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Guide

GitHub Profile & Portfolio Cleanup Guide

Jan 27, 2026

GitHub Profile & Portfolio Cleanup Guide

Hiring managers and recruiters check your GitHub. A clean, well-organized profile signals professionalism and genuine engineering skill. A messy one — full of tutorial repos, no READMEs, and no recent activity — signals the opposite.

This guide walks you through cleaning up your GitHub so it works for you in your job search. Pair this with our Portfolio Building Guide for what to build.

1. Profile README: Your GitHub Landing Page

Create a repository with your GitHub username (e.g., github.com/yourname/yourname) and add a README.md. This appears at the top of your profile page.

What to Include

# Hi, I'm [Your Name] 👋

**Software Engineer** | [Your Specialty] | [Location or Remote]

- 🔭 Currently working on [what you're building or learning]
- 💼 [X] years of experience in [key technologies]
- 🌱 Exploring [what you're learning next]
- 📫 Reach me at [email] or [LinkedIn URL]

## Tech Stack

**Languages:** Python, TypeScript, Go
**Backend:** Node.js, Django, FastAPI
**Cloud:** AWS (EC2, Lambda, S3, DynamoDB), Docker, Kubernetes
**Databases:** PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
**Tools:** Git, CI/CD, Terraform

## Featured Projects

| Project | Description | Tech |
|---------|------------|------|
| [Project 1](link) | One-line description | React, Node.js |
| [Project 2](link) | One-line description | Python, AWS |
| [Project 3](link) | One-line description | Go, PostgreSQL |

What NOT to Include

  • Animated GIFs or flashy badges that distract from content
  • GitHub stats widgets (views, stars) — they look vanity-driven
  • Overly long bios — keep it scannable in 10 seconds
  • Emoji overload — one or two is fine, a wall of them is not
  • "I'm a passionate developer who loves..." — show, don't tell

2. Pinned Repositories: Your Top 6

GitHub lets you pin up to 6 repositories to your profile. These are the first things people see. Choose strategically.

What to Pin

| Slot | What to Pin | Why | |------|-----------|-----| | 1-2 | Your best portfolio projects | Shows you can ship end-to-end | | 3 | A project using your target company's stack | Signals relevance | | 4 | An open source contribution (your fork or a project you contribute to) | Shows collaboration | | 5 | A data structures/algorithms repo (only if well-organized) | Shows interview prep discipline | | 6 | Something unique — a tool, CLI, library, or creative project | Shows initiative |

Pinned Repo Checklist

For each pinned repo, verify:

  • [ ] Clear, descriptive name — ecommerce-api not project-1
  • [ ] One-line description filled in (the text below the repo name)
  • [ ] Topics/tags added (e.g., react, typescript, rest-api)
  • [ ] Language indicator is correct (GitHub auto-detects)
  • [ ] Not a fork (unless it's a meaningful open source contribution)

3. Repository Quality Checklist

Every pinned or public repo should meet this bar:

README Standards

A good project README answers these questions in order:

  1. What is this? — One paragraph explaining the project
  2. Demo — Screenshot, GIF, or live link (deploy on Vercel, Railway, or Render)
  3. Tech stack — List of technologies used
  4. How to run it — Clone, install, run commands (copy-paste ready)
  5. Architecture (optional for complex projects) — How it's structured
  6. What I learned (optional) — Shows reflection and growth

README Template

# Project Name

One-line description of what this project does.

![Screenshot or Demo GIF](link-to-image)

**Live demo:** [link-to-deployed-app](https://your-app.vercel.app)

## Tech Stack

- **Frontend:** React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
- **Backend:** Node.js, Express, PostgreSQL
- **Infrastructure:** Docker, GitHub Actions, Vercel

