This video walks you through the process of signing up for a free GitHub account.

Video Transcript

GitHub is a website that hosts version control repositories. You use it to store your projects, collaborate with others, and create a portfolio of your work. To get started, you need to create a free account on github.com. You use this account both during your time at Lambda and after when you enter the development job market. Because of that, you need to pick a serious username. Choose a name you feel comfortable putting on a job application or resume. Avoid joke names and offensive terms. Select a name that represents you and your brand. Your username is normally your real-world name, the one you work under. If your name is a common one, consider adding a descriptive word that describes your skill set like coder or software, instead of just adding numbers after name like your birth year. Your GitHub username is part of your developer identity so keep your GitHub distinct and separate from Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, and so forth. Business you and social you don't always mix well. Plan on keeping your GitHub account as a resource that says hire me.

Next, enter your email and a secure password. And click sign up for GitHub. Like many other sites, you'll automatically get a confirmation link in your email. Click on that link to finish the signup. On the next screen, choose the free personal plan. Choose your email update options and click continue. Now, as you grow as a professional developer you may eventually upgrade to a paid plan, but for now, all you need is the free one. If you've gotten this far, congratulations, your account is completely set up. You can now use GitHub to create repositories and learn more about version control.