How to describe pet projects on a CV

The formula

Every project is described the same way, in four points:

1. What it is. One plain sentence, understandable to a non-programmer.
2. What you did. Especially important if you weren't alone.
3. Built with what. Technologies, without padding.
4. What backs it up. A link to the running thing and a link to the code.

Three or four lines per project. Nobody reads more.

Side by side

Bad:

Development of a web application using a modern technology stack, implementation of client-server interaction, working with a database.

There's nothing here: what application, who needs it, what the author did, or whether it runs.

Good:

Subscription tracker — reminds you when a paid subscription is about to renew so you don't pay for things you forgot. Built entirely by me: Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, deployed in a container. I've used it myself for six months. Demo: link. Code: link.

Everything is clear, including the most convincing part — the author uses it themselves.

What adds weight

A number. "Cut report processing from two hours to five minutes" reads differently from "optimised processing". Even if the only user is you.

A real user. "Built it for the studio where my sister trains — they use it" beats any list of technologies.

An honest mention of difficulty. "The hardest part was reading amounts off crumpled receipts; in the end I did it this way" shows you actually did the work.

On team projects

The most common mistake is writing "participated in development". It means nothing and suggests the participation was nominal.

Be specific:

Booking service for a dance studio — team project, three people, six weeks. Owned the database and booking logic: schedule, taken slots, cancellations. Took part in reviewing others' code. Link.

That shows the team size, the duration, your part, and that you were involved in the shared work rather than sitting in a corner.

What not to write

• Names that say nothing. "Project X" is wasted space.
• Every technology you've seen. If you plugged a library in without understanding why, leave it out.
• Coursework presented as real projects. It gets recognised, and trust in the whole CV drops.
• Unfinished work as finished. Better honestly: "the main flow works, reports still in progress".

What removes the question entirely

When a team project comes with a confirmation from whoever ran it, stating what you did and owned. Then the most awkward interview question — "and what exactly did you do?" — is answered before it's asked.