With the emergence of new web-based developper tools like Github and Stack Overflow. Building a concrete resume has never been so easy.

If you're French (or maybe there have been attempts as well in other countries but I've not heard of them), and working in IT, you must have already seen those crappy video-resume attempts, so-called 2.0 resumes meant to show off one's mastering of bleeding edge technologies. Why were those attempts miserable failures ? Apart from being ridiculous, they did not demonstrate anything. Anyone can fire up any newbie-friendly video editing software and come up with a video or flash based resume, or even build a dynamic one using PHP, python, javascript or something.

With Github for example, not only can they see the result of your work, but they can see your real work, the actual code you wrote, the project you participed in, the actual code you contributed. In a nutshell, they can truly see what you're worth (that is, technically speaking). Stack Overflow, and LinkedIn Q&A before it, etc, has the same quality. They make you go public.

In an industry where profiles and adaptability matter at least as much as pure skill, having a way to see how people work, what project they get involved in and how they behave with fellow developers is an invaluable resource for recruiters. So here's one piece of advice I'd give to any developer looking forward to being hired: work your numeric identity:

  • Answer questions on Stack Overflow and/or LinkedIn Q&A
  • Host your projects on public websites like GitHub or CIA.vc
  • Contribute to opensource projects (not only it permits you to show off your skill, but you are going to learn stuff as well)

And Don't forget to include them in your online resume through RSS/Atom feeds or direct link to your profiles!