Outline
- Four Practical Ways to Join, Engage and Grow with a Developer Community
- How Can You Find a Community or Conference Near You?
- Key Benefits of Becoming Part of a Developer Community
Today, I want to provide practical ways to join a developer community, share my experiences, and highlight the value of being part of one .
A year ago, I changed my career path from HR Management to Software Engineering. In November 2024, I started my software developer studies at 42 Berlin. It’s a two-year program where I learn programming through a project-based and peer-to-peer-driven concept.
Before becoming a student at 42 Berlin, I began my developer journey self-driven and, more importantly, by becoming part of a community
If you’re also starting your developer journey, or you are a developer who just moved to a new city, or someone who enjoys networking, then this post is for you!
Four Practical Ways to Join, Engage and Grow with a Developer Community
1. Local Meetups & Mentoring Events
As an Attendee
Do you sometimes feel stuck with a bug? ChatGPT, DeepSeek, or any other chatbot also drives you nuts, and you just need personal exchange about it. Or do you seek support brainstorming a portfolio idea? Maybe you want to network because you’re looking for a job, or you simply enjoy the company and want to learn? Meetups are a wonderful way to start!
Local developer events are a great way to:
- Ask for help when you’re stuck during a project.
- Seek inspiration for new ideas.
- Satisfy curiosity about different topics.
As a self-learner, I quickly encountered challenges like feeling lonely and isolated with code bugs, career worries, or a lack of inspiration for portfolio projects. That’s when I went to my first networking event hosted by codebar in Berlin.
Codebar is a community charity that facilitates the growth of a diverse tech community by organizing free, regular programming workshops for minority groups in tech. Participants are paired with mentors who have experience in the tech stack they need help with. You can also attend simply for networking. Codebar Berlin has massively contributed to my journey, with mentors offering their time and expertise. I’m still a regular student and attendee of their monthly meetups. You can check if Codebar organizes events in your area.
Through one of the Codebar events, I learned about the next mentoring program: the Django Girls Workshop. Kudos to Lisa Quatmann, one of the organizers of Django Girls, a huge Python & Django ambassador, and a regular host of Codebar events at MPB in Berlin.
Django Girls is a community that “organizes free Python and Django workshops, creates open-sourced online tutorials, and curates amazing first experiences with technology.” I attended their workshop in 2024, where I learned to develop and deploy my first web application—a blog! This blog, where you’re reading my post, is also based on the Django Girls handbook. Lastly, thanks to the Django Girls Workshop, I also found my mentor from the Women Techmakers Ambassador Program , who has been guiding me on my developer journey since the summer of 2024.
These experiences convinced me to keep investing time in becoming an active part of the developer community in Berlin. Since then, I’ve been a regular attendee at different Python community events in Berlin.
As a Speaker
Speaking at meetups is a nice way to give back to the community, improve your public speaking skills, and even build your personal brand. It is completely normal to be nervous and maybe insecure. I can share with you that I have only experienced communities being extremely welcoming and supportive for new voices!
- Share your knowledge and inspire others by presenting your experiences or projects.
- Build your confidence in public speaking.
- Get valuable feedback and ideas from attendees.
2. Conferences
As an Attendee
Another approach to joining a community is to attend conferences. Conferences are typically organized by companies or larger organizations, but many are also community-driven. They offer opportunities to attend talks, network, participate in workshops, and learn from experts. Conferences often span several days and usually require purchasing a ticket. Alternatively, you can volunteer to attend for free—more on that in a bit!Why should you consider attending a conference? Here are some benefits:
- Networking: Connect with professionals, peers, and potential mentors.
- Learning: Gain insights from speakers, workshops, and panel discussions.
- Inspiration: Discover ideas and inspiring stories to spark creativity.
- Career Growth: Access job opportunities and connect with recruiters.
- Skill Building: Participate in hands-on sessions to improve technical and soft skills.
Let me tell you about my conference journey and how I got into it. At some point, I noticed a lot of conferences popping up on my LinkedIn feed and in community Slack channels. Another opportunity arose, thanks to the power of the developer community
Through PyLadies Berlin (another non-profit community), I was lucky enough to receive a free ticket for the Merge Conference organized by GitButler. How did I get so lucky? I was simply part of their Slack channel and stayed updated with their feed. Conferences often partner with non-profits and give free tickets to increase diversity and give minority groups the chance to attend such events.
At the Merge conference, I:
- Learned a lot (even though I didn’t understand everything!).
- Met developers curious about my career change and projects.
