DEV Community: David

IP rights and their importance in the creative industries.

David — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:30:56 +0000

What do we mean by the term IP? (i.e., intellectual property).

Intellectual property is someone’s idea for something, whether it be a product, style or name for example. Io give the exact wording, the WIPO who are described as “the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation” states Intellectual Property as “Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.”.

The terms Intellectual property and copyright tend to be used in lieu of each other however they do have some slight differences. To once again quote from an expert Aughton Ainsworth is a UK law firm - “copyright is just a part of the scope of intellectual property, as are trade marks, patents, and designs. Intellectual property (IP) describes a form of property which is the intangible output of the human creative mind…copyright is something that’s automatically granted to the creator of an original work, be that work a piece of literature, art, music, or software. An idea itself is not protected by copyright, but the expression of that idea is.” - https://aughtonainsworth.com/news/differences-between-copyright-and-intellectual-property/

Why do IP rights in the creative industries matter?

Taking into the account all of the above, it is vital to consider both Intellectual Property and Copyright when working in the creative industries, especially when networking frequently as you may absorb someone’s idea without even thinking about it, which can result in legal issues.

Why is copyright important?

Whilst working for an employer, typically any copyright or intellectual property concerns will be dealt with by someone other than yourself (unless you are asked to procure content for a project), however should you instead be freelancing, assuring that your work is protected is vital.

Whether you are updating your portfolio (freelance or no), sending work to clients or simply showing someone for advice, you need to assure that your work is protected under copyright so that it cannot be stolen or misused (design idea stolen, verging into IP rights dispute).

Think about IP rights and your chosen industry discipline – are there any legal disputes that have been well documented in the area?

One of, if not the most famous case of IP rights is Winklevoss twins V Zuckerberg, in which the Winklevoss twins claimed the original idea for Facebook was there own and not Mark Zuckerberg’s. In the film “The Social Network”, which dramatized the story behind the inception of Facebook, also covers the real story behind the legal issues Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) went under as a result of claims made by the Winklevoss twins who had originally approached Zuckerberg for assistance with their own project – ConnectU.

However, after years of litigation and meetings, Facebook (Zuckerberg) eventually settled for nearly $20 million dollars with ConnectU (Winklevoss twins). Although what appeared to be a small idea between University students at the time, lead to a legal case worth millions and a company now worth billions.

Does IP stifle creativity in the creative industries? My views on IP rights and copyright.

When the topic of IP rights are brought up, discussing whether or not they affect those trying to create new and better products within the creative industries I always look to games controllers. As a massive gamer myself (Gameboy colour, Gameboy SP, 3DS, Xbox, Xbox 360, Playstation 1, 2, and 3, Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Wii, WiiU, Switch) I have seen all there is to offer in the form of game controllers, and despite how similar some are there have been no famous cases in which companies have sued each other for IP or copyright infringement - https://dailyinfographic.com/the-evolution-of-video-game-controllers

Looking at the above image, you can see that over the years developers have definitely taken from each other when creating new controllers, including concepts that possibly could have been patented such as the D-pad, Joystick, layout of buttons. However, this has never happened, and as such we have seen controllers improve and inspire new designs time and time again.

To me, this is a prime example of what a perfect world would be with IP rights. One in which we take inspiration from each other to improve. Unfortunately as it is, with extremely pointless and silly cases of IP rights such as Apple patenting the design for the iPad https://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1701443/USD670286S1.pdf - which overtime people have clearly ignored as the concept for this was ridiculously specific and obtuse. Allowing high level companies to patent something as specific as a rounded rectangle device most definitely does stifle design.

On the other hand, I do understand the importance of wanting to protect one’s work, as there are people out there who will steal ideas or designs for their own benefit. My concern with the system as it stands, is how those who have the capability (financially and legally) to monopolize the field can patent just about what ever they want and seemingly are successful in doing so. The creative minefield of trying to design or conceptualize a product that no one ever has (or at least patented) becomes increasingly more dangerous each day.

The importance of networking within the creative industries.

David — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:28:43 +0000

What do we mean by networking?

Networking is the term used to describe putting oneself out into the environment their field belongs to. It can differ greatly depending on your field, but in general describes things such as: events, meet-ups, job fairs, however not every type of networking takes place in person as these days there are other tools available such as LinkedIn. To me, the word means in a literal sense to insert yourself into the network of individuals who build up your profession and become one of them.

