> I got my first two jobs probably as a result of my github activity.
That makes sense. You're showing small contributions which is what's expected of a junior engineer. It showcases that you can actually write some code. However, as you advance in your career, the expectation is that you will work on higher level concepts. Github profiles aren't really a place I've seen used to showcase architecture and design skills, nor how candidates work with others, and those things matter significantly more than a 20 line patch in an open source library for a Lead+ engineer.
The parent poster was asking for advice as a Principal Engineer. At that level, they aren't going to be writing much code on a daily basis, so their Github profile is not very relevant to the job at hand. That level is VP equivalent or higher at most companies, and most engineers will not achieve it. It comes without the people management, but is most definitely a leadership position.
That makes sense. You're showing small contributions which is what's expected of a junior engineer. It showcases that you can actually write some code. However, as you advance in your career, the expectation is that you will work on higher level concepts. Github profiles aren't really a place I've seen used to showcase architecture and design skills, nor how candidates work with others, and those things matter significantly more than a 20 line patch in an open source library for a Lead+ engineer.
The parent poster was asking for advice as a Principal Engineer. At that level, they aren't going to be writing much code on a daily basis, so their Github profile is not very relevant to the job at hand. That level is VP equivalent or higher at most companies, and most engineers will not achieve it. It comes without the people management, but is most definitely a leadership position.