GitHub: The ‘secret’ tool for an IT job seeker’s portfolio and IT recruiter searches

GitHub: The ‘secret’ tool for an IT job seeker’s portfolio and IT recruiter searches

If you are an information technologist, you may have heard about GitHub.  Are you aware of its value as a job search tool?  GitHub is a US-based platform, created in 2008 (owned by Microsoft since 2018) that provides hosting visibility for software development (version control) and source code management (SCM) with access control and collaboration including bug tracking, feature requests, and task management for IT-based project.  The platform is used for open-source projects with over 40 million users and more than 100 million repositories of source code (data sourced from Wikipedia). 

GitHub is an amazing source to find solutions to coding problems for just about any programming language. GitHub account users store samples of coding and IT projects on which they have worked, including coding versions (from baseline up to finished versions, including group or scrum-team improvements).  GitHub provides ‘social-networking functions,’ e.g., feeds, followers, and discussions, as well as wikis (Gollum) and graphs that display branches of developers building code and showcasing the newest version. These publicly available programming / coding branches can be browsed and downloaded (cloned) by any GitHub user. 

Job seekers in the IT field rely on popular job boards, including Monster, Indeed, and CareerBuilder, veteran sites including Intelligence Careers, Military Connection, Corporate Gray, and Defense Daily, as well as Cleared Jobs and Cleared Connections targeting job seekers with security clearances.  Other job boards uniquely targeting IT careerists are Dice and Tech Expo.  Because IT job seekers target these well-known job boards, they may ignore establishing a work-related portfolio that demonstrates their IT skills.  A portfolio of accomplishments with demonstrations (screenshots, narrated videos, coded project links) can attract a recruiter’s interest and get a job seeker in a new employer’s door faster than some technical interviews.

GitHub allows creation of public portfolios for IT field job seekers to showcase their computer science abilities and capabilities, including coding, programing, and proficiency for on-going or completed projects.  GitHub has a parallel value to LinkedIn, where both social media platforms enables uploads of professional (headshot) photos, resumes, discussion projects, links to YouTube demonstration videos, as well as showcasing programming, coding, and IT projects.  The value of building a GitHub portfolio means profile owners can build a robust sample showcase of their coding skills to a targeted IT audience.

GitHub enables a technical recruiter to find potential qualified candidates for skills in specific coding or programming languages.  Can you imagine having this powerful resource as a recruiter?  Recruiters can perform a Boolean search for hard-to-find programming skills and read about the potential applicant’s skill sets, but also see demonstrations of what the IT specialist has completed (current, past employers, or school projects)?  If the GitHub account holder’s profile is rich and enticing, recruiters may reviewing the job seeker’s resumes on their ‘ReadMe’ file and follow-up by reaching out to explore job opportunities.

For a student in the IT field – working their way through computer projects in school – this is a perfect place to post your completed school projects (especially the “A” graded work), as well as showcase growth and skills from their education. It also can document other member’s work in the project to showcase ‘working well with the team members.’ This portfolio will enable potential employers to look over their shoulder to determine if the job seeker has promise and aptitude. 

For the mature job seeker, being able to search other GitHub accounts will enable them to drill down into specific types of coding and programming and learn more about the folks who’s profiles they are viewing.  The next option would be to reach out to those profiles to explore what company they are working for (if directly employed) and if the employer is hiring for the job seeker’s IT skill sets.  There may be cases where there are several levels or numbers of IT skills required within a company, and the job seeker may be able to link up via an employee referral via their interactions on GitHub. 

Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, social media management, and editing / publishing / print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.

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GitHub: The ‘secret’ tool for an IT job seeker’s portfolio and IT recruiter searches

GitHub: The ‘secret’ tool for an IT job seeker’s portfolio and IT recruiter searches

If you are an information technologist, you may have heard about GitHub.  Are you aware of its value as a job search tool?  GitHub is a US-based platform, created in 2008 (owned by Microsoft since 2018) that provides hosting visibility for software development (version control) and source code management (SCM) with access control and collaboration including bug tracking, feature requests, and task management for IT-based project.  The platform is used for open-source projects with over 40 million users and more than 100 million repositories of source code (data sourced from Wikipedia). 

GitHub is an amazing source to find solutions to coding problems for just about any programming language. GitHub account users store samples of coding and IT projects on which they have worked, including coding versions (from baseline up to finished versions, including group or scrum-team improvements).  GitHub provides ‘social-networking functions,’ e.g., feeds, followers, and discussions, as well as wikis (Gollum) and graphs that display branches of developers building code and showcasing the newest version. These publicly available programming / coding branches can be browsed and downloaded (cloned) by any GitHub user. 

Job seekers in the IT field rely on popular job boards, including Monster, Indeed, and CareerBuilder, veteran sites including Intelligence Careers, Military Connection, Corporate Gray, and Defense Daily, as well as Cleared Jobs and Cleared Connections targeting job seekers with security clearances.  Other job boards uniquely targeting IT careerists are Dice and Tech Expo.  Because IT job seekers target these well-known job boards, they may ignore establishing a work-related portfolio that demonstrates their IT skills.  A portfolio of accomplishments with demonstrations (screenshots, narrated videos, coded project links) can attract a recruiter’s interest and get a job seeker in a new employer’s door faster than some technical interviews.

GitHub allows creation of public portfolios for IT field job seekers to showcase their computer science abilities and capabilities, including coding, programing, and proficiency for on-going or completed projects.  GitHub has a parallel value to LinkedIn, where both social media platforms enables uploads of professional (headshot) photos, resumes, discussion projects, links to YouTube demonstration videos, as well as showcasing programming, coding, and IT projects.  The value of building a GitHub portfolio means profile owners can build a robust sample showcase of their coding skills to a targeted IT audience.

GitHub enables a technical recruiter to find potential qualified candidates for skills in specific coding or programming languages.  Can you imagine having this powerful resource as a recruiter?  Recruiters can perform a Boolean search for hard-to-find programming skills and read about the potential applicant’s skill sets, but also see demonstrations of what the IT specialist has completed (current, past employers, or school projects)?  If the GitHub account holder’s profile is rich and enticing, recruiters may reviewing the job seeker’s resumes on their ‘ReadMe’ file and follow-up by reaching out to explore job opportunities.

For a student in the IT field – working their way through computer projects in school – this is a perfect place to post your completed school projects (especially the “A” graded work), as well as showcase growth and skills from their education. It also can document other member’s work in the project to showcase ‘working well with the team members.’ This portfolio will enable potential employers to look over their shoulder to determine if the job seeker has promise and aptitude. 

For the mature job seeker, being able to search other GitHub accounts will enable them to drill down into specific types of coding and programming and learn more about the folks who’s profiles they are viewing.  The next option would be to reach out to those profiles to explore what company they are working for (if directly employed) and if the employer is hiring for the job seeker’s IT skill sets.  There may be cases where there are several levels or numbers of IT skills required within a company, and the job seeker may be able to link up via an employee referral via their interactions on GitHub. 

Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, social media management, and editing / publishing / print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.



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