How a Data Portfolio Project Got Me 2 Job Offers During a Layoff (BI Developer Story).
In January 2026 I was placed on a temporary layoff with a recall option. No date was attached to that recall. Two weeks in, I realized the company had already quietly closed the book on me, they just hadn't said those exact words out loud.
So instead of waiting, I built.
This is the story of how building one portfolio project publicly: sharing the messy process, the stuck moments, and the reasoning behind the decisions - changed the shape of my entire job search. Two separate interviewers, independently, asked me to walk them through the same project. Both of those conversations led to contract offers.
In this video:
→ What "temporary layoff with no recall date" actually means and when to stop waiting
→ Why I chose to build publicly instead of just applying in silence
→ What building in public actually looked like day to day (not polished, not perfect)
→ The specific project that interviewers kept asking about and why
→ Why a portfolio project beats a resume line in the same role every time
→ What I would tell someone in career limbo right now
This is not a story about going viral or posting bravely on day one. It is a story about what happens when you build something real, put it where people can see it, and let the work speak before you walk into the room.
Topics covered:
The layoff that technically wasn't permanent
Realizing the book was already closed
Why I chose to build instead of just apply
What building in public actually looked like
The project - AI Analytics Assistant v2.0
The moment it worked - two interviews, same question
Why a portfolio beats a resume line every time
What I would tell someone in limbo right now
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