GitHub profile
Introduction
GitHub is often seen as the LinkedIn for software developers. But it does more than just connecting the tech community; it also provides access control and several collaboration features such as bug tracking, feature requests, task management, continuous integration and wikis for every project. And just as important: (good) recruiters use it as well to see how well you can code and how active you are!
Creating a GitHub profile
Starting with LinkedIn is easy: just go over here and follow the steps to create your personal profile. There are some important things to keep in mind:
Choose a username that can be tracked to your name so recruiters can easily find you (so not codinglover1993, but rather VincentvanG1993)
Keep in mind that your profile will be public, so just like with LinkedIn, fill the data correctly with correct spelling and capitalisation
A profile picture is a little less super important as with LinkedIn, as on GitHub, it's mainly about your coding skills and experience. You can also choose to make an avatar, through this website for example
Creating an (awesome) profile page
As GitHub is a tech platform, you need to use your tech skills to make your profile really complete. The best way to do so is to 'code' your own profile page, which you can do by adding a README file to your profile 'Repository'. How to do so?
Step 1: creating a README.md file for your profile
Create a new repository with the same name as your GitHub username. For example, if your username is Gapur, the repository name must be Gapur.
Within the repository, create a README.md file. This new file will be displayed on your GitHub profile page!
Step 2: code that README.md file!
Now it's time to be creative! You can use HTML markup to style the file, and just like with HTML, you can insert images and other content. In general, we recommend to create various sections, like LinkedIn does as well. For example, you can add the following sections with <h1> (or h2) elements:
Quick introduction (who you are, what you do, what you're good at in tech)
Examples of your experience (web development student at MigraCode, completed various Khanacademy courses, for example)
Projects portfolio (from small to big ones)
Goals (learning Java, learning NodeJS, etc.)
Skills (frameworks, coding languages, technologies, soft skills such as adaptability, creativity, self-criticism, etc.)
Your programing music!
How to reach out (LinkedIn profile, other networks)
Start contributing!
Now that you have your GitHub page ready, and you may have added your first followers, it's time to become really active. It's SUPER important to have an active GitHub profile, as recruiters will definitely check if you are actively coding and upgrading your skills!
Option 1: committing your own work and projects
A great way to keep your GitHub profile active and to easily show-off your tech skills is by simply committing all the hard work you do for MigraCode and any other projects or courses. Make sure to commit each exercise, save each project you do and keep track of larger projects in your profile README.md. And keep them organized in the correct repositories, so it's easy for recruiters and others to separate your work.
Option 2: contributing to open-source projects
There are many reasons why contributing to open-source projects is a great idea:
It builds your resume by demonstrating that you can collaborate with others on code.
It gives you practice with Git and GitHub, which is a valuable data science skill.
It helps you to build relationships in the open source community.
It feels good to give back to a project that you use!
And luckily, there are many guides out there that explain you in simple steps how to start contributing right away. We found this one on DataSchool, although this one on Akrabat also looks good.
We recommend you to start contributing to other projects once you are a bit further in the course, for example after at least 1 JavaScript module.
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