Depends on whether you're hiring for an agency or a non-agency (startup, etc). Agencies generally want a wide variety of websites that you've worked on. I haven

Depends on whether you're hiring for an agency or a non-agency (startup, etc). Agencies generally want a wide variety of websites that you've worked on. I haven't worked for one in years, so I'll leave it at that. Personally, as a hiring manager for several startups over the last several years, I'm mostly interested in two things: can you write code (bare minimum required for the job) and a sense of who you are. For the former, I'd hope to see some code in a public repo. Maybe some snippets that demonstrate your skills, maybe a full project with links to demos or live sites. Remember, for a programming job, writing code is the bare minimum. I'm not going to give you a phone call or bring you on-site unless I know you can do that. Your job here is to demonstrate that not only can you write code, but you can do it well or have experience to back up your skill set. For the latter, the question I'm trying to answer is: Do I want to sit next to you for the next six months? A portfolio / personal site is a great way to your own personality into your public arena. LinkedIn doesn't do that very well, and neither does a resume. But with your personal site, you can mention things you like to do for fun, link to blog posts that really inspire you, display some of your favorite projects, etc. In other words, who are you? Are you someone hungry to learn a little about everything or are you an expert who has gone deep into a single topic? Are you extroverted and a good communicator, or are you the kind of person who would prefer to be given a project and locked in a closet until it's done? Do you like building new things or maintaining old apps? Are you only interested in programming or do you have a wide array of interests? Can you talk intelligently about your work or do you prefer to let the work speak for itself? What kinds of meetups have you attended, conferences have you been to, or presentations have you given? What's your favorite book/movie/song? There's no wrong answer to any of those questions, but hopefully I have a sense of who you are before I get on the phone with you. The more I feel like I know you, the more likely I am to give you a chance. In short: don't be a robot. Inject personality into your portfolio/site.