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No thanks, I'll skip the free cheat sheetsRecruiters will open your GitHub. Two or three clean automation projects prove your skills before you say a word. Here are three that cover the full SDET stack.
Recruiters and interviewers will open your GitHub. An empty or messy profile undoes a strong resume; two or three clean, well-documented automation projects prove your skills before you say a word. Here are three portfolio projects that cover the full SDET stack — build these and you have concrete answers for every "have you worked with…" question.
| Purpose | Showcase: Selenium, Java, POM, TestNG, CI/CD, Docker, Reporting |
| Stack | Java 17 + Maven + Selenium 4 + TestNG + Allure + Jenkins + Docker |
| What to automate | Open source site: OrangeHRM (free demo) or AutomationExercise.com |
| Key features | POM architecture, TestNG parallel execution, Allure HTML report, Jenkinsfile, Docker Compose Grid |
| README must include | Architecture diagram, how to run, CI badge, Allure report screenshot, Docker Grid screenshot |
| Estimated time | 2–3 weeks to build properly |
| Impact on salary | Directly proves Phase 1+2 skills. Most important project. |
| Purpose | Showcase: RestAssured, Java, API design, CI/CD integration |
| Stack | Java + Maven + RestAssured + TestNG + GitHub Actions + Allure |
| What to automate | Reqres.in (free fake API) or JSONPlaceholder — full CRUD coverage |
| Key features | RequestSpec/ResponseSpec, chaining, schema validation, data-driven tests, GitHub Actions workflow |
| README must include | API coverage table, how to run, GH Actions badge, sample response assertions |
| Estimated time | 1.5–2 weeks |
| Impact on salary | Proves RestAssured expertise — most asked in product company SDETs |
| Purpose | Strengthen 'exposure' → 'hands-on experience' for Appium |
| Stack | Java + Appium + TestNG + Android Emulator (free) + Page Object Model |
| What to automate | Android Emulator + open-source app OR ApiDemos.apk (bundled with Android SDK) |
| Key features | AppiumDriver setup, POM for mobile, TestNG suite, touch actions, scroll/swipe |
| README must include | Setup instructions, emulator config, test run GIF/screenshot |
| Estimated time | 1–1.5 weeks |
| Impact on salary | Converts 'exposure' to proven skill. Differentiator vs other candidates |
These projects answer the framework and API rounds directly.
Framework Simulator → Docker + Grid Resume BuilderA web E2E automation framework, an API automation framework, and a mobile automation project cover the full stack. The three above specify the exact stack and features for each.
Yes — for SDET and engineering roles, interviewers routinely open your profile. Clean, documented projects prove your skills before the interview.
Roughly two to three weeks per project to build it properly with a good README and clean structure. Quality beats quantity — three solid projects beat ten half-finished ones.
A real README with an architecture diagram, clean commit history, an easy way to run it, and a stack that matches your target companies.
Tool versions in the stacks evolve — use current Selenium/RestAssured/Appium versions when you build.