APIs
Use a project where APIs changes a real implementation decision. Show the code, artifact, test, metric or operational evidence behind the claim.
CAREER PATH · Backend Developer
Show systems thinking behind the API surface.
Demonstrate data modeling, reliability, authentication, caching, tests and production tradeoffs.
APIsSQLPostgreSQLCachingDockerObservability
WHAT TO PROVE
Turn role requirements into visible evidence.
A portfolio is stronger when each project makes one or two important capabilities easy to inspect instead of trying to mention every technology at once.
SQL
Use a project where SQL changes a real implementation decision. Show the code, artifact, test, metric or operational evidence behind the claim.
PostgreSQL
Use a project where PostgreSQL changes a real implementation decision. Show the code, artifact, test, metric or operational evidence behind the claim.
Caching
Use a project where Caching changes a real implementation decision. Show the code, artifact, test, metric or operational evidence behind the claim.
Docker
Use a project where Docker changes a real implementation decision. Show the code, artifact, test, metric or operational evidence behind the claim.
Observability
Use a project where Observability changes a real implementation decision. Show the code, artifact, test, metric or operational evidence behind the claim.
RECOMMENDED PROJECTS
6 projects for the Backend Developer path.
Choose one project you can finish, deploy and explain deeply. Quality of proof matters more than collecting unfinished repositories.
Intermediate1–2 weekends
Production API + Rate Limiter
Ship an authenticated API with persistence, Redis-backed throttling, tests, monitoring and deployment.
API designPostgreSQLRedisDockerObservability
Open project brief →Advanced2 weekends
Event-Driven Order Service
Build order processing with queues, retries, idempotency and dead-letter handling.
QueuesIdempotencyEventsReliabilitySQL
Open project brief →Intermediate1 weekend
Authentication + Permissions Service
Implement sessions or tokens, role permissions, password reset and audit events.
AuthenticationAuthorizationSecuritySQLTesting
Open project brief →Advanced2 weekends
Search + Indexing Service
Create indexed search with ranking, filters, background indexing and relevance evaluation.
SearchIndexingQueuesAPI designEvaluation
Open project brief →Intermediate1–2 weekends
Asynchronous File Processing Pipeline
Accept uploads, process jobs asynchronously, track status and handle failures safely.
Object storageQueuesWorkersAPIsObservability
Open project brief →Advanced2–3 weekends
Multi-Tenant SaaS API
Design tenant isolation, quotas, audit logs and admin controls for a shared service.
Multi-tenancySQLAuthorizationQuotasAudit logs
Open project brief →RELEVANT OFFICIAL CERTIFICATIONS
Credentials that can complement the project proof.
These are optional signals from official issuers, not requirements for the role. When a pasted job explicitly mentions a credential, SkillChirp can surface it separately from project skill coverage.
AWSAssociate
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
Architecture-focused AWS credential covering secure, resilient, high-performing and cost-aware cloud solutions.
AWSArchitectureNetworkingSecurityCost control
AWSAssociate
AWS Certified Developer – Associate
Developer-focused AWS credential for building, testing, deploying and debugging cloud applications and delivery workflows.
AWSDeploymentCI/CDServerlessObservability
MicrosoftFoundational
Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals
Foundational credential for relational and non-relational data concepts and Azure data workloads.
AzureDataDatabasesAnalyticsData workloads
Google CloudProfessional
Google Cloud Professional Cloud Developer
Professional credential for building scalable, reliable cloud-native applications on Google Cloud.
Google CloudCloud applicationsAPIsDeploymentObservability
HOW TO USE THESE PROJECTS
Build, document, then make the proof easy to review.
Pick one missing signal
Choose the project that best fills a gap in your current portfolio rather than the one with the longest technology list.
Ship a working core
Keep scope small enough to finish. A deployed, testable core gives you more evidence than an ambitious unfinished system.
Document the tradeoffs
Explain architecture, constraints, failure states, testing and what you would change with more time.
Validate the work
Use SkillChirp discovery and Battles where appropriate to expose the project to outside feedback instead of leaving it hidden in a repository.
Make the project visible.
After you ship it, use the rest of SkillChirp to get discovery, validation and feedback instead of leaving the work hidden in a repository.