Whew. I wrapped up my last personal project over two weeks ago, and now I'm staring at the blank void of what's next?😵💫 Right now, I feel like I need to level up my GitHub, actually showcase the projects I've worked on—because honestly, I’ve done quite a bit, but none of it is properly displayed. Time to fix that!
After a lot of overthinking (and some existential dread 😅), I see four possible paths ahead:
Path 1: Revive My Old Project 🛠️
One project that stands out in my memory is this computer vision project I did with my classmate. It was all about detecting local Filipino fishes in the market 🐟—the idea being that introverts (like me) wouldn’t have to ask for fish prices; they could just scan them and get real-time market trends. Was it dumb? Absolutely. Did we do it anyway for the grades? You bet. 😆
We trained our model using YOLOv4 and tried running it with some Tkinter-based UI, which—fun fact—only worked on YOLOv3. I still have no idea why it wouldn't run on YOLOv4, and at the time, we kinda just... worked around it. Ended up with a UI that looked like total garbage but at least we had a fully deployed app, unlike most of our classmates who just showcased their models. Small wins, right? 😅
Now, I want to revive this project and put it on GitHub, mainly to show my Python proficiency, plus my experience with data manipulation (Pandas, PyTorch, etc.). Only problem? When I downloaded my old files... I have no idea what's going on. 🤡 I can’t even figure out how to initialize the project or install dependencies. Who wrote this code?? Oh wait, it was me.
👉 Pros: Strengthens my portfolio, showcases my past experience
👉 Cons: Might take forever to untangle my own spaghetti code
Path 2: Start a New Project from Scratch 💡
Instead of reviving old work, I could build something that aligns with the career path I actually want—something in LLMs & automation tools.
I had this idea for a project where an AI assistant could read emails, update spreadsheets, download files, and basically make life easier for VAs. It sounds fun, but also... it would take me like 3 months to build. That’s a long time when I’m also trying to find a job.
👉 Pros: Directly relevant to my career goals, fresh start
👉 Cons: Time-consuming, might delay my job search
Path 3: Just Find a Job Already 💼
I really need to get a job in my field to gain a year of experience, which would help me get extra points for a worker’s visa in Australia. But whenever I check SWE job listings, they all require full working rights—which, as a student, I don’t have.
Then I stumbled upon a part-time job posting that actually matched my skillset. One of their requirements? Proficiency in XAMPP. Guess what? My last project used XAMPP! Guess what else? I still didn't apply. 🙃 Why? Because I don’t feel ready. Haven’t done Leetcode. Haven’t brushed up on common interview questions. The imposter syndrome is strong with this one.
👉 Pros: Directly contributes to my career goals, helps with visa points
👉 Cons: Fear of rejection, feeling unprepared
Path 4: Network & Apply Anyway 🤝
Instead of waiting until I feel ready, I could start networking, join communities in my field, apply for jobs even if I don’t feel 100% ready, and keep building my portfolio on the side.
I’ve realized that nobody ever feels 100% ready, and sometimes you just have to go for it. Even if I don’t land a job right away, I’ll at least make connections, get interview experience, and put myself out there.
👉 Pros: Expands opportunities, builds confidence
👉 Cons: Uncertainty, stepping out of my comfort zone
So... What’s the Plan?
Honestly? I have no idea yet. Right now, I’m leaning toward a mix of Paths 3 & 4—start applying for jobs whilenetworking, but also work on my GitHub portfolio on the side.
I still feel overwhelmed, but hey, I’ll figure it out. One step at a time. Wish me luck. 🍀
