First decide your specialization, what you are good at. Do not do a bit of everything, first master one aspect of unreal dev. (one you feel strongest at).
If you good at algebra, dig into Deep AI stable diffusion and all around that. But as tool developer not user. This will be in very high demand very soon.
Other than this, get into C++ for unreal 5. Almost everybody is looking for C++ coders that know some blueprints (not other way around).
Next is python (or other languages) for coding backend systems. Everybody wants to be game dev, but nobody want to code backend for all those “AAA mmo rts rpg with jetpacks and dinosaurs”. And those game companies are really hungry for backend developers.
So for coder i would start with some small prototypes of game systems like (just single prototype for each). My ideas:
- GUI, make something like inventory system, NPC dialogue that uses deep AI SDK (prove you can code communication with servers), options menu together with saving custom variables (like player name, keybindings). Input system for pad, mouse and keyboard, and touch interface.
- VR. Simple game like “on the rail shooter” just one level, weapons, and shooting.
- C++ Plugin for unreal. This could be integration with some service like chatGPT, or other deep AI, even getting weather for your place from some web service. Or plugin that reads and saves to CVS, JSON or anything.
- clone of retro simple game, but this should be polished and ready to release (even for free) on steam or mobiles, but ue5 on mobiles is hard, there is size limit for uploads, and unreal packaged games are huge, so you need some downloader app and your server to download from, too much for just portfolio.
About portfolio for artistic people i have no idea, sorry.
Ps. TL/DR
I am currently looking for job, and building my portfolio. So i am making some simple game it may sell or not (however this is to make portfolio). Then for building portfolio i am creating prototypes of systems for that game as separate projects. So i will have finished game, and portfolio of projects that are integrated into game.
There is one more reason to it: portfolio should look nice and have great looking projects, but then you cannot share them on github if you used any marketplace packages (this would be piracy). So having pictures and movies from game, and then just code projects (with source avaiable on github) showcasing system is way around that.
This way first stage recruiter have something to look at, and second technical stage recruiter can see code you made.
And remember commits they show how you think, how you solve problems.