Building a Data Analytics Portfolio: What to Include and Where to Start
- Sarah Rajani
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 3 minutes ago
Helpful tips to make a standout portfolio, whether you're new to the field, changing careers, or just tired of being ghosted after applying.
Table of Contents:
If you're new to data analytics, you’ve probably heard this question at least once (or you will soon):
“Do you have a portfolio?”
I was confused when I first heard it, too. I thought only designers and artists had portfolios.
It has become a requirement for data analyst roles, especially if you plan on applying for jobs. Some applications even have a specific field where they ask for your portfolio website. Regardless, it is expected that you provide a link to your portfolio at the top of your resume.
It can be intimidating trying to figure out what to include and how to build your portfolio, but think about all the projects you worked on to practice your data skills... where can people find them all?
That's what your portfolio is for.
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Why a Portfolio Matters in Data Analytics
A portfolio for data analysts is a non-negotiable, because anyone can list tools on a resume... But can you show you actually learned something and know how to apply your new skills?
No one pays much attention to how many certificates you accumulated. They want to know if you can use the tools on the job, and how well. So your portfolio will help people see how you work and how you think.
If you’re just starting out, it fills the gap between "I took a course" and "I can do the job." If you already have experience, it highlights your range and shows off the kind of problems you’ve solved.
Basically, a portfolio is a collection of your data projects in one central location. If you created one project writeup on Medium, and two on LinkedIn, your portfolio is the place where you can add the links to all of them, like a navigation system.
What Makes a Strong Data Analytics Portfolio?
A good portfolio isn’t just a bunch of dashboards. It’s a collections of projects you did that show:
How you think through a problem.
What questions you ask.
How you clean and explore the data.
What tools you chose and why.
How your work helps others make decisions (this one is the most important one!).
That’s what hiring managers want to see. And you don’t need 10 examples. Three or four well-written projects are enough. You can add more as your grow your skillset.
So let's talk about what you should include in your portfolio.
A Quick Intro About You
Write a short blurb at the beginning of your portfolio sharing your background, what got you interested in data, and what tools you like working with. If a hiring manager looks at your site, give them a little insight into who you are, beyond your resume's professional summary.
Example:
I spent 10 years working in education before transitioning into data analytics. I specialize in SQL, Power BI, and Excel, and I enjoy creating clean, actionable reports that help teams move faster.
Add Projects to Showcase Your Skills
Remember, you can add more recent projects as you go, and remove old ones later on, but start with a small selection in the beginning.
Include a short summary and link to each project so people can read the full write-up if they choose.
Remember, each project should follow a structure:
The problem you were trying to solve.
Where the data came from.
What tools you used and why.
What you found.
How someone else could use that insight
For more detail on how to structure a data analytics project writeup, check out my previous post.
Try to include a variety of projects across tools and complexity.
For example, you can include one project each using the basic data analytics tools:
Excel Project: Clean a messy dataset and create a dashboard using PivotTables and formulas.
SQL Project: Use SQL to query a public database and produce a summary report.
BI Tool Project: Build an interactive dashboard in Power BI, Looker Studio, or Tableau.
Combined Project: Start with SQL for extraction, clean in Excel or Python, and build a dashboard in a BI tool.
Each project should include a write-up in plain language. Even if it’s technical, explain your process so non-technical stakeholders could follow along. This is an important skill for a data analyst, so show that you can translate insights in an easy-to-understand way.
Visuals That Add Clarity
Charts are great, but only when they communicate something. Make sure your project visuals are clean, clear, and answer a question.
Use tools like:
Tableau Public
Power BI
Looker Studio
Excel
And explain what you’re showing. A chart with no context doesn’t mean much.
Case Studies or Blog Posts (Optional)
This part is completely optional and not necessary at all.
But if you like writing and want to add some more depth to your portfolio, you can add a few case studies or short blog posts. These help show your communication skills, and they’re a good way to reflect on what you learned.
You can post them on:
Your own site
Medium
Notion
GitHub
Link the articles on your portfolio site for people to read.
Where to Host Your Portfolio
This is the part that will take the most work: figuring out where to create your portfolio, and how much work to put into it.
I've used a ton of different platforms over the past few years, changing as my goals and audience shifted.
Early on, I wanted something quick and simple that didn’t require much design knowledge (like Carrd). Later, I wanted more control, like custom URLs, better layout options, and the ability to create blog posts and more complex embeds (using Wix or Wordpress).
