What is the best way to showcase your system architecture skills in a portfolio?

1 Choose relevant projects

The first step to creating a system architecture portfolio is to choose the projects that you want to showcase. Ideally, these projects should be relevant to the domain, industry, or problem that you are interested in or applying for. For example, if you are applying for a cloud computing role, you might want to include a project that involves designing a distributed system with microservices, load balancing, and fault tolerance. Alternatively, if you are interested in data engineering, you might want to include a project that involves designing a data pipeline, a data warehouse, or a data lake. The goal is to show that you have experience and knowledge in the specific area that you are targeting.

2 Document your design decisions

The next step to creating a system architecture portfolio is to document your design decisions and rationale. This means explaining why you chose a certain architecture style, pattern, or technology, and how it meets the requirements and constraints of the project. For example, you might want to explain how you balanced trade-offs between performance, scalability, availability, security, and cost. You might also want to describe how you addressed common challenges or risks, such as data consistency, concurrency, latency, or failure scenarios. The goal is to show that you have a clear and logical thinking process and that you can justify your choices with evidence and reasoning.

3 Use diagrams and code snippets

The next step to creating a system architecture portfolio is to use diagrams and code snippets to illustrate your design. Diagrams are a powerful way to communicate the structure, behavior, and interactions of your system components. You can use different types of diagrams, such as component diagrams, deployment diagrams, sequence diagrams, or state diagrams, depending on the level of detail and abstraction that you want to convey. Code snippets are a useful way to demonstrate the implementation and functionality of your system components. You can use

tags to highlight the relevant parts of your code and explain how they work. The goal is to show that you can translate your design into code and that you can use appropriate tools and languages.
###### Include feedback and testing
The next step to creating a system architecture portfolio is to include feedback and testing results. Feedback can come from different sources, such as users, clients, peers, or mentors. You can use feedback to show how you improved your design based on the needs and expectations of your stakeholders. You can also use feedback to show how you collaborated with others and incorporated their suggestions and opinions. Testing can come from different methods, such as unit testing, integration testing, or load testing. You can use testing results to show how you verified and validated your design and ensured its quality and reliability. The goal is to show that you can iterate and refine your design and that you can measure and evaluate its performance and outcomes.
###### Update and maintain your portfolio
The final step to creating a system architecture portfolio is to update and maintain it regularly. Technology and trends change rapidly, and you want to show that you are up to date and adaptable. You can update your portfolio by adding new projects, revising existing projects, or learning new skills. You can also update your portfolio by showcasing your achievements, such as awards, certifications, publications, or testimonials. You can maintain your portfolio by keeping it organized, accessible, and professional. You can use platforms, such as GitHub, Medium, or LinkedIn, to host and share your portfolio. The goal is to show that you are passionate and proactive about your system architecture skills and that you are ready for new challenges and opportunities.
######Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?