In this Writer’s Room blog, Andela Community member Adam Labaran explores the potential of open source and why participating in an open source project could enhance your career.
As a technologist, you may have come across the term “open source” quite frequently. You may even be using an open-source web browser to read this. But have you ever considered contributing to an open-source project? If not, you may be missing out on some significant benefits.
In this article, I will explain why you should contribute to open-source. I will discuss the impact that contributing to open-source can have on your career and the benefits you can gain simply by contributing.
- Improve your coding skills
Practice makes one perfect and contributing to open sources provides an excellent opportunity for coding. In my perspective, it is the best way to learn to program. You can work on projects used by real people in the industry. This practical experience will help you learn new coding techniques and gain exposure to new tools and technologies. By contributing to open source, you can add new features to a project or fix a bug you discovered that has been troubling you. Most open-source projects have guidelines for beginners looking to contribute. Additionally, going through others’ code improves your debugging skills and lets you understand how people solve problems and their approach to doing so.
2. Networking
Contributing to open-source projects provides a networking opportunity, in the sense of meeting new people from different parts of the world. You can meet people from Asia, America, Africa, and Europe interested in coding. Networking within an open-source community can also help you stay up to date on industry trends and best practices. At a certain point in our career, we all need someone to direct and guide us, and you can easily find a mentor within this network of people.
3. Outstanding portfolio
Building an outstanding portfolio is a significant advantage that comes with contributing to open-source. You can attract recruiters by including your open-source contributions in your resume. Imagine adding “I contributed to the famous react project” in your resume. Your open-source contributions speak volumes about your skills and give a good impression to recruiters demonstrating what you can achieve.
4. Reasons to never give up
Many people tend to give up after one or two job rejections. Learning to code and applying for jobs needs a lot of motivation, and there are many steps to take to secure your first job. When you contribute to open-source, you join a community that can help you stay motivated. The community can encourage and motivate you as you progress, helping you feel valued and supported. Being surrounded by people that motivate you to improve and learn more can be incredibly helpful. Additionally, contributing to open-source is a great way to give back to the community. Your contributions can help make open-source software better for everyone.
In conclusion, contributing to open source is undoubtedly worth your time and effort as a software engineer. It can improve your coding skills, expand your network, create an impressive portfolio, and provide many other benefits. Why don’t you start today and see where your contributions can take you? Happy contributing!
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