## Getting Started

```bash
git clone https://github.com/yourname/project-name.git
cd project-name
npm install
npm run dev

Features

  • Feature 1: Brief description
  • Feature 2: Brief description
  • Feature 3: Brief description

Architecture

Brief overview of how the app is structured (optional for simpler projects).


### Code Quality Signals

Interviewers glance at your code. Make sure:

- [ ] **No secrets or API keys** in the code (use `.env` files, add `.env` to `.gitignore`)
- [ ] **Consistent code style** — Use Prettier/ESLint or equivalent
- [ ] **Meaningful commit messages** — Not "fix", "update", "asdf". Use conventional commits.
- [ ] **No commented-out code** — Delete it. Git has history for a reason.
- [ ] **Some tests exist** — Even a few tests show you care about quality
- [ ] **Clean folder structure** — Standard conventions for your framework

---

## 4. Contribution Graph Strategy

The green squares on your profile show activity over the past year. A consistent graph signals active engineering work.

### What Counts as a Contribution

- Commits to default branch (main/master)
- Opening pull requests
- Opening issues
- Reviewing pull requests (on repos you don't own)
- Creating repositories

### How to Build a Consistent Graph

**Don't:** Make empty commits or "contribution padding" repos. Experienced engineers can spot this instantly.

**Do:**
1. **Work on side projects regularly** — Even 30 minutes of coding 3-4 days a week creates a solid graph
2. **Contribute to open source** — Find issues labeled `good first issue` on projects you use
3. **Keep a learning repo** — Log your daily practice (LeetCode solutions, notes, experiments)
4. **Use GitHub for everything** — Personal scripts, dotfiles, notes — make them repos
5. **Commit to default branch** — Contributions only show if committed to the default branch or merged via PR

### What Interviewers Actually Look At

- **Consistency > intensity** — Regular activity beats sporadic bursts
- **Recent activity** — The last 3-6 months matter most
- **Quality of repos** — A few well-maintained repos beat 50 empty ones
- **Contribution types** — PRs and issues on other repos show collaboration

---

## 5. Cleanup Checklist: What to Archive or Delete

Go through all your public repositories and clean up:

### Archive These (Make Private or Archive)

- [ ] Tutorial follow-along repos (`todo-app-tutorial`, `react-course-project`)
- [ ] Incomplete projects with no README and no recent commits
- [ ] Forked repos you never modified
- [ ] Class assignments (unless exceptional quality)
- [ ] Repos with names like `test`, `experiment`, `temp`, `project1`

### Keep Public (If They Meet Quality Bar)

- [ ] Portfolio projects with READMEs and deployed demos
- [ ] Open source contributions (your forks with meaningful changes)
- [ ] Well-organized learning repos (e.g., `leetcode-solutions` with clean structure)
- [ ] Tools or libraries others might use
- [ ] Hackathon projects (if polished)

### The 10-Repo Rule

Aim for **10 or fewer public repos**. It's better to have 6-8 excellent repos than 40 mediocre ones. Archive everything else.

---

## 6. Open Source Contributions

Contributing to open source is one of the strongest signals on a GitHub profile. It shows you can read others' code, follow contribution guidelines, communicate in PRs, and ship code that passes review.

### How to Start

1. **Pick projects you already use** — You understand the codebase and have context
2. **Start with documentation** — Fix typos, improve README, add examples
3. **Look for `good first issue` labels** — Most large projects tag beginner-friendly issues
4. **Read CONTRIBUTING.md** — Follow the project's process exactly
5. **Start small** — A 5-line bug fix that gets merged is better than a 500-line PR that gets rejected

### Where to Find Beginner-Friendly Issues

- [goodfirstissue.dev](https://goodfirstissue.dev/) — Curated list across popular projects
- [up-for-grabs.net](https://up-for-grabs.net/) — Projects with tagged beginner issues
- **GitHub Explore** — Browse trending repos in your language
- **Your own dependencies** — Check the issue trackers of libraries you use daily

### PR Etiquette

- **Reference the issue** in your PR description
- **Explain what you changed and why** — Don't make reviewers guess
- **Keep PRs small** — One change per PR
- **Respond to feedback promptly** — Maintainers appreciate fast iterations
- **Don't take rejection personally** — Sometimes PRs don't align with project direction

---

## 7. GitHub Profile Settings

Quick wins that take 5 minutes:

- [ ] **Profile photo** — Professional headshot (same as LinkedIn)
- [ ] **Bio** — "Software Engineer | [Specialty] | [Location]"
- [ ] **Location** — City, State or "Remote"
- [ ] **Website** — Link to portfolio or LinkedIn
- [ ] **Company** — Current employer (or "Open to opportunities")
- [ ] **Pronouns** — Optional but shows awareness
- [ ] **Social links** — LinkedIn, Twitter/X if active
- [ ] **Email** — Set a public email (or not, your choice)

---

## The Complete GitHub Cleanup Workflow

Do this in one focused session:

1. **Update profile settings** (photo, bio, links) — 5 min
2. **Create or update profile README** — 15 min
3. **Audit all public repos** — Archive/private anything below quality bar — 15 min
4. **Pick 6 repos to pin** — Verify each has a solid README — 10 min
5. **Add missing READMEs** to pinned repos — 30-60 min
6. **Add topics/tags** to all public repos — 5 min
7. **Deploy any undeployed projects** (Vercel/Railway) — 30 min per project
8. **Review your contribution graph** — Start a plan for consistent activity

**Total:** 2-3 hours for a profile that works for you in every job application.

---

## Level up your prep

- **Master the terminal** — Coding interviews expect terminal fluency. Practice at [pranoytez.sh](https://pranoytez.sh)
- **Build portfolio projects** — Stand out with real shipped projects. Start with [ShipWithTez courses](https://shipwithtez.com/courses)
- **Validate your idea** — Turn your side project into a real product with the [Idea Executioner](https://shipwithtez.com/idea-executioner)
- **Read our [Portfolio Building Guide](/resources/portfolio-building-guide)** for what to build
- **Track your DSA practice** with our free [DSA Problem Tracker](/tools)

---

**Want a professional review of your GitHub profile?** [Book a 1:1 session](https://topmate.io/pranoytez) — I'll audit your repos, help you choose what to pin, and create an action plan for a profile that gets noticed. Or check our [full prep packages](/#pricing).