Through networking you will build up contacts who will be able to assist in guiding you or directing you towards others who may be able to instead, in some circumstances it may even lead to jobs or clients approaching you through word of mouth. Unfortunately I am quite old, and I can recall seeing a video on YouTube that comedically covers the very basics of networking - both in person, and the introduction to online networking.

Why is networking important in the creative industries?

In the creative industries it is important to upkeep networking for multiple reasons in my opinion, with some being almost vital to succeed in your field;

Reputation – Whether you choose to be a freelancer or work for a company you will require some description of reputation. Whether this be through word of mouth or testimonials you can present on social platforms, reputation can be the deciding factor on whether a client or employer chooses you to work with. Through networking you can build up reputation by showing off or discussing your work with other professionals in your field which has the potential to lead to job offers.
Skill upkeep – In the creative industry you are extremely likely to deal with some form of technology, even if it's simply a case of dealing with others who will work with them directly. By networking with others through events or meet-ups, you can discuss upcoming technologies or ones you are not familiar with to gather hints, tips and techniques from other professionals to maintain your knowledge.
Relationships – It's who you know - this is the principal part of networking. Having as many contacts as possible, whether it be to seek assistance, discuss work and projects, or ask for advice, is vital to succeed as you can have a large support network should you need it.

Research your discipline area before you start networking – who is who in your field?

When it comes to networking, you need to consider researching your field before you start networking. Things such as companies you should be focusing to network with, people you may want to network with, and also developing technologies in your field. All of these will give you topics to discuss with people you meet or speak with online and will allow you to focus your networking for better success.

Networking at events compared to networking online – how should you conduct yourself?

Whether it be online or through an in-person event, it is vital to maintain a professional standard in your behaviour. This is not to say you must be extremely stoic every second you are in person, as should you begin to get job offers, a large part of whether you get the job is if the employer feels you are a good fit for the team.

An important part of how you should present yourself comes from your knowledge, skills, and experience – confidence. While you are presenting work or discussing subjects within your field, you must maintain your confidence and professional nature. Unfortunately, should you go in seemingly unconfident in your field, you are unlikely to succeed. An old term of phrase once said, "Fake it till you make it".

How do you get started?

To get started I would start with assuring you have a platform online where you have your details and portfolio work, a perfect example of this would be LinkedIn. You want to do this prior to in person networking, as any in person meeting will be limited by the amount of time you can speak with a person. Having your information and portfolio presented online means when you meet someone you wish to network with you can have a focused conversation about a specific topic and then you can simply provide a link to your platform (again whichever you choose) that holds all other relevant information.

Moving onto how you would pass on your information, I believe that the one size fits all answer of business cards is always a good approach, as once you've connected with someone in person it is a simple quick gesture to give the person your card. I feel like this also gives off a more professional approach as well, given that you look prepared to meet others – imagine you end up networking with someone and you end up having to rummage through your phone trying to pass your details on.

Once you have this setup, it's time to start attending some events – which there are a lot of. While you may be inclined to attend all events available, I believe it is best to find ones focused to your field as going to an event that is maybe too wide in scope may simply be a waste of time.

Working in the creative industries: is freelancing the road to success?

David — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:26:17 +0000

What does it mean to be a freelancer?

A freelancer is someone who works for themselves, they're not employed by anyone else but can sometimes be contracted by employers. In essence this means that while normally as an employee you would be expected to (typically) manage just your own workload and not consider things such as finances, marketing, and legal issues. However, as a freelancer these are vital things to consider as you need to manage these things, and as such can be a much more stressful option to choose but also one that requires a lot of other skills not normally needed by a standard employee.

What are the key skills required of a freelancer?

As a freelancer some of the typical skills that people within the creative industries do cross-over, however should you choose to go off on your own you need to consider whether this will be something viable for you. Looking back again to the research performed by Dr Gavin Baxter, in which participants were asked "to rate the importance of the following hard and soft skill sets within the context of their industry discipline.", we can see a few skills that have some crossover with what would be expected to be vital for freelancers.

Leaderships skills, self-management, time management – these 3 skills I wish to highlight immediately as these are essential to master should you wish to go freelancing as at the end of the day you are your own manager, you will manage the full project and it's timescales, and you will be speaking with clients directly to discuss any issues. If you are not confident with these skills, then freelancing may not be viable for you.

