> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.daily.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
---
title: "Building your developer profile"
url: https://docs.daily.dev/profile-setup/
description: "Build a comprehensive developer profile with work experience, education, certifications, open source contributions, and more to maximize your Career Mode match quality."
lastUpdated: "2025-12-25T16:27:00+02:00"
---
Your developer profile is your professional identity on daily.dev. For Career Mode, a complete profile dramatically improves matching accuracy and helps employers understand your background when you approve an opportunity.
## Why your profile matters
A complete profile helps Career Mode:
- **Match you more accurately** with relevant opportunities
- **Showcase your expertise** to employers when you express interest
- **Demonstrate your career trajectory** and growth
- **Highlight unique experiences** that make you stand out
## Accessing your career profile
1. Click on your **profile picture**
2. Select **Profile** (or go directly to your public profile)
3. Scroll to the **Career** section
4. Click **Edit** on any subsection to add or modify information
[Open Career Profile Settings →](https://app.daily.dev/settings/profile/experience/work)
## Work experience
Your work history shows employers your career progression, the types of problems you've solved, and the environments you've thrived in.
### Adding work experience
1. Go to your profile's **Career** section
2. Click **Add Work Experience**
3. Fill in the required information:
- **Company name**
- **Job title**
- **Start date** (month and year)
- **End date** (or check "I currently work here")
- **Location** (city, country)
- **Description** of your role and achievements
### What to include in descriptions
**Focus on**:
- Key responsibilities and scope
- Technologies you worked with
- Impact and achievements (quantify when possible)
- Team size and structure
- Notable projects or initiatives
**Example**:
```
Led backend development for a real-time analytics platform
serving 2M+ daily active users. Built scalable microservices
architecture using Go, PostgreSQL, and Redis. Reduced query
response times by 60% through optimization and caching strategies.
Mentored 3 junior engineers.
```
## Education
Add your formal education background to demonstrate your foundational knowledge and academic achievements.
### Adding education
1. Navigate to the **Career** section
2. Click **Add Education**
3. Provide details:
- **Institution name**
- **Degree type** (e.g., Bachelor's, Master's, PhD)
- **Field of study**
- **Start and end dates**
- **Grade/GPA** (optional)
- **Description** (optional: honors, relevant coursework, thesis topic)
**When to include**:
- Relevant degrees in Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields
- Bootcamp or coding school programs
- Relevant coursework even if degree isn't completed
## Certifications
Professional certifications demonstrate specialized knowledge and commitment to professional development.
### Adding certifications
1. Go to the **Career** section
2. Click **Add Certification**
3. Enter:
- **Certification name**
- **Issuing organization**
- **Issue date**
- **Expiration date** (if applicable)
- **Credential ID** (optional)
- **Credential URL** (optional link to verify)
**Valuable certifications to include**:
- Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
- Security (CISSP, CEH, Security+)
- Kubernetes (CKA, CKAD)
- Specific technologies (MongoDB, Redis, etc.)
- Professional certifications (PMP, ITIL)
## Open source contributions
Open source work is highly valued by many employers. It demonstrates your ability to collaborate, code quality, and passion for building.
### Adding open source projects
1. Navigate to **Career** section
2. Click **Add Open Source**
3. Include:
- **Project name**
- **Role** (contributor, maintainer, creator)
- **Repository URL**
- **Description** of your contributions
- **Technologies used**
- **Duration** (start and end dates)
**What to highlight**:
- Significant features you've built
- Number of contributions (PRs, commits)
- Maintainer or core contributor status
- Community impact (stars, forks, downloads)
**Example**:
```
Core contributor to [Project Name], a popular CLI tool for
developers (15k+ GitHub stars). Implemented async processing
engine, reducing operation time by 40%. Merged 50+ PRs,
reviewed 100+ community contributions.
```
## Side projects
Personal projects show initiative, learning ability, and passion for building beyond your day job.
### Adding projects
1. Go to **Career** section
2. Click **Add Project**
3. Provide:
- **Project name**
- **Project URL** (if deployed/public)
- **Description** and purpose
- **Technologies used**
- **Duration**
- **Your role** (if collaborative)
**Projects worth including**:
- Apps or services you've built and deployed
- Tools that solve real problems
- Experiments with new technologies
- Popular projects (users, GitHub stars, etc.)
**Example**:
```
Built DevMetrics, a dashboard for tracking developer productivity
metrics across GitHub, Jira, and Slack. 500+ active users.
Built with Next.js, PostgreSQL, and GitHub API. Generates
automated weekly insights and visualizations.
```
## Academic papers
If you've published research, include it to demonstrate deep expertise and analytical capabilities.
### Adding publications
1. Navigate to **Career** section
2. Click **Add Publication**
3. Enter:
- **Paper title**
- **Publication venue** (conference, journal)
- **Publication date**
- **Authors** (list all co-authors)
- **URL or DOI** (link to the paper)
- **Abstract or description**
**When to include**:
- Peer-reviewed academic papers
- Conference presentations
- Technical whitepapers
- Research blog posts with significant impact
## Volunteering
Volunteer work demonstrates values, leadership, and commitment to causes beyond work.
### Adding volunteer experience
1. Go to **Career** section
2. Click **Add Volunteering**
3. Provide:
- **Organization name**
- **Role**
- **Cause or focus area**
- **Duration**
- **Description** of what you did
**Examples**:
- Teaching coding to underrepresented groups
- Mentoring junior developers
- Contributing to non-profit tech projects
- Organizing community tech events
## Profile completion tips
### Prioritize quality over quantity
Focus on:
- **Recent and relevant** experiences (last 5-10 years typically most important)
- **Significant achievements** rather than every minor role
- **Unique experiences** that differentiate you
### Keep it current
- Update your profile when you gain new skills or experiences
- Remove outdated information that no longer represents you
- Refresh descriptions to reflect current terminology and practices
### Be specific and concrete
- Use numbers and metrics where possible
- Name specific technologies, not generic terms
- Describe actual impact, not just responsibilities
### Proofread everything
- Check for typos and grammatical errors
- Ensure consistency in formatting and tone
- Verify dates are accurate
## Profile visibility
Your enhanced profile is part of your public daily.dev presence. However, remember:
- Employers **cannot** search or browse developer profiles
- Your profile is **only shared** when you approve a specific job opportunity
- You control what information you include
[Learn more about privacy and trust](/privacy-and-trust/)
## Next steps
- [Configure job preferences](/job-preferences/) to specify what you're looking for
- [Learn how matching works](/how-matching-works/) to understand the algorithm
- [Review opportunities](/reviewing-opportunities/) when you receive your first match