The platform you choose depends on what you're trying to accomplish, and how comfortable you are with website coding. Don’t worry about choosing the "perfect" tool. Just pick the one that lets you get something online without having to do too much work.
I recommend you start with a no-code , drag-and-drop option and go from there.
Here’s a breakdown of popular platforms based on your needs:
No-Code Options
Notion – Free. Clean, easy to update, good for organizing write-ups and links.
Google Sites – Free. Simple to set up and integrates with Google tools.
Carrd – Free for one site with limited features. Paid plans unlock custom domains and more components.
Canva Sites – Free with paid upgrades. Ideal for visuals, with templates and branding tools.
Tilda – Freemium. Offers basic features on the free tier with paid options for custom domains and integrations.. Clean, easy to update, good for organizing write-ups and links.
Maven Analytics - Free to create a portfolio using their Starter Plan, no credit card required. If you want access to their courses as well, then there are paid plans, but the portfolio platform is free.
Low-Code Builders
Wix – Free tier available with Wix branding. Paid plans offer custom domains and full design control.
WordPress – Free plan available on WordPress.com, with paid upgrades for themes, plugins, and domains.
Squarespace – Paid only. Known for clean templates and all-in-one setup.
Webflow – Freemium. Free tier includes Webflow branding; paid plans unlock more advanced features and hosting.
Higher Coding Platforms
GitHub Pages – Free. Good for static sites using Markdown or HTML. No backend support.
Vercel – Free tiers with generous usage. Paid options available for teams or larger apps.
Observable – Free tier with limits. Paid plans unlock more sharing, export options, and team features.. Good for Markdown sites or simple HTML portfolios.
Dashboard Platforms
Tableau Public – Free. Share public dashboards easily. No option for private data.
Power BI (Publish to Web) – Free with Power BI account. Only for public-facing dashboards. Avoid using confidential data.
Looker Studio – Free. Integrates well with Google Sheets and BigQuery. Best for live reports and shareable links.. Host and share dashboards publicly.
What to do Once your Portfolio is Complete?
You built your portfolio and it looks great, so now what?
Don't stop there. You need people to see it. Showcase the work you put into your projects and portfolio, and let people know what you can do.
Here are a few easy ways to do that:
Add the link to your resume. Add it right at the top where you put your name and contact info.
Put it on your LinkedIn profile. You can add it in the About section, in the Featured section, or anywhere else you feel it makes sense. Adding it to your background image is a great place as well.
Drop it into your email signature. Your personal email signature, that is. If a hiring manager or recruiter reaches out to you, you can reply with a professional-looking signature that they can directly click on to see your site.
Add your link to the bottom of your project writeups. In every project write-up, add a CTA (call to action) at the bottom mentioning a link to your portfolio to see more of your work.
Talk about your projects in interviews. Refer to your portfolio projects to answer all kinds of questions, from “Tell me about a time you worked with stakeholders” to “How do you approach cleaning data?”
Final Tips Before You Publish
Use what you know. You don’t need to learn Python just to make a project. Start with the tools you're comfortable in. The basics (Excel, SQL, a BI tool) are the best first projects.
Don’t make it a complicated. Keep the layout of your portfolio simple and well-organized. No one wants to click through five pages to figure out what you did. Before I created my blog site, my portfolio was the focus, and I used Carrd because it was so simple to set up. It's the one I still recommend if you want a simple drag and drop tool.
Write like a real person. Avoid copy-pasting someone else's portfolio or project write-ups. This is your time to shine. Explain your thought process like you would if someone asked you about your work in person.
Focus on why it matters. Don’t just say what you did. You need to explain what someone could do with that information.
You can always update it later. Your portfolio isn’t set in stone. As you grow, tweak your projects, rewrite sections, or remove older ones. It’s meant to grow with you.
Your portfolio is proof of your skills. It shows that you’ve gone beyond just learning tools and you know how to apply them. You’ve solved problems and thought critically.
So don’t wait till you have a perfect project or for the perfect time...
You'll never ending up creating anything.
Start with one project, write about what you did, link it to your site, and share your progress!
And if you need help structuring your project write-ups, check out my previous post:
One project at a time. That’s all it takes to get started.
Enjoyed this post? Share your thoughts in the comments.
I write about data, career transitions, and making analytics easier to understand.
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Just what I needed - a list and comparison of options for hosting a portfolio, plus broken down between no-code, low-code, etc.👍