Software Development is just one of the many career fields in high demand today. With many colleges in the area, students often ask how they can distinguish themselves from other candidates, especially when they lack real-world job experience. Professor Adrian Tillman of the College of Computer & Information Technology department (CCIT) at St. Petersburg College (SPC), said there is a solution to that dilemma: GitHub.

Tillman stated that GitHub is very interactive since “you can share programming code with friends, co-workers, classmates and even complete strangers.” With over six million users, GitHub can be used to build projects that can be viewed, starred and have contributions by others. A GitHub page is seen as likeable when 100 stars are reached. According to Tillman, this shows that you are a good programmer.

Once such individual who surpassed the 100-star milestone with his project is SPC student Chris Kiehl. He created a project called Gooey that has made it to the top of hacker news. Tillman further stated that if others view your project as beneficial, they will find out who you are. Many famous programmers on GitHub have thousands of followers and stars. Tillman has confidence that Kiehl is well on his way to becoming a seasoned programmer. Tillman suggests that if you are looking for ways to kick-start your career, try joining a project on GitHub, and, he recommends generating a GitHub resume on the GitHub website. “It will help you in your career building.”