How would you promote yourself as a freelancer?

As a freelancer you must promote yourself starting the ways I would recommend an employee would - LinkedIn, personal website, networking. In addition to these, I would also consider things such as business cards, flyers, social media marketing (such as creators who make YouTube/TikTok videos showcasing current projects), as well as assuring that you capture any testimonials from clients to build reputation.

The importance of reputation and professionalism with clients

When it comes to freelancing it is vital to maintain a professional reputation as a sizeable amount of your clients will come through word of mouth and without this you will be cut off from a portion of potential clients. Not only this, but if you are known for being unprofessional and for going as far as having a poor reputation, this may also travel through word of mouth and can result in the loss of client's trust, and therefore business.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of freelancing within the creative industries?

If you are considering moving into freelancing, it is ideal to weigh up the pros and cons prior to starting. Some of these will apply to most positions within the creative industries, however I have added some that are specific to my own field, web and mobile development.

Pros of Freelancing:

You are your own boss – Quite a straightforward one but one that people don’t consider in detail. You can choose what type of business you want to run, who you want to deal with, what type of projects you take on.
Larger portion of profits – While working as an employee in a much larger business, you will most likely be in a small to medium-sized team of people around 10-20 – as such any profits (even assuming they will be split evenly) will be minimal. Should you work on your own, this will be far different as you will receive all the profits.
Skills earned – Again as I’ve mentioned before, working as a freelancer takes a different skillset as you will be expected to manage everything within a project. However, should you eventually choose to move into employment instead, this can make you a desirable candidate as you will have skills others may not.

Cons of Freelancing:

You are responsible for everything – As I briefly mentioned previously, as an employee you wouldn’t be expected to manage all parts of a project, but as a freelancer you will be, and it can be quite cumbersome and stressful at times.
External costs – Taking profits into consideration though, the finances that need to be managed by freelancers is very different though as you will inherit all costs for running your business. Hosting, software and hardware purchases, utilities (whether it be in an office or at home, you potentially are now working and living in the same place), and any sort of marketing material will now take a chunk out of your profits.
Stress and mental health – As someone who has worked in freelance under a different field (Graphic design), far too many people do not consider the amount of stress and affect this can have on your mental health. With everything I have mentioned, it is vital you are sure you can manage a business alone, not only technically but also mentally.
Client misunderstanding – Web designer, web developer, back-end developer, front-end developer, full-stack developer – I have heard some of these, even at the same time, being used to refer to someone who “builds a website”. As professionals within our field, we can differentiate the difference between these job titles – but in general clients cannot. This is something specific to my field when I was working as a graphic designer and mentioned I could in fact do web design. “Oh perfect, so you can build us a website?” – was a line I unfortunately heard one too many times, and having to explain this was difficult, especially should you lack confidence or full understanding on how to deal with clients.

Does freelancing appeal to me and what general advice would I give?

To summarise everything I have mentioned in this post – I personally do not think freelancing works for me. I have touched on a few cons which directly tie into my own experience with freelancing, stress, external costs, and being responsible for everything.

Unfortunately, I do not think I was capable enough to manage a business as I lacked confidence and technical capability. Although I was working in Graphic design, this often swayed into web design, in which clients were asking me to build them a website. Whilst I could design one, using WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) editors, the more technical features were outside my scope of technical capability. My lack of confidence at the time, combined with my determination to make it work, meant I had taken on more than I could handle, and it eventually took a toll on my health. Now I am considering a move into a more technical field.

When I had originally moved into freelancing I was young and just finished college, full of determination to succeed in my field. In hindsight I wish I had considered the advice of others before making the jump.

If I had to offer any advice it would be the following;

Make sure this is right for you, as it can drastically affect your life (as mentioned before it took a toll on my mental health). Maybe try it for a while and see how it works out for you, but don't jump straight in and leave a permanent job without being certain.

To make a slight point with this, a clip from Dragon's den (business investment show) shows someone who has their own business and is making profit but remains conscious enough that it can fall apart overnight and chooses to keep their permanent job. One of the "Dragons" (what the show calls the investors) criticizes this stating "You lack confidence in this idea" while another Dragon – who I agree with – stated "I don't agree..you've got a family..you've got two kids..and they come first". This is a vital part of moving into freelancing as you may not understand the ramifications should you not fully succeed.

