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GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

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41–50 of 51 posts

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#41
This makes no sense at all. GitHub is your resume, so here are some silly rules you need to follow to cram that square peg into that round hole. If you need to artificially limit what code you host on a code hosting site to use it as your resume, maybe it's because code hosting sites don't make good resumes.

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#42
I fought this for a while, then gave in and spruced it up a bit (I mostly commit to private repos not on Github). The argument "If you don't have open repos you don't write code in your free time and are therefore probably not very good at coding" is full of gigantic holes. But, I get that everyone has their little arbitrary things they use to whittle down the herd of candidates.

I'm not doing LinkedIn, though. I'm not.

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#43
post #7

That's silly. I don't even have a GitHub account. All my professional life ( 20+) I've been writing code or building solutions for private companies, all the cool stuff I programmed lies in a private repository. And for the reference, I am always sending nicely PDF-formatted, very relevant, but succinct, CV and not a "poorly formatted, badly designed Microsoft Word template filled with irrelevant information you’ve c…

I don't agree with this guy, and I spend a lot of my time hiring developers. However: if you don't have open-source code, I tend to assume you don't do much programming in your free time. And if you don't program in your free time, how are you going to become a really strong developer? How will you get exposed to a range of technologies outside what your employer uses, and a range of problems outside your work domain…

if you don't have open-source code, I tend to assume you don't do much programming in your free time

That is too general. Most stuff I've done in my free time (when I still used it for coding) isn't publicly available anywhere for a number of reasons ranging from 'it's too bad' over 'it's only useful for me' over 'this piece of code is none of your business' to 'parts of this code are reused in a daytime job where the contract requires me not open-sourcing it'. And I am sure I'm not alone with some of these reasons.

And if you don't program in your free time, how are you going to become a really strong developer

This is, almost, an insult to me and lots of others with me. I have plenty of skills and none of them came from free time programming. Like the guy I learned the basics from and still go to for serious problems: he never writes any code in his free time yet he's a guru probably better than me and you combined :] I admit this depends a lot on the type of job me and he have: we can basically learn as much as we want during work hours, and after all learning is one of the key aspects that make a stromg developper. So sure if your job doesn't allow this you can gain from spending some free time programming but stating that programming in your free time is pretty much a requirement for becoming a strong developper is a couple of bridges too far.

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#44

This is somewhat unrelated, but wouldn't it be nice if there was a tool that would let you connect with Github, choose 3 or 4 of your favorite projects, and it would generate a cool looking resume/site for you? Does this already exist??

You just found your next project ;)

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#45
post #7

That's silly. I don't even have a GitHub account. All my professional life ( 20+) I've been writing code or building solutions for private companies, all the cool stuff I programmed lies in a private repository. And for the reference, I am always sending nicely PDF-formatted, very relevant, but succinct, CV and not a "poorly formatted, badly designed Microsoft Word template filled with irrelevant information you’ve c…

I don't agree with this guy, and I spend a lot of my time hiring developers. However: if you don't have open-source code, I tend to assume you don't do much programming in your free time. And if you don't program in your free time, how are you going to become a really strong developer? How will you get exposed to a range of technologies outside what your employer uses, and a range of problems outside your work domain…

Programming in your free time and having code on github are orthogonal.

Plenty of the best programmers I know don't use github and have all kinds of personal projects. Where's John Carmack's github? Where's Michael Abrash's? Where's Jonathan Blow's? I'd be willing to be most of the most famous game programmers don't have github accounts.

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#46
post #7

That's silly. I don't even have a GitHub account. All my professional life ( 20+) I've been writing code or building solutions for private companies, all the cool stuff I programmed lies in a private repository. And for the reference, I am always sending nicely PDF-formatted, very relevant, but succinct, CV and not a "poorly formatted, badly designed Microsoft Word template filled with irrelevant information you’ve c…

I don't agree with this guy, and I spend a lot of my time hiring developers. However: if you don't have open-source code, I tend to assume you don't do much programming in your free time. And if you don't program in your free time, how are you going to become a really strong developer? How will you get exposed to a range of technologies outside what your employer uses, and a range of problems outside your work domain…

I tend to assume you don't do much programming in your free time.

Poorly founded assumption. What you have are people that don't publish their hobby projects. The reasons run from employment contrasts, not thinking others will find any value in it, and yes, not doing any. If it wasn't for this github resume fad, I'd say that it's quite vain to put my dumb side projects online.

And if you don't program in your free time, how are you going to become a really strong developer?

By having an employer that is invested in my professional growth? As it benefits both of us? My employer invests in my ongoing education and skills. In the future it's unlikely I will take a job that doesn't. It sounds like you just want a early-20-something with no concept of a work/life balance to burn out his life for you.

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> "If repos are just simple little side-projects, they don't necessarily need descriptions - I know what they are, I know what they do, they aren't there for anyone but me, I don't expect them to be starred or forked." Why put it in a public repo then?

Because private repos costs money, to encourage public activity and sharing. That's the github model. With that model in place you cannot expect anything else.

Free private repos: https://bitbucket.org/plans

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#49

"The work you did a year or more ago couldn’t possibly still be relevant today." Are you 16 years old? Tech changes quickly, but not that quickly. A GitHub repository with older projects would be useful to show depth and variety of experience. Just because it's not all using the latest Rails 4.1 doesn't mean that it won't show insight into professional skills like, say, well organized code, playing well with others -…

When you are a beginner, a year ago seems like a very long time.

And code that a beginner wrote a year prior might indeed be worth not sharing.

Re: GitHub Is Your Resume Now (2012)

#50
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you are a beginner, a year ago seems like a very long time.

And code that a beginner wrote a year prior might indeed be worth not sharing.

Commits are timestamped.... a hiring manager who's truly interested will look at the most recent stuff first.
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