How a Simple Portfolio Website Changed My Life

In 2017, I started my first job as a technical support agent. The role involved interacting with clients through calls, chats, and emails. Working in rotating shifts every day was tough, especially the night ones.

Despite that, I was genuinely happy. It was my first job, and earning ₹24,000 a month felt great at the time.

During college, I used to build Android apps for fun. Development had always been something I was passionate about, and I thought I would do it for the rest of my life. But after about a year in technical support, I realised it wasn’t the right path for me. The constant interaction with people and the night shifts started to wear me out.

That’s when I decided to switch careers and move into development. I began learning web development and slowly started to understand how websites are built, how CSS libraries work, and how JavaScript brings everything together. But I ran into a problem, my resume didn’t have any development experience, and I had barely any projects to show.

To fix that, I started building small projects: CSS animations, simple web apps, and blog-style websites. Then another problem showed up. I needed a proper platform to display my work. Around that time, my company was offering free lifetime domain names. That’s how I got shahidshaikh.com, my first ever domain.

Once I had my website up and running, things changed quickly. Recruiters started reaching out, and I noticed that many interviews happened purely because of how well my website showcased my skills. Even though my projects were simple, the website made them look professional and complete. Within just two or three months, I landed my first UI developer job.