- Played Doom for the first time.
It was a fantastic time and reinforced my belief in the power of developer communities.
As a Volunteer
Volunteering at conferences is another nice way to engage with and give back to the community, all while avoiding the need to spend hundreds of euros for a ticket.
Here’s why:
- You meet fellow developers.
- You get a behind-the-scenes look at organizing conferences.
- You usually receive free tickets as well as food and drinks in return for volunteering shifts.
Here’s how I got started:
- I signed up as a volunteer for the WeAreDevelopers WorldCongress in Berlin because I couldn’t afford a regular ticket. Volunteers work dedicated shifts and receive a free ticket for the rest of the time.
- At the conference, I worked two 8-hour shifts over two days and attended as a participant on the third. It was overwhelming but exciting, with over 10,000 attendees.
Later, I volunteered at DevFest, organized by the Google for Developer community, and PyConWeb, where I even took on a moderator role. Stepping out of my comfort zone and moderating was nerve-wracking but rewarding.
3. Hackathons
Hackathons are coding events organised by communities or directly by companies where developers, designers, and other tech enthusiasts come together to solve challenges or create projects in a short period (e.g. over the weekend - coding two days non-stop and learning). They provide a creative environment for learning, experimenting, and building connections.
- Participate in hackathons to collaborate with others on coding challenges.
- Build a portfolio of projects you can showcase to potential employers.
- Learn new technologies and frameworks in a practical, fast-paced environment.
I have yet to personally participate in a hackathon, so I cannot share any firsthand experiences.
4. Makerspaces
Makerspaces are creative workspaces equipped with tools and resources for building and prototyping. Whether you're into hardware, software, laser cutting, 3D printing, wood work, sewing or a combination, these spaces foster creativity and innovation while bringing people together to share skills and support each other.
- Makerspaces offer a physical space to work on hardware and software projects.
- They provide access to tools and resources you might not have at home.
- You can meet and collaborate with like-minded individuals and receive support.
How Can You Find a Community or Conference Near You?
These were my four practical approaches to joining a developer community, along with my personal experiences on how they’ve helped me learn and grow as a developer.
Below, I’m sharing links to lists of communities, conferences, makerspaces, and hackathons which you can join.
Communities
GitHub Repositories:
- Developer Communities Collection: A curated list of developer communities. ⭐️ This is my new repo. The goal is to create a list of active communities on from holistic view. Add your community with a Pull Request! ⭐️
- Awesome Developer Communities: A curated list of awesome developer communities (Discord, Slack, Telegram, etc.).
Specific Tech Communities & Mentorship Programs:
- Women Who Code: A global organization supporting women in tech.
- PyLadies: A worldwide community for women in the Python programming language.
- PyBerlin: A list of Python events happening in Berlin.
- Women Techmakers Ambassador Program: Provides visibility, community, mentorship, and resources for women in technology.
- Codebar: A nonprofit community offering mentoring workshops in programming for minority groups.
- Django Girls: International non-profit organization, that want inspire women from any backgrounds to get interested in technology and to become developer.
- Google Developer Groups: Groups hosted by Google to help developers learn and connect.
Open Source and Contribution Platforms:
- Open Source Friday: A great place to discover open-source projects and communities to contribute to.
- Hacktoberfest: An annual event encouraging contributions to open-source projects.
Social Media & Forums:
- Reddit Stackoverflow: Subreddits like r/learnprogramming, r/webdev, or r/Python are great for connecting with like-minded developers.
- Dev.to: An online community for developers to share articles, ask questions, and network.
General Community Platforms:
- Meetup: A platform to find local meetups and events near you across various interests, including tech and development.
- Eventbrite: Search for tech-related workshops, meetups, and conferences in your area.
Conferences
- Developers conference Agenda: A comprehensive list of conferences worldwide.
Makerspaces
- Makerspace Directory: A comprehensive guide to the growing community of makerspaces around the globe
Hackathons
- Awesome Hackathons: Hackathons-related awesome list.
Key Benefits of Becoming Part of a Developer Community
To wrap up my post, I want to emphasize the key benefits of developer communities and the value of becoming part of one:
- Networking: Meet like-minded individuals, mentors, and potential employers.
- Support: Get help with bugs, ideas, and career advice.
- Learning: Discover new technologies and stay updated on industry trends.
- Inspiration: Collaborate on projects and gain fresh perspectives.
- Opportunities: Access free events, mentoring programs, and even job leads.
Thank you for reading,
👾 Original post on my own blog
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