Essential Tips for Showcasing Your GitHub on Resumes

What is GitHub, and why is it important?

GitHub is a cloud-based platform that allows programmers to showcase projects and store, manage, and track code. It’s a popular place for teams to collaborate, build code together, and provide feedback.

This tool is an excellent way to showcase projects and highlight your known programming languages – essentially, it’s a portfolio for software developers and engineers.

Should I put GitHub on resumes?

While it isn’t necessary, including GitHub on resumes is an excellent idea as it allows recruiters to see your software skills in action.

Keep in mind that it’s crucial to optimize your Github before listing it, including cleaning it up and showcasing your best projects. Much like a LinkedIn profile, you need to make sure your account is clean, impressive, and professional before funneling employers there.

If you aren’t active on Github and lack relevant projects, it’s best to omit it and find better content for your resume, such as past job achievements.

Preparing your GitHub profile for resumes

You want your profile to accurately highlight your best skills, so it’s vital to clean it up. Ask yourself if you’d want a recruiter to view your GitHub right now – do you think it would represent your skills effectively and land you a new job?

Take a moment to check your profile and make it presentable. Here’s how.

Cleaning up your GitHub profile

First, let’s go through a few optimization basics:

• Remove irrelevant projects: If a project doesn’t relate to the job description, remove it. For example, if you’re applying for a job that primarily uses HTML, a profile filled with CSS projects may make the hiring manager think you aren’t qualified.
• Check code quality: Review your projects and make sure each one on display has clean, efficient code. 
• Organize projects: Make your profile easy to navigate by structuring your projects logically. Create separate repositories, use concise names, and take advantage of labels.
• Keep your profile up-to-date: Ensure your GitHub accurately reflects your current skills, competencies, and experience. Remove old irrelevant projects, add new ones, and tidy up older but still relevant projects so they describe you effectively.
• Make your profile attractive: Add a photo and an engaging bio to your GitHub. Make your profile stand out and represent your unique self.

Creating a README for your profile and projects

A GitHub README is the first thing someone sees when they navigate to your profile or one of your repositories – it’s basically a landing page. It should be informative, engaging, and eye-catching.

Create a concise README for each project, detailing the content, which programming languages you used, and their impact. Discuss challenges you overcame and any collaboration opportunities throughout its lifecycle.

Build an attention-grabbing README for your profile, too. This should summarize your programming abilities like a resume summary, so add your top technical skills, outline impactful projects, and add work accomplishments where possible.

Choosing the right GitHub projects to showcase

Your GitHub should highlight a few powerful, quality projects. There’s no point listing everything you’ve ever done – hiring managers don’t have time to examine each one, and it’s likely they’ll only spend a few seconds to a minute before they decide if they’re going to pursue your candidacy.

Make a list of your projects and shortlist the best ones. Consider two main factors: 

1. Your most impressive projects that highlight advanced skills.
2. Your most relevant projects to the job you’re applying for.

Make sure to thoroughly read the job description and discover what the hiring manager is looking for. Look for keywords, like programming languages, frameworks, and responsibilities, and tailor your GitHub profile to match. This ensures the recruiter won’t have to read between the lines – they’ll know why you applied immediately and see how you can effectively fill their open role.

How to put GitHub on resumes

Now that your profile is optimized and ready to go, let’s cover how and where to put GitHub on resumes.  It’s difficult to overdo it, so we recommend listing it in multiple areas to make it easy for the hiring manager.

First, include a link to your main GitHub profile in your header next to your job title and phone number. Just like a portfolio link or LinkedIn URL, you want this to be immediately visible. Here’s an example:

Next, create a Projects section. This is much like a Word Experience section and should have separate entries for each project detailing the title, date, your role, and the programming skills used. Underneath, add a bullet list of notable events and achievements and a link to the project on GitHub for more information. Here’s a realistic example:

If you want to showcase your skills with GitHub, and not just your separate projects, add “GitHub” or “Git” in your Skills section and resume summary. This helps convey your collaboration abilities and is useful to employers who use GitHub for team projects.

Browse our large selection of resume examples to see these best practices in action so you can try them out yourself.

Optimizing your GitHub profile for job searches

Optimizing your GitHub should be ongoing, just like updating your resume. Keep it dynamic and add to your profile whenever you advance a project or start a new one. Try to always keep it in mind so you always have the freshest, most relevant information.

Here are two great ways to enhance your profile and commit to continuous improvement.

Developing a diverse portfolio

Pursue opportunities and purposefully improve your desired hard skills, creating a relevant, diverse portfolio.

Contribute to open-source projects and demonstrate your collaboration skills, or take on personal projects in your spare time to strengthen unique, niche abilities.

Getting feedback on your profile

Regularly ask friends, colleagues, and mentors to review your GitHub and give their honest thoughts. It always pays to get a second opinion, and there are many things you may not notice, from minor details like typos to large issues like irrelevant projects.

This feedback helps you hone your profile into the ultimate resume aid, perfectly highlighting your best qualifications and making you an attractive candidate.

Consider joining online communities where users give and receive tips and advice to make feedback a natural, normal part of your week.

Final tips for showcasing GitHub on your resume

Let’s finish up with a quick list of do’s and don’ts for listing GitHub on your resume. Use this summary as a quick reference next time you update your resume to make sure you don’t miss anything important.

Here are our top tips:

• Make sure you’re active: Check your GitHub profile before every job application, ensuring it’s up-to-date and cleaned up.
• Tell a story: Use your profile to create a strong narrative about your skills, experience, and career history. This makes a holistic job application that helps your resume and cover letter describe your range of skills.
• Find interlinking opportunities: Add a GitHub link to other crucial platforms, such as your personal website and LinkedIn profile.
• Tailor your profile to the job: Leverage relevant keywords from the job description to help the hiring manager connect to your qualifications more quickly.
• Use the right layout: Use a professional resume template to personalize your application with unique sections and headers.

“While it isn’t necessary, including GitHub on resumes is an excellent idea as it allows recruiters to see your software skills in action.”

List GitHub on resumes and highlight your programming skills

Every great creator should have a detailed portfolio, and GitHub is your chance to showcase your best abilities and impress recruiters. Clean up your profile, optimize it with your best projects, and proudly include a link to show potential employers what you bring to the table.

Ready to build a professional resume that grabs the hiring manager’s eye? Head over to CVwizard’s resume maker and create an effortlessly customizable resume.