The Importance Of Community In Building A Tech Career Path.

The Importance Of Community In Building A Tech Career Path.

What Exactly Is A Tech Community?

It is a collection of people who share the goal of enhancing all elements of life through technology. From the development of new technologies to the creation of new IT jobs. From researching specialized technologies, languages, or operating systems to creating products, software, and digital entertainment.

These communities are excellent for locating individuals or groups who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about specific technologies. They are capable of solving complex challenges together and making valid product judgments. They too can promote new IT technologies and services.

The United States has the bulk of the world's largest tech communities, however there are large tech communities in every country. These networks can provide valuable mentorship, collaboration, learning, job generation, and investment opportunities.

Its also well acknowledged that belonging to a community has major mental health benefits and with one study from the University of California, San Francisco discovering that 72 percent of entrepreneurs have self-reported mental health difficulties, communities has never been more vital for people establishing a business.

Why Should You Join A Tech Community and How Will It Benefit Your Career?

I've compiled a list below of the top reasons why joining a community is important and how it will beneift your career.

1. Professional Development: Participating in the community demonstrates to future employers that you are committed to your profession and interested in expanding your knowledge. Attending meet-ups allows you to learn about the latest technology, view demos from technical innovators, and obtain best practices for implementing that technology in your organization.

2. Discovering Your Passion: While the majority of tech workers are enthusiastic about their careers and the technology they use, becoming engaged in the community can help you improve skills in the areas you're interested in. Being a part of the community also allows you to show your interest in several ways, such as blogging, presenting at an event, or simply networking with like-minded people about the technology that inspires you. Whatever your particular interest, you'll undoubtedly find a community group to share your expertise, experiences, and interests with.

3. Making Connections: It stands to reason that joining a community group is a wonderful opportunity to meet other industry tech professionals. Engaging in a community gives you the perfect opportunity to network, create, and develop with people who share your interests. Aside from the business benefits of networking within the tech community, there are also personal rewards. Many community events are now held digitally, making it easier to access and engage with industry professionals, even if it is through a screen.

4. Support One Another: When people think of community groups, they may think of career advancement, but that isn't the only impact a community can have. Individuals gather in community groups not only to discuss the latest technologies or current issues, but also to share their experiences. Participating in the tech community is one way to have an impact in the industry. These communities are led by a group of people who have agreed to aid and respect one another. These communities are naturally sustainable, mentally stimulating, and help you advance in your profession.

Community is much more than belonging to something; it is about doing something together that makes belonging matter>  -- Brian Solis

How Does One Join A Community?

1. By Answering Questions: One simple approach to get started is to answer people's questions online, whether its #Discuss or #help queries on DEV, or questions on Stack Overflow or another forum site. It offers a minimal entry barrier and allows you to be really helpful to others.

2. Social Media: Social Media is a popular medium for developers, and it is an excellent platform to obtain exposure. Platforms like Twitter, instagram and Chat groups such as Slack and Discord are a simple way to get involved.

a) Twitter: you are not required to create high-level Tweets, instead you are given questions or suggestions to respond to. You can even begin by just reacting to other people's tweets that you find smart, or by tweeting your own.

b) Chat groups: many tech events feature Slack groups where you may communicate with other attendees. There are also Slack groups for various technologies and people that share common interests. These are fantastic sites to meet new people and speak in real time. There are other services, such as Discord, that serve a similar purpose.

4. Tech Events: Tech events are fantastic since they take on a variety of formats. Some are happy hours, some are speed talks, and yet others are longer form lectures or workshops. They're also great since they can be local or you may travel. These events allow you meet and interact with individuals in your neighborhood or industry experts from around the world. To get even more involved, you may volunteer as an organizer or speaker. I usually learn about them through Twitter or Instagram.

"There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about."– Margaret J. Wheatley

Top Tech Communities In Africa.

1. Google Developers Group: GDGs are local groups of developers who are specifically interested in Google products and APIs: everything from Android, App Engine, and Mobile Web platforms, to product APIs for products like Google Maps, YouTube, Google Calendar, and more.

2. Forloop Africa: Forloop Africa is an African tech community founded in Nigeria. It began as a forum for Nigerian developers. It has inspired people to keep up with the newest technology advancements while also motivating them to polish their software development skills. Forloop Africa is the largest developer organization in Africa, linking local chapters with members in eight African countries, including North Africa.

3. She Code Africa: She Code Africa is a non-profit organization focused on celebrating and empowering young Girls and Women in Technology across Africa.

4. FigmaAfrica: FigmaAfrica is a tech community that uses an online community and in-person events around the continent to connect, network, and build ones creative talents. It is a community for UI/UX designers who wish to network; they arrange meet ups on a regular basis and exchange a lot of important information, tools, and updates. It is a platform for African designers to engage, mentor, learn, grow, and profit together while participating in creative activities.

5. unStack Community: unStack is a community of enthusiastic developers, designers, and other technical experts. They focus on hands-on technical seminars and conferences centered on web, mobile, and other new technologies. They teach about new technology as well as how to traverse old ones. They also bring together engineers from around Nigeria to exchange their thoughts. They have over 6,000 guests and over a thousand sponsors for their event. Andela is one of these supporters.

6. DevCareer Community: DevCareer Community is a non-profit tech community that creates chances for people in Africa who are unable to pursue a chosen career in software development owing to a lack of resources. Many factors can certainly slow down the voyage of many aspiring developers, particularly in Africa, where some nations lack basic services or share the right of receiving things on a long-term payment plan. Budding developers must deal with poor energy and sluggish or no Internet connectivity, as well as the challenges of finding the suitable course, a good laptop, and, eventually, a mentor.

7. Kwara Build: Kwara Build is a top global organization tech community in Kwara state, Nigeria. For enthusiasts and developers who are passionate about creating Kwara state's digital environment. Their objective is to bring together a group of like-minded people to exhibit Nigeria's greatest talent ideas and enterprises, with an emphasis on harnessing digital innovation.They have been growing Kwara state's tech ecosystem they teach young people about the power of technology in terms of ecosystem growth and long-term planning.

8. Ingressive for Good: Ingressive for Good exists to equip young Africans in need with tech skills to help them impact and contribute to the development of Africa, socially and economically. Ingressive For Good (I4G) was created to address the glaring inequities that exist within African tech ecosystems.

Conclusion

Developer communities create a welcoming atmosphere that promotes the sharing of information and experiences. Being a member of a community is a terrific way to stay motivated in your objectives and engage in conversations with other software developers, joining a development community may amaze you with how much it may help you improve!.

Aside from the list above you can use this list to find different types of developer communities to join. As noted in the post, consider joining the SheCodeAfrica community & Ingressive for Good community, of which I am a member and find to be a really welcoming one!

Do you already belong to a development community? Which ones do you think are the best? Please leave a comment!, thank you.