Revamping your Github Profile
Hello everyone, my name is Ria Monga. I am a 3rd-year student at Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology pursuing a B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering.
As a fresher, I was always keen to build an impressive profile, and this included having well-connected socials. But do you know what’s the best way to showcase your work and connect with developers around the world? Yes, GitHub it is! And it’s nothing less than a resume.
GitHub is a great way to share your code as it is the largest open source community in the world. You can upload from anything to everything to GitHub. For example, maintaining a DSA repository to track your daily progress or a cool project that you built.
GitHub is mainly a Version Control System for hosting Git repositories online. It lets users keep their remote repository private or open for collaborative endeavors. It allows you to record different versions of a file (or set of files) that can be accessed, compared, updated, and distributed at any time.
Having a good GitHub Profile is a must and in this blog, we are going to learn how can you do so!
[1] Getting started 🤩
>> i. Changing Avatar
You can change your profile photo, status, add a bio & connect your socials by clicking on your Profile photo > Settings.
>> ii. Pin and reorder your favorite repositories
You can choose the repositories you want to show on your profile. Your repositories with the most stars and watchers make it to the top of this list. By default, you can pin 6 repositories. Customize your pins and reorder them according to your preference.
Note: If you wish to add extra repo cards, you can refer to this amazing repository:
>> iii. Contributions Calendar
Earning green squares on your contribution graph means celebrating the work you do in open source and public projects. This section shows how frequently you’ve been contributing over the past year.
Contribution Settings:
Logically, including your work in private repositories is a more accurate representation of your contributions, but your privacy is important too. Private contributions are not shown by default and, when enabled, are completely anonymized to the general public. You can opt into sharing your private contributions from here.
- Streaks: As part of this update, code streaks are no longer featured on your contribution graph. The simplified interface focuses on the work you’re doing rather than the duration of your activity.
Adding Contributions graph: gives viewers more context about the types of contributions you’ve made. You can add the graph to your profile by simply checking the activity overview option in contribution settings.
These were all the basic steps, but are you still wondering what is that one step that can take your GitHub profile to the next level?
That takes us to the next section of this blog:
[2] Adding a README.md File
The secret to adding all the interesting elements you might have seen in your favorite developer's profile is a README.md file which is made up of markdown(.md) code.
>> How can you do that?
To create a README that appears on your profile, you need to create a new repository that:
I. Has the same name as your GitHub username.
II. Is public
III. Is initialized with a README.md file
Changing any of the above three conditions would remove the README file from your profile so be careful 🙈.
Now that you have the weapon, let's learn to use it :P
i. Header Image
Having a header image gives your profile just the head start it requires. You can add an image with your name, proficient languages, and social media handles or make an interesting GIF for that. I would suggest Canva for creating a personalized header for your README.
You can also generate random header images. Here is an amazing repository for that:
- Adding a welcome GIF/embedded images from your favorite tv-series/cartoon character is also a good option. I think it makes your profile more personal and gripping.
- You can also embed Illustrations as they are quite trendy these days.
ii. Socials: Connect with fellow developers
GitHub can be used as an efficient way to build connections with other developers.
Simpleicons has a vast collection of icons that you can use to add your social media handles. You can go to their website or use this repository:
iii. Languages and frameworks
Show off your skills, and let others know what you know. This way it will be easier to connect with those in need of your skill.
You can use Devicons or Iconfinder to include any kind of development language and tool.
iv. Badges
Badges are a cool way to represent stuff. You might be amazed to know but you can build your entire README using just badges.
Here’s an awesome example:
So what are you waiting for? Shields.io has a variety of badges to choose from. The badges are customizable and highly flexible. They also have a repository to help you through:
Other resources: (Time for Bonus!!!)
v. Workflows
A workflow is a configurable automated process that will run one or more jobs. In profile README, you can add several workflows to represent your recent activity like latest YouTube videos, StackOverFlow Activity, latest Medium posts, etc which will be automated by just adding a .yml file in your repository.
-> How can you include workflows? 🤔
Here are some resources to guide you through:
- GitHub activity:
- Latest YouTube videos and Blog posts:
- Dynamically generated StackOverflow profile status:
- Dynamically generated images from your LinkedIn profile:
vi. Extra add ons
- Repo cards & stickers
- RandomDev Jokes
- Spotify-Now-Playing
- Dynamic emojis/images
vii. Template
Wait! There’s a surprise for you:
GitHub Profile Readme Generator by Rahul Jain helps generate a README file for you, all you have to do is check in your fields!
Here are a ton of templates to choose from:
If you think you are not ready, you can draw inspiration from these awesome GitHub Profiles:
If you wish to protect your creation and don’t let anyone from copy your README, you can include an open-source LICENSE file in your repository.
Github provides 3 main types of Open Source Licenses, namely: MIT, Apache, and GPL. To know which one is apt for you, visit here.
These were the 7 awesome elements you can add to your README. You don’t need to add all of them, just include your favorite ones. Creativity is important, but don’t overdo it.
>> GitHub Student Developer Pack:
GitHub provides a free pack for students which includes 23 tools ranging from Canva Pro, Data Science, Gaming, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, APIs, and lots more. If you are currently enrolled in a college course, do apply for it. All you need for the application is just an identification card that verifies your student status.
To know more, visit: https://education.github.com/pack
Let us know in the comment section if need a detailed blog on GitHub Student Developer Pack :)
I hope this blog gives you enough motivation to get started with your GitHub Profile🤗. If this blog helped you, share it with all those who might need this. You can follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn. Lastly, you can also check out my GitHub Profile for reference!
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