. Explain your actual contribution
Clearly describe what you built, your responsibilities, the technologies you used and the challenges you addressed.
3. Show outcomes, not just ideas
If your project has real users, customers, measurable results or active development, mention them. Concrete outcomes make a stronger impression.
4. Clarify your professional focus
Make it clear whether the project is a side project, an independent venture or a full-time business. Avoid leaving employers guessing about your career priorities.
5. Don’t let personal projects overshadow your work experience
Your projects should complement your professional experience, not make recruiters struggle to identify your primary expertise.
The goal of this article is not to discourage you from pursuing personal projects or to suggest keeping them low-key. Instead, it is to help you understand the dynamics behind recruiters’ decision-making and present your projects in a way that strengthens your professional profile rather than works against your job search.
Personal project portfolio can make your CV stand out. But only when presenting them as evidence of your capabilities, not as a distraction from the role you’re seeking.
A multifaceted professional known for diverse interests and contributions in various fields, including management, technology, education and entrepreneurship. Also the founder of ITPro.lk, bringing a unique perspective and industry knowledge to writing.