Speaking as a hiring manager. Yes I do look for your portfolio, GitHub, or at least links to things you have done. Separating design from code is a real thing. If I am hiring a back end developer I really don’t care about their design skills, I want to see the code. But, if I am hiring a front end developer, I want to see both.
One suggestion I have for you is to create a portfolio with your name as the domain name. In my experience have a CodePen be your portfolio will turn away some recruiters and hiring managers (i.e. my gate keepers). Just my two cents, good luck!