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Portfolio Website Using Python/Flask vs. JavaScript/React?

5 points by Karsteski ↗ HN
I'm eventually looking to transition into the software development field, specifically the VR field. Right now, I "know" C++ and Python. I'd like to write my own website just with a few pages such as:

- about me (contact info/interests/etc)

- skills learnt from each project

- my hosted resume (PDF)

I'd also ideally like to have a blog.

Given my goals, does it make sense to just use Flask? I don't really care to learn JavaScript any time soon given how many other aspects of software development I need to learn. Would employers really care if I was unfamiliar with JS, HTML, CSS other than the absolute basics?

Any feedback welcome :)

10 comments

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schwartzworld
For something like that, you don't even need flask. I use Netlify to host static pages for free. Spin up a little html, throw a classless CSS framework like Sakura on it and push it up to GitHub. Netlify handles the rest.

If you really want to not bother with html, you could write the site in markdown and generate the standalone html files with pandoc.

As to whether employers will care how good you are at html/css/js, your mileage may vary. Your site doesn't need to have JavaScript.

My site https://schwartz.world is really minimal, but it's meant to be a labor of love and a place to experiment. I can't be pissed to think about making it look nice, despite (or maybe because of) doing front end professionally.

brudgers
Making a website is a distraction from the hard work of finding a job.

If you want a job, you have to knock on a lot of doors and face a lot of rejection.

Nobody is going to find your website and hire you that way...yes it sucks.

There's nothing wrong with building a website in Flask. Just don't pretend that it is looking for a job.

Good luck.

Karsteski
Great points! I'm just going to use a static site generator and focus on what I actually want to learn instead.
brudgers
There’s a time to learn and a time to earn.

Nothing wrong with either.

But don’t confuse learning with looking for a job.

Looking for a job is looking for a job, not hoping to be noticed by people you don’t know because of something they know nothing of.

beforeolives
Unless you want to use this as a learning exercise, it's best to just pick a static site generator. I played around with Hugo recently (https://gohugo.io/) and it was fairly straightforward to make a site and put it up on Github Pages.
Karsteski
I will just use Hugo. Makes more sense for me to focus on my main goals. Thank you :)
Jugurtha
What are you trying to do ?

Do you want to have a website or do you want to write a website ?

It seems like you want to have a portfolio, so I'd say just go with Wordpress or a static site generator.

>Would employers really care if I was unfamiliar with JS, HTML, CSS other than the absolute basics?

It depends on what you'll end up doing. If the position requires being good at JS, HTML, and CSS, then sure. If it doesn't, then it doesn't matter.

If we're hiring someone to do machine learning, then I won't really care if they don't breathe JS. If, a few years from now, we want to bring someone to make our product look good ans slick, then it will matter.

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kjjjjjjjjjjjjjj
Neither one will get you a job in VR dev. Just use a static site generator or some template, host it on github pages.
valehelle
Sorry for the self promotion but if you want the easy way I created a website https://www.logname.dev that provide all of that. - A portfolio website. - Integrate with github to show your latest project - Integrate with Dev.to to show your latest blog - Generate resume from ready made template.