Project: building a GitHub portfolio that gets interviews

Goal and requirements

The goal is a profile that lets a hiring manager confirm your skills in five minutes. You do not need to be a software developer: lab write-ups, configurations, scripts and diagrams are all valid content for network and security engineers.

• A GitHub account with MFA turned on, ideally with a passkey or security key.
• Git installed locally and the GitHub CLI (gh) if you like working from the terminal.
• Three to six finished pieces of work, for example a lab series, an automation tool and a project write-up.

Design

Plan the profile like a shop window. Create a repository with the same name as your username; its README becomes your profile page. Keep it short: a one-line summary of who you are, your focus areas, certifications, and links to your best repositories. Pin four to six repositories that match the jobs you want. A good repository README follows a simple pattern:

1. Title and one-sentence purpose.
2. Diagram of the topology or architecture.
3. What it does and which skills it shows.
4. How to run or reproduce it, step by step.
5. What you learned, limitations and next steps.

Build plan

1. Create a .gitignore that excludes keys, state files, virtual environments and local configs before your first commit.
2. Scan for secrets in every repository, including its history, and remove anything found. A secret that was ever pushed must be treated as leaked: revoke and replace it, then clean the history.
3. Commit in small steps with messages that say what changed and why.
4. Add a licence if you want others to reuse your code, and a short README to every repository.
5. Turn on GitHub's secret scanning and push protection where available.
6. Write the profile README and pin your best work.

git init
git add .gitignore README.md
git commit -m "Add README and gitignore"
gitleaks dir . -v
gitleaks git -v
git add .
git commit -m "Add OSPF multi-area lab configs and verification notes"
gh auth login
gh repo create ospf-multi-area-lab --public --source . --push
gh repo create <your-username> --public --add-readme

Warning: never upload configurations, logs, screenshots or diagrams from your employer, school or customers, even edited, unless you have explicit permission. Use lab data only.

Deliverables and how to present it

• A profile README with a clear summary and links.
• Four to six pinned repositories, each with a README, diagram and reproducible steps.
• Evidence of steady work: regular commits over months, not one big upload.

Put your GitHub link in your CV header and on LinkedIn. In the CV's projects section, link straight to the specific repository next to each project, with one line describing the outcome. Before interviews, re-read your own READMEs: interviewers often pick one project and ask you to explain it, and the best answers describe a problem you hit and how you solved it.