---

Use your open source contributions to get a job

One night, after reading the Who’s Hiring Freelance thread on HackerNews, I decided there had to be a more efficient way to match programmers with freelance jobs. While sites like oDesk and eLance are general-purpose marketplaces for freelance workers, they seem to have more of an emphasis on price than quality. On the other hand, sites like TopTal and ooomf vet freelance programmers that apply to join the site by screening the candidates. So, while I’m sure they have a pool of excellent programmers for hire, they require applicants to spend time on a process that may or may not yield work opportunities, even if they get accepted.

So, I started CodeDoor, a platform that limits the vetting process to if you have contributed to open source. If yes, you’re in. Companies or persons looking to hire freelance programmers can then decide for themselves whether a candidate fits their needs based on their portfolio of code and other projects. I set the minimum threshold to having at least one commit in a GitHub repository that has garnered at least 25 stars. In the case of a freelancer who only contributes in a minor or small way to a project, like fixing a typo, that exact work can be seen and then judged by the person looking to hire.

Get the Free Newsletter!

Subscribe to Developer Insider for top news, trends, & analysis