Sharing Your Source Code in Github When You Apply For An Interview
"I am not getting any calls for an interview." It happens, more often than not!
Let's dissect the problem and discover why we do not get interview calls.
Assumption: You are a good programmer (or at least you believe you are). You know the basics of coding and how to write "clean" code.
Problems:
- Your CV can tell the story only to a level. Beyond that, you must find creative ways to pass through a scanner.
- The number of applications received for an open position is huge
- Recruiters and/or hiring managers have a few seconds to decide whether to go ahead with a candidate profile
- The pressure on the recruitment team is a lot - side effect - see the bullet point above
So, the question is, how do you convince the recruiter or hiring manager (without actually talking to them) to call you for an interview? Show them what you can and have done; I am an expert on it!
Show And Tell:
- You can code
- You can code "clean."
- Share your coding style
- How do you take care of documentation in code (self-documenting?)
Consider your code a portfolio of your work. Sharing the code helps both the hiring manager or recruiter and the applicant in many ways.
- It acts as a starting point - ice breaker
- Shows your coding style
- Demonstrates thinking and approach to developing an application
- Quality of code - readability, ease of understanding, etc
Logistics (How To Share Code?)
While you can share the source code of your demo or side project in any way possible, the best way is to share it via a public Git repository hosted on Github, Bitbucket, or any other Git repo. Remember to share your public repository with the interviewer, not private. Sharing a private repository link will only get you ignored, as nobody has the time to interact with the applicant, get the correct repo URL, and proceed with screening.