Network with other freelancers as not only can they offer advice (technical or business related) but more often or not they will be approached by a client that is looking to work with a technology they do not offer and may in fact be able to pass the client onto you. Again this delves into the idea of "The importance of networking within the creative industries" – another post I have written.
Seek tips from advice providing companies, there are so many companies out there that offer network events or presentations that offer hints and tips to freelancers to succeed. They can sometimes also provide 1-on-1 meetings should you have specific questions or need advice on certain matters.

Whether you choose to be a freelancer or not, a lot of what is covered by a freelancer is still very good to know and understand as should you begin to move up within a business you may in fact become responsible for some of these things.

Given that I have done some freelancing before, I have also provided some links below to companies that can either assist with your freelancing, through advice or tips, or facilitate it by providing a platform.

https://www.bgateway.com/events/ Business Gateway is a public service that facilitates and offers advice to those looking to start a new business. They have online materials and webinars that you can attend, as well as in person meetings.
https://www.upwork.com/ Upwork is one of the two companies I would suggest should you wish to look into freelancing, as they offer tools and features on their site to help freelancers not only get work and adverstise themselves, but also to collect monies earned by using them as a middle man service.
https://www.fiverr.com/ Fiverr is similar to Upwork in what it offers, so it would essentially just come down to preference.

Does the concept of professionalism apply to the creative industries?

David — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:23:24 +0000

Introduction

Does the concept of professionalism apply to the creative industries? To answer this question, we first need to answer what is meant by professionalism at which point we can then go on to look at why it's important in the creative industries, and more specifically the field I intend on working in - web and mobile Development.

To sum it up, professionalism is the demonstration of commitment, integrity, responsibility, and accountability in your work, aligning with any relevant or required industry standards and ethical principles to maintain a respected reputation and ensure success in a chosen field. This summary will be the basis of my post.

What do we mean by the concept of professionalism?

The concept of professionalism covers the manner in which a person presents themselves in the workplace and their adherence to any standards that may apply to their respective profession - therefore becoming a professional. This can apply not only

through any set out standards but also ethical behaviour and reputation.

In the creative industries this covers specific regulatory bodies, in my field specifically a professional would need to consider the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for example, which will be discussed later in more detail. Adherence to these standards benefits both you and users, and in some cases depending on the industry may be required.

Speaking from an ethical standpoint, the W3C also covers some topics such as (https://www.w3.org/TR/ethical-web-principles/#expression) 2.6 The web must enable freedom of expression - in which it states;

We will create web technologies and platforms that encourage free expression, where that does not contravene other human rights. Our work should not enable state censorship, surveillance or other practices that seek to limit this freedom.

While the above is not something that you may think about going into web development straight away, these types of standards and controversies have become more common with topics such as Twitter/X and the banning of politicians (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/04/twitter-permanently-bans-news-aggregation-service-politics-for-all)

Why does professionalism matter in the creative industries?

As mentioned above, in the creative industry this is important as there are defined guidelines and standards (depending on your field) you are expected to follow and adhere to. This however is not the only factor to consider, as you still need to assure your reputation and skills that apply to professionalism that can be beneficial to work on.

As well as guidelines and standards, having professionalism or being a professional is vital whether you are a freelancer or employee as either way you want to assure you have a respected reputation to assure your success in the field.

In a study performed by Dr Gavin Baxter - University of the West of Scotland lecturer ("An investigation of employability skill sets required by graduates in Scotland's Creative Industries sector") in which the respondents provided their opinions to questions pertaining to the relevancy of certain transferable skills in the creative industries, it was concluded that out of the top 10 options nearly half were relevant to professionalism (diagram below) -

Time management, communication skills, team working skills, self-management, and leadership skills; all transferrable skills which directly correlate with what I view as professionalism. Whilst the others are not excluded from being relevant, the fact that most of these skills tie directly into professionalism shows the importance that professionalism plays in the creative industries.

Upholding the integrity of your industry discipline area - why bother?

Not only do upholding standards offer benefits to your clients by assuring that any work provided follows these set out guidelines and will cover topics such as accessibility, speed, and stability, but they will also benefit you by providing you with the professional reputation required to succeed in your field.

