you're definitely right. unfortunately i've been busy with a move and learning angular, which was new to me, so i haven't had much new code. i plan on adding more this week. thanks for your advice =]
I already code for a living and thus my github often goes dormant for months or even years. I also code on my free time too and many of the projects I might contribute to for free (important to stress that), or otherwise become involved in, do not accept pull requests on github.
I would like to offer you some counter-advice: don't work for an employer who bases hiring decisions solely on your github activity or any other open source contributions. These are important metrics but so is your own research, your genuine enthusiasm for the field, and your personality fit.
Some easy things you can do is get an avatar, star some projects and try to get some followers (people often follow back if you follow them). Not huge wins, but they help make you github account look more active.
I would like to offer you some counter-advice: don't work for an employer who bases hiring decisions solely on your github activity or any other open source contributions. These are important metrics but so is your own research, your genuine enthusiasm for the field, and your personality fit.