Don’t miss out on the hidden world of tech community leadership
Table of contents
- Why should you attend tech events?
- The benefits of tech leadership
- How to become a tech community leader
- Conclusion
For most techies who attend tech events, they usually follow a simple pattern;
Show up. Learn. Eat. Free merch. Repeat
While it’s okay to follow the usual routine of attending tech events, there are many hidden opportunities and advantages to being a tech leader that most people don’t know about.
Why should you attend tech events in the first place?
First off, I won’t assume that every developer actually attends these developer conventions. Most of us are introverted in nature and we prefer to sit in a dimly lit room cursing at bits of data until dawn. Only going out to socialize at last resort. Or maybe that’s just me.
Regardless, these meetups offer a great place to be a part of a community where you can share experiences, exchange ideas and seek advice.
Tech meetups are also a great way to get noticed by potential employers. As a final year student I’ve had multiple friends get hired through such conferences. Sometimes even without a technical interview. So never forget your resume at such gatherings.
Finally, they help you keep up with trends and stay on your toes with your professional knowledge. Its easy to think that trending topics on Twitter and Fireship’s latest video are all you need to stay updated.
But, you can hear and learn new skills from some of the top developers in the world by attending a few events each month. And usually its all for free.
The unexpected benefits from tech community leadership
1. Great networking opportunity
The first is meeting industry experts and influencers. A lot of “big-shot” developers actually attend tech meetups on the regular. This is a great way to interact with programmers who work in big tech or your dream job environment.
Ask them questions about how they got to where they were. Ask them for advice on how to improve. Anything you like. They usually are very ready and willing to help new developers so don’t be shy. But remember to be respectful they are still human.
During my time as a Google Developer Student Club Lead (GDSC) I met a lot of Google employees. One of them actually appears regularly on Google IO!
I found it surprising to find out how down-to-earth they were despite working at one of the most in demand tech jobs in the world. It was a great way to grow my socials by taking pictures with them and tagging them.
Being seen with other tech leaders is a great way to enhance your own industry recognition and credibility.
2. Free Goodies and Merch
Free merch. Who doesn’t love free merch? Many tech leaders are drowning in free merch that they get from hosting and carrying out events. I am pretty sure my current closet consists of around 30% store bought clothes and the rest is all merch I was given from community work.
Here is a gift box i was sent after becoming a beta Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador:
Keep in mind though, while merch is a great incentive, it should not be the basis of you becoming a tech leader.
3. Free learning resources and beta testing content
A lot of tech leadership programs give their leaders free resources. From free AWS credits to entire Udemy courses on the house. You can enhance your knowledge and grow your skills on pricey industry technology all for free.
Pro tip, if you are a student you can sign up for the GitHub student developer pack to get thousands of dollars worth of free course material and resources all for free here.
Not just free content but new content as well. A lot of experts also get access to unreleased content. Who better to beta test new content than community leaders?
They can market it once it is released and give valuable user feedback since they know the company’s products well. A lot of tech companies agree with this sentiment as they often test new content with their community leaders.
4. Personal growth and fulfillment
I was terrified of speaking in front of people when I first signed up to be a student leader. And now? I’m still terrified. But I wont choke on stage like I used to. I can control my fear and speak my mind with confidence. This incredibly valuable soft skill has helped me to network myself better and find new opportunities.
Watching yourself grow into a better leader, speaker and developer is one of my favorite things about tech leadership. You can market yourself better in professional situations and you can teach other people the skills and knowledge you have acquired more effectively.
Not just that but there is something very fulfilling about watching your words inspire other people to better themselves. Tech community leadership offers a sense of fulfillment and the opportunity to make a positive impact on others’ lives.
By sharing your knowledge, mentoring others, and fostering collaboration, you contribute to the growth and development of aspiring technologists. Witnessing the success and achievements of individuals you have supported can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.
“The best way to learn is to teach.” — Frank Oppenheimer
How to become a tech community leader
There are many avenues to become a voice of authority in the world of tech. I will go with what I believe are the three best ways;
- Volunteering for tech events
let’s start off with volunteer work. This entails volunteering for a tech event over time and working your way up to a leadership level.
Many tech leaders started out as volunteers so this is very common. If you are looking for events to volunteer for, I recommend the meetup app. Look for events in your area and contact the organizing team to see if they need a hand.
From my personal experience, facilitating these kinds of events is chaotic. Organizing teams are almost always looking for an extra set of hands so this is something a lot of them would love to hear.
2. Signing up for tech community programs
Community programs, in this instance, have structured initiatives designed to bring together individuals with a shared interest in technology and foster collaboration, learning, and networking within the community.
This method is less of a beginner friendly start. Most of these programs are looking for established, seasoned developers who already have some pull in the technology social space. But it is still a viable beginning to become a tech facilitator. Here are a couple you can check out to get started:
Google Developer Experts, Google Developer Groups, AWS Community heroes, Oracle ACE and Microsoft MVP.
Here are some student ones as well; Google Developer Student Clubs, GitHub Campus Experts and Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors.
3. Starting your own community
Finally, starting your community may seem like the most daunting task but its definitely the most rewarding. As the founder you can select a team of individuals to help you arrange events and sessions for your members.
In the beginning don’t expect large turnouts. But Rome wasn’t built in a day and in time, with consistent effort you will have your very own community of passionate developers.
Conclusion
In simple terms, becoming a tech community leader opens up a world of unexpected benefits. You get to meet and connect with experts in the field, improve your leadership abilities, and gain valuable experiences that boost your career.
Embrace this hidden world, and witness the remarkable impact it can have on your personal and professional growth.
