Portfolio Checklist for Software Engineers | Vets Who Code
Vets Who Code is a non-profit organization that provides free technical training to veterans and their spouses.
Most developer portfolios fail for one simple reason:
They show projects, but they don’t explain impact.
If a hiring manager can’t quickly see:
• what you build
• who it helps
• why it matters
they move on.
We put together a portfolio checklist to help fix that.
06.03.2026 17:18
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Happy Birthday to the U.S. Navy Reserve. ⚓
Citizen-sailors balancing civilian careers and military readiness—then stepping forward when the mission demands it.
Always ready isn’t marketing.
It’s muscle memory.
Fair winds. 🇺🇸
03.03.2026 17:18
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They were told they couldn’t.
The Tuskegee Airmen became one of the most respected fighter groups of WWII.
The crew of the USS Mason proved their skill in a segregated Navy.
When tested, they delivered.
23.02.2026 17:18
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History question:
What Black military story do you think more Americans should know?
Drop it below. 👇
22.02.2026 17:18
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The 761st Tank Battalion served 183 consecutive days in combat.
Their motto: “Come out fighting.”
Different roles. Same excellence.
21.02.2026 17:18
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After D-Day, the Red Ball Express kept fuel and ammunition moving across Europe.
Logistics win wars.
21.02.2026 17:18
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The Harlem Hellfighters spent more time in combat than any U.S. unit in WWI — and earned France’s highest honors.
21.02.2026 17:18
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When America went to war overseas, Black service members were already ready.
🧵
21.02.2026 17:18
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The 54th Massachusetts led the assault on Fort Wagner in 1863.
They knew the odds.
They volunteered anyway.
Their courage helped change public perception of Black soldiers in combat.
20.02.2026 17:18
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In 1778, the 1st Rhode Island Regiment enlisted Black soldiers to fight for independence.
They were defending liberty in a country that hadn’t fully decided liberty included them.
That’s not a side story.
That’s foundational history.
19.02.2026 17:18
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Happy Birthday to the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. ⚓
Citizen-sailors who balance careers, families, and readiness—then step up when the mission calls.
Always ready isn’t a slogan. It’s a standard.
Semper Paratus. 🇺🇸
19.02.2026 13:04
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This breaks down how onboarding quietly excludes veterans—and what better design looks like.
buff.ly/iA9GL8O
17.02.2026 17:18
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Traditional onboarding assumes everyone already knows how the room works.
Veterans often don’t—and that’s not a failure. It’s a design flaw.
17.02.2026 17:18
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Black service isn’t a footnote in American history.
It’s part of the foundation.
For the next two weeks, we’re honoring Black Americans who served — across centuries, across branches.
Some stories you know.
Some you probably don’t.
Follow along.
16.02.2026 17:18
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When veterans struggle during onboarding, it’s rarely a “soft skills” problem.
It’s unclear systems, unspoken rules, and assumptions masquerading as culture.
We wrote about that here:
buff.ly/iA9GL8O
13.02.2026 17:18
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What’s one thing your first civilian job never explained—but expected you to know on day one?
This is why traditional onboarding fails a lot of veterans.
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buff.ly/iA9GL8O
10.02.2026 17:18
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This program isn’t for everyone — and that’s a good thing.
It’s built for veterans and military spouses who want structure, accountability, and real engineering experience.
09.02.2026 17:18
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The 2026 Vets Who Code cohort runs 17 weeks and asks for ~20–24 hrs/week. That’s intentional.
We want people who are ready to treat this like an engineering role — not a side hobby.
04.02.2026 17:18
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Worth saying out loud: learning software engineering is hard. Any program that says otherwise isn’t being honest.
04.02.2026 17:18
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So the program now includes required pre-work, smaller cohorts, and real production-style work — not just tutorials.
29.01.2026 17:18
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AI isn’t a “nice to have” anymore. It’s reshaping what entry-level and mid-level engineering roles expect.
29.01.2026 17:18
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We rebuilt the Vets Who Code program for 2026 because the hiring market for software engineers changed — and pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.
29.01.2026 17:18
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MLK Day is often framed around dreams.
But his legacy was built on discipline, education, and action.
Progress doesn’t happen on its own. It’s built.
19.01.2026 17:18
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