Reputation matters - promoting a good image for yourself within your respective industry.

As well as guidelines and standards, having professionalism or being a professional is vital whether you are freelance or employed as either way you want to assure you have a respected reputation to assure your success in the field as any sort of brand damage whether it be due to unethical behaviour or not following guidelines and standards may hamper your chances of not only succeeding but even working within the field as some companies may turn you away.

The concept of the "pillars of professionalism - Commitment, integrity, responsibility and accountability"

Within my field, Web and Mobile development, I believe it is vital to adhere to a view of being a professional, and part of this is assuring that you are covering what is referred to the "pillars of professionalism" - According to Kizza (2013, pp. 57-60) professionalism is supported by four pillars:

Commitment - Completion of work or tasks as agreed despite any obstacles that may occur. This also includes assuring adherence to any timescales agreed.
Integrity - Honesty, incorruptibility, and self-value.
Responsibility - Identifying who you are responsible to/for, avoiding risk which may compromise any responsibilities and assurance of being up to date on anything that may affect these responsibilities.
Accountability - Assurance that you not only act honestly but are capable of answering for any responsibilities you have, these can be things such as penalties or incentives for not meeting these responsibilities.

While the above may seem quite general and would apply to most fields, in my field these can be extremely important and vital to adhere to as websites these days going down or not functioning properly can cost a company millions. Looking an at article written online by JULY 31ST, 2023 By Shaun Anderson gives examples of why these are so important. (https://www.hobo-web.co.uk/your-website-design-should-load-in-4-seconds/)

Two-thirds of UK consumers (67%) cite slow loading times as the main reason they would abandon an online purchase.
47 percent of consumers expect a web page to load in two seconds or less.
40 percent of consumers will wait no more than three seconds for a web page to render before abandoning the site.

Quickly going over each pillar one by one to show this, you can quickly see why these become vital.

Commitment - Had this been a case of work not being completed on time or not to the standard agreed, you would lose any reputation as your commitment would come into question.
Integrity - Perhaps you knew there were issues that had to be addressed up front but were not honest about it or took on more than you could chew - suddenly we take a look at your integrity.
Responsibility - Did you act responsibly by identifying the possible risks that could have resulted in a web page running slow or even going down?
Accountability - What penalties would face you had this been your fault the site went down or was running slow; would it be simply reputation damage or possibly financial too?

The above clearly shows why consideration and adherence to these standards is a key part to not only professionalism but success too.

Conclusion

To conclude, after having went over professionalism in general, how it applies to creative industries and more personal to my own field, what the expectation of professionalism brings, and how it can affect you directly - I hope the importance of professionalism is clear and has fully answered the question; does the concept of professionalism apply to the creative industries?

Yes, most definitely, in more ways than some consider initially.

Creating a good online presence: what is the best approach?

David — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:20:55 +0000

How do you establish an online presence?

Whether you are a freelancer or are looking to establish yourself to seek out a career, it is vital to have an online presence to market yourselves. This presence can differ depending on your field, but typically there will always be a few similarities in the methods and platforms chosen to establish this;

LinkedIn – Seen as the primary professional platform, specifically for those looking to create networks of people within their industry. LinkedIn also offers features to be used as a pseudo online CV platform, offering tools that allow users to show current and past work experience, any awards or certifications, relevant skills and also sections to show work. In my opinion anyone looking for any description of job should be involved on LinkedIn, but is completely necessary for those looking to get into the creative industries.
Specialized platform – This will differ greatly for each person, but it is important to show off your work (link to "What work should you include and what should you exclude?" section?) through specific platforms suited to your field. To give a few examples;
- Developers – GitHub, in my opinion this will always be the primary platform for any sort of developer to showcase their projects as much like LinkedIn it not only provides the feature of showcasing your work but also the ability to comment and collaborate with others on their work, which will help in creating the network required to thrive in the industry. (link to networking section?).
- Designers – Artstation, while I have some previous experience in graphic design it was prior to the creation of Artstation, which through my interest in gaming (not academically) I have seen used on many occasions by games developers and animators to showcase their work, upcoming work or conceptual designs.
- Sound/Animation – For sound specifically you will be looking at Soundcloud, which for the longest time has been the most popular option for sharing audio and sound for musicians and sound engineers alike. However, the second option which is the primary option for animators/video editors is also a very popular option for those looking to get into sound – YouTube. The tools and features available on YouTube make it one of if not the best option for these types of professionals as it not only offers options to publicly showcase work, but also allows the option to "unlist" videos, meaning they can only be viewed by those with the link. This is beneficial for showcasing pieces to clients who don't want their work shared publicly, or for creating specific pieces for interviews.
Personal website – While the above offers a myriad of features and tools already created, sometimes (especially in web development) you can never beat having your own personal website. This showcases, ignoring any work included, your ability to build a site fit for purpose. You also have the benefit of including any features you wish and linking to your other platforms as well. This does however come with some caveats as you not only need to market/advertise the website, whether you do this with online ads or in person networking but convince any potential clients or employers to look at your site. While most (looking at the below research we will look at in a moment) do not have a problem with this, in my opinion you will still be required to utilize some of the other platforms as having your own personal website alone will not be sufficient.

