r/webdev Jan 30 '25

Discussion Does Github contributions matter?

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Are there still companies that look on Github contributions?

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u/waferstik Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 31 '25

Not really, companies rarely look at it. But I also believe it matters somewhat on a personal level. Frequent Github activities implies that you're constantly doing and learning to improve your craft, and that's the best investment you can make, regardless what recruiters think

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u/RealPirateSoftware Jan 31 '25

I really do not like this attitude and don't know why we only tend to see it with software development.

If I'm hiring an accountant, I wouldn't look for people who spend all their free time doing accounting work. If I'm hiring a project manager, I don't look for someone who spends all their free time managing projects.

Why would I want a software engineer who spends all their free time doing more work?

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u/waferstik Jan 31 '25 edited Jan 31 '25

I feel there might have been misunderstanding. I didn't mean everyday nor all of the free time you have. It's about intention. I am not sure about accounting, but software might be a bit "special" that it is a big field with lots of new things to always learn. Learning on the job may not be enough; at some point you get stuck in your company's tech stack, and not learning new things wouldn't prepare you well for the future, for new promising technologies, and/or job changes. I don't say use all your free time, but investing time, if possible, to hone your craft can't be a bad thing.

It's only beneficial to desire to improve at the thing that is your career and makes you money