Apply While You Build: Get Job-Search Feedback on Your AI Project Early

Bashiri Smith · Facebook reel · 2026-09-18 · 1:12 · 11,138 views · Open on Facebook

Topics: Resume, Job Search & Interviews, Portfolio Projects · Level: beginner

Summary

Bashiri Smith says the biggest mistake aspiring AI engineers make is waiting until a big portfolio project is finished before applying for jobs. Instead, he suggests adding the planned project to your resume, building it in 1–2 months, and applying at the same time. The responses you get, or don't get, show you whether the project and your resume match what employers want, before you've spent months on it.

Key points

• Common mistake: spending 2–6 months on an 'impressive' project, then another 3–6 months applying, only to find that no one cares about it.
• Put the project on your resume early and start applying right away instead of waiting until it's done.
• Be honest about status: clearly label ongoing work, and separate intended (target) results from results you've actually measured.
• Aim to build the project in about 1–2 months while you apply.
• Expect roughly 1–2 months of applying before responses start coming in.
• If you get no responses, either the project or other parts of your resume are weak. Use applications and interviews to find gaps in your resume, positioning and skills.
• Adjust as you learn: don't polish a project for 6 months without checking that it shows what your target roles need.
• You don't need a perfect project to make progress in your job search.

Resources mentioned

• How to Build a Coding Project That Will Get You Hired in 2026 [FULL BLUEPRINT] · video · youtube.com · free
  Bashiri Smith's full YouTube tutorial on planning and building portfolio projects that solve real problems and show employers you can do useful work.
  Also in: Build Side Projects With Real Users to Stand Out to Employers (Bashiri Smith on Facebook · notes), Be the "Glue": Build AI Projects That Solve Real Problems to Get Hired (Bashiri Smith on Facebook · notes), Stop Writing AI Keyword Soup: Build Projects That Solve Real Problems (Bashiri Smith on Facebook · notes), Beat the Hiring "Trust Recession" With Public Proof-of-Skill Projects (Bashiri Smith on Facebook · notes) and 2 more

Try this

• Add your planned AI project to your resume now. Clearly mark it as in progress, and list target metrics separately from measured results.
• Start applying for AI engineer roles right away instead of waiting until the project is finished.
• Build the project in about 1–2 months while you apply.
• Track responses over 1–2 months. If none come in, revise the project or the weak parts of your resume.
• Use what you learn from applications and interviews to find gaps in your resume, positioning and skills, then adjust the project.
• Watch the creator's full blueprint video on market research and choosing a project.