Writing your GitHub Profile
Kera Cudmore
Your GitHub profile can be easily overlooked while getting your CV, cover letter and Linked In profile whipped into shape to begin applying for your first developer role, and you might even think its not that important to fill out - but that would be a big mistake!
Sure - your CV and Linked In profile are super important and will be looked over by a recruiter, but its your GitHub profile that your potential boss is going to be interested in, as this gives them an insight into your actual coding skills.
So how can you get your GitHub Profile looking 🔥 to help increase those interview chances? Well read on and I'll share some of the tricks I used to create an interesting GitHub Profile that reflected me, as a developer, and as a person 🙂
Banner
At the top of my GitHub account I've added a banner. This is just an image along the top of my profile, which breaks up the monotony of a bunch of text.
However, what really makes this a bit more important is that I've also used the same banner on LinkedIn, and the colour scheme in my CV and covering letter. I think this really helps to promote yourself as a 'brand' - it makes it clear that all your socials, CV etc are connected to the same person.
I've personalised mine with my name and job title, and then to add a bit of personality, I've included an illustration of my Bulldog, Bubba. He can sometimes be heard snoring away in the background during meetings!
Useful resources:
- Canva - great for creating banners & posts for socials
About Me
Next comes the about me section. Now part of this comes from my CV, such as why I got into coding and my current position - but I've also included a bit about me and what I like to do when I'm not coding, my hobbies and other interests.
This is super helpful information that could be used by an interviewer as something to break the ice during an interview, or you may find that they also have the same interests - you might even find out that the company you're applying to host their own book club monthly!
Don't be afraid to add a few personal details here, after all, you're human, and this can be a great way to connect with others who share the same interests!
Contact Information
My contact section is rather brief, containing a button that links to my LinkedIn profile, slack and Discord. I've also used this section to include links to where I'm currently publishing my articles.
If you feel comfortable you could also include your email address, or add in other ways you can be found online, such as twitter etc. Just remember to keep it professional.
Tech stack
Now we're getting to the meat of the profile - your tech stack! This section is a great way for others viewing your profile to see what programming languages you use, what other software you have knowledge of and even what you're currently learning!
Again, I like to break up the text on my profile, so I use badges to display my tech stack.
Useful Resources:
Project Highlights
I've used this section to highlight some of my projects - these are currently the 4 projects I completed for my diploma. I've displayed this in a table to keep all the information easy to read and contained - and it includes an image which links to the project repository together with a short piece of text about the project and the tech stack used.
Hackathon Projects
Similar to the project highlights above, but this time for hackathon projects I've been involved in!
Hackathons are great to show potential employers evidence of you working within a team environment - this is especially important if you're looking for your first position as a developer, and can be the small extra needed to elevate you over other junior developers applying for the same position.
They are also an amazing amount of fun, and allow you to meet other developers at all different stages of experience, so theres always plenty to learn - and the opportunity to give back to the community wherever you currently are in your journey 🙂
If you're a Code Institute Student or Alumni, check out the hackathon channel on slack for more information on the next hackathon. For everyone else, LinkedIn can be a fantastic resource for finding hackathon events taking place near you - the Met Office recently hosted a hackathon about space and I've seen one advertised by the Internet Watch Foundation to be hosted in London with a theme of tackling child sex abuse online in Mid February.
Stats
Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for collecting badges - so of course I had to add some stats widgets to the end of my profile!
These can be another way to showcase your activity and involvement - and who doesn't love seeing that commit streak number rising? 😉
Useful resources:
- Badges 4 README.md Profile Repo - Scroll right to the very bottom
- GitHub Profile Trophy
So there you have it, how I've tweaked my GitHub profile to be a bit more exciting than a blank page, or a massive block of text! Let me know if there's anything you would add to this list, or an interesting resource - and I'd love to see what you do with your GitHub profile, so don't forget to share those too!
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