To cite from research performed by Dr Gavin Baxter, a question asked "participants were asked to rate the effectiveness of online delivery mechanisms for showcasing their work to prospective employers":

The research above shows what current professionals in the creative industries feel regarding the platforms mentioned, but to reiterate a point from earlier I would like to see how many have just a personal website and no other platform as I believe that these in combination is the true method to success.

What steps should you take to promote your work online and get noticed by potential employers?

In order to promote your work and get noticed by potential employers or clients you must utilize the above platforms as described, but you must do so on a regular basis. Should you be using a platform you can customize (personal website, GitHub pages, Art station website) try to make sure that you have a well presented, easily readable and clear portfolio – as while stylish portfolios can also get you noticed they are not typically UI/UX friendly and can put off some employers especially depending on your field.

For example, looking at GitHub, there are sections on your profile that show how much and often you are working on or contributing to other people's work. Having this up to date will show employers or clients the skill sets you have as well as the fact you are up to date within the industry.

What work should you include and what should you exclude, and how often?

On any platforms that allow you to post or share your work, you should be sure to always include your best work, work you are proud of and a wide variety of work to show the scope of your skills. This can also be combined with some comments from yourself to show your workings and thought processes, which looks good to employers and clients as it shows you are able to reflect on your work and fully understand what you are doing.

On the flip side, don't show work you are not proud of or unfinished work. The reasons for this should be obvious but there is a circumstance that it may benefit you to do so. The only (in my opinion) exception to this rule is if you were reflecting on poor work in a blog or self-reflection post - which I feel can be useful to show again you can critique and reflect on your own work.

The next question to ask would be how often should you be posting your work or updating your social platforms and I find this is completely dependent on your field as you don't want to end up bombarding your profiles with nonsense or rushed work, but the important thing is that it should be regular, whether it be once or twice a week or month - it needs to be continuous.

What sets you apart from the competition?

A question for everyone trying to gain employment, but especially in the creative industries as it can be so competitive. When working on your social platforms or portfolio sites you need to consider how you should be marketing yourself and at the end of the day when it comes down to you and someone else for the job – what makes you the better person for the job?

This is not an easy question to answer by any means, as nearly everyone is going in with their own replies to the question. To me, you should be looking at the passion you have for the position you're looking for by attending events

What advice does your industry area provide and what can you provide?

Below are two pages I have personally looked at that cover tips to take into consideration when marketing yourself online, whether it be through a portfolio or by other means, while also covering the specific tips on web development and design.

The second page, more of a blog post from the writer, is especially good as he provides a lot of useful links for a myriad of purposes that developers would want to utilize.

Unfortunately, at this stage I do not have a lot of industry experience, but from what I have seen I would start using GitHub for both portfolio reasons and also collaborative work. GitHub is not only beneficial for usage as a portfolio but also as a tool for networking and as part of work itself, as many workplaces utilize GitHub as a collaborative work tool so using this for your own work will give you practise should the position require usage of Git.

So, what is the best approach?

Consistency, regular updates - the amount of people who will see your website or profile should you only update it once every few months will be minimal. You need to assure that you are updating regularly, even if it's just to comment on work or some new technology.

Likewise with a personal website, having a website alone will do nothing, even should you pay for ads/SEO, you need to network online to assure that your site is being seen.