Yes, you can include a link to your GitHub profile on your LinkedIn profile. In fact, doing so is a great way to showcase your programming projects and technical skills to potential employers and clients on LinkedIn.
Why Include Your GitHub Link on LinkedIn?
Here are some key reasons why adding your GitHub link to LinkedIn is recommended:
Demonstrate Your Coding Abilities
Including a link to your GitHub profile allows you to display actual examples of your programming work to those viewing your LinkedIn profile. This gives concrete proof of your technical capabilities versus just listing skills on your profile.
Showcase Side Projects
GitHub is a great platform to share coding projects you’ve worked on outside of work. Linking to GitHub lets employers see both professional and personal programming projects you’ve built.
Establish Your Expertise
The type of code repositories you have, their quality, and how active you are on GitHub all demonstrate your abilities and commitment to programming. Active GitHub users are seen as passionate experts in their field.
Increase Discoverability
LinkedIn profiles with GitHub links tend to rank higher in search engines when people search for developers with certain skills. Including your GitHub URL makes you more findable for technical job opportunities.
Complement Your Resume
A LinkedIn profile with a GitHub link serves as a dynamic, online resume showcasing your work. The combination provides a complete picture of your professional programming capabilities.
Where to Add Your GitHub Link on LinkedIn
You have a few options for where to place your GitHub URL on your LinkedIn profile:
Contact Info Section
Add your GitHub username under the “Contact Info” section of your LinkedIn profile. This makes it readily visible to anyone viewing your profile.
Skills & Endorsements
Within your Skills & Expertise section, you can add a link to your GitHub profile under any programming-related skills where you want to showcase examples.
About Section
Include your GitHub username and profile link in the About section of your profile, likely towards the end of your summary. This allows you to provide context around your GitHub activity.
Experience Section
For any programming-related professional experience, you can hyperlink the name of the company to your GitHub profile to associate your work samples with that role.
Featured Section
The Featured section is a great place to prominently display your GitHub link, as it appears just below your name and headline. You can title it something like “GitHub Profile”.
How to Link to GitHub on LinkedIn
Linking to your GitHub profile from your LinkedIn profile only takes a few simple steps:
Step 1: Get Your GitHub Profile Link
First, navigate to your GitHub profile page and copy the URL from your browser’s address bar. This is the link you’ll include on your LinkedIn profile.
Step 2: Add Link to LinkedIn Profile
Next, go to your LinkedIn profile and edit the desired section(s) where you want your GitHub link to appear. Paste your GitHub profile link into the text and ensure the hyperlink formatting looks correct.
Step 3: Customize Link Text
Change the linked text from the default GitHub URL to your GitHub username or something like “GitHub Profile” or “My GitHub” to customize it. The text will now be clickable to your GitHub.
Step 4: Publish Profile
Be sure to hit the “Save” or “Publish” button for your profile edit to go live with your new GitHub link added.
Maximizing Your LinkedIn-GitHub Integration
To get the most out of linking your GitHub profile with your LinkedIn presence, keep these tips in mind:
Optimize GitHub Profile
Ensure your GitHub profile is looking its best before directing LinkedIn visitors to it. Add an informative bio, profile README, contribution activity graph, featured repos, skills, and other optimizations.
Cross-Link Profiles
For optimal discoverability and SEO, add a link to your LinkedIn profile in the bio section of your GitHub profile. This cross-linking strengthens the association between your profiles.
Share Project Links
When sharing GitHub project links on LinkedIn, always accompanied them with an informative post summary rather than just pasting the URL. This allows followers to understand the project’s purpose without needing to click through.
Keep Both Profiles Up to Date
Keep your GitHub profile and LinkedIn profile in sync by maintaining the same job titles, skills, projects, and credentials on both platforms. This consistency builds your professional brand.
Use a Professional Photo
Have a professional profile photo on both LinkedIn and GitHub to reinforce it is the same person on both platforms. This also humanizes your GitHub presence.
Examples of LinkedIn Profiles with GitHub Links
Here are some real-world examples of LinkedIn profiles properly showcasing GitHub links:
Prominent Contact Info Placement
This user displays their GitHub link prominently next to their LinkedIn profile photo, making it easily noticable.
GitHub Featured Section
This LinkedIn user created a dedicated “GitHub” section right below their profile summary to highlight it.
Skills Section Links
Here the user links their GitHub profile next to programming skills they want to demonstrate capability for.
About Section Link
This individual links to GitHub within the About section of their profile for additional context.
Tips for a Strong GitHub Profile
To maximize the impact of linking your GitHub profile on LinkedIn, here are some tips for creating a robust, compelling GitHub presence:
Pin Your Best Projects
GitHub’s pinned project feature lets you highlight your top 6 repositories right on your profile. Choose projects that demonstrate your skills.
Customize Your README
The README on your GitHub profile page is valuable real estate. Use it to summarize your work and capabilities.
Showcase Skills
Adding a Skills section with programming languages and frameworks helps reinforce your technical expertise.
Share Contribution Activity
Displaying your contribution graph conveys your level of GitHub engagement and passion for coding.
Participate in Discussions
Being active in GitHub discussions portrays you as an engaged member of the dev community.
Curate Your Repositories
Review all your GitHub repos and ensure they present the image you want and delete or archive ones that don’t.
Potential Concerns
Some common concerns around linking GitHub on LinkedIn include:
Quality of Code
Developers may worry their GitHub code examples aren’t polished enough for public display. But even works-in-progress demonstrate coding knowledge.
Lack of Projects
If you don’t have many repositories yet, focus on developing some solid projects to showcase. The number of projects matters less than their quality.
Privacy Concerns
If you have codebases on GitHub you don’t want publicized, keep them in private repos or organizations inaccessible to external viewers.
Too Much Complexity
It’s true GitHub has a learning curve. Invest time learning how to effectively use GitHub’s key features to maximize your profile. The effort is worth it.
Appearance of Job Hopping
If you include outdated work samples from past jobs, it could imply you switch jobs frequently. Keep your GitHub profile current.
Conclusion
Adding your GitHub URL to your LinkedIn profile is a best practice for programmers to demonstrate their coding skills, share projects, and attract exciting career opportunities.
Optimizing both your LinkedIn presence and GitHub profile, keeping them in sync, and cross-linking maximizes the impact. With employers increasingly looking for technical talent on LinkedIn, showcasing your GitHub credentials can give your profile a competitive edge.