I joined a Ruby meetup a few years ago because I was working with Ruby on Rails, a web technology framework. I wanted to learn more about it and meet fellow practitioners. After a few months, I’d learned a lot, but better, I’d met interesting people. It was a sacrifice of a night every month, but it was worth it.
A few years after I joined, I volunteered to find speakers for this meetup, which gave me the opportunity to help the meetup organizers and reach out to prominent people in the Ruby community. At present, I don’t work with Ruby very much anymore, but I still attend and help because I love the network I’ve built, the education I receive, and the friends I’ve made. Every month we get together. I see familiar faces and new ones too.
Meetups are prevalent in the technology world. Other vocations have professional organizations and events, but rarely are they as volunteer driven, frequent, and diverse as technology meetups. Software development is so sprawling and evolves so quickly that developers need to self-educate to maintain their edge. But the profession is so young that, unlike medical doctors or lawyers, there are fewer institutions which provide education, let alone licensure.
There are of course ways to build networks other than joining a meetup. You can find community online, from your school, or from your work. Where you find it is less important than that you find one. Community members help you learn, provide contextual advice, and cheer you on when you succeed.
But wait, there’s more!
More than half of the jobs and contracts I’ve had over my two decade career resulted from introductions by former colleagues or people I’d met in a professional setting. Working with people you know makes everything easier. It is easier to get an interview, easier to be hired, and easier to understand team dynamics and be productive. Jobs are hard enough; having a network is like a cheat code.
You can also lend a hand to community members. You can help them when they need advice, or have something to publicize, or need to find a job.
Finding “your people” isn’t just a fun way to learn and help others; it will help you as well.
Meetups
Dear new developer,
You are probably overwhelmed right now . There is a lot on your plate, and you are probably just trying to keep up with your job duties. Or maybe you are seeking employment, which feels like a high-stakes full-time endeavor.
I hate to do this, but I am going to ask you for some extracurricular time.
Join a technology meetup. Go to www.meetup.com and search for one in your area, focused on a technology you want to learn. Sign up and attend the next one. If there is no meetup in the area, search for one that is virtual.
When you are at this meetup, you might have a hard time chatting with people—I know I do! I find the best way to engage with people is to be interested in what they have to say. Show up 15 minutes early. Find someone standing alone; walk up to them and introduce yourself. Then ask what brings them to the meetup and what they are working on. Starting these conversations will be awkward at first, but, like coding, it gets easier the more you do it.
If it is a virtual meetup, conversations are harder. Instead, you might want to see if there is a Slack channel or Twitter hashtag for asynchronous communication. Mention you went to the meetup and start a conversation around the topic of the presentation.
It will expose you to new ideas that you can bring to your job.
It will allow you to have professional conversations with low stakes. For example, it is generally easier to admit ignorance to a new friend than to your boss.
It will allow you to practice talking to new people; you’ll have at least the topic of the meetup in common.
You can make friends and acquaintances in your industry.
When you are ready to hunt for a new job, you will have a network outside of your coworkers.
You will meet cool people.
You will learn about new concepts and projects.
You may, in time , choose to help organize or speak at a meetup. These activities will also help your career. But if all you do is attend a meetup regularly, you will still come out ahead.
Please, go sign up for a meetup today.
Sincerely,
Dan
Conversational hooks
Dear new developer,
It’s hard to build community if you can’t talk to people. I often feel awkward around folks I don’t know. Over the years, I have learned how to be less stiff. My main technique is to both give and ask for a “hook” in any conversation I start.
Here’s a typical “networking” conversation I’ve had:
Dan: “Hi, I’m Dan.”
Rohana: “Hi, I’m Rohana.”
Dan: “Where do you work?”
Rohana: “I work at Company X. Where do you work?”
Dan: “Company Y.”
<crickets>
So awkward. I am cringing just reading this. Typically, at this point, both Dan and Rohana look around for someone else to talk to so they can escape the silence.
Compare that with this conversation:
Dan: “Hi, I’m Dan.”
Rohana: “Hi, I’m Rohana.”
Dan: “Where do you work?”
Rohana: “I work at Company X. Where do you work?”
Dan: “Company Y. We recently launched website Z and are evaluating technology ABC. What has your company recently rolled out?”
New developer, do you see the difference? In the second conversation, Dan has provided Rohana with two avenues for conversation—she can either focus on Dan and ask about technology ABC or website Z or can answer Dan’s question about Company X. She can decide where to take the conversation, but Dan has offered up some possible directions. Without the hooks, Rohana might not have known that Dan had exposure to technology ABC. But with them, she may have questions to ask or opinions to share. In any event, the dreadful silence is avoided.
I’ve also found that most people love to talk about themselves. I do. The hook provides concrete opportunities for Rohana to talk about herself or her employer. Everyone, every single person, has an interesting, educational story to tell.
Starting a conversation with a stranger is the first step to getting to know them. That can help you with whatever you seek, whether hiring a team member, making a sale, finding a mentor, or learning the warts of a new technology.
Don’t be transactional, however. Have you ever been approached by someone and as soon as they found out you couldn’t help them, they exited the conversation? It feels icky. You don’t have to be everyone’s best friend but work to find something interesting about anyone you are talking to.
Having a professional relationship with people outside your company can help your career directly. For example, it’s rare that you find a new job via your current coworkers—they probably want you to stick around. This is where networking events and meetups shine. Learning to provide a conversational hook made such events far more pleasant.
Sincerely,
Dan
Online tech communities
Dear new developer,
Part of your job is keeping up to date with new technologies and happenings in the tech world. This can be a distraction because there are tools and techniques being released every day. Companies release new platforms, people publish interesting articles, and open source contributors release new tools. I avoid this distraction by relying on a community to filter the noise. To have an effective one, I had to find the right community.
If you know the precise technology on which you wish to focus, such as React Native or Haskell, sign up for an email list related to it. Find where the project is hosted and sign up for notifications. You can follow project contributors on Twitter or other social media sites. Matt Raible, a prolific developer and blogger,1 once mentioned that he learns a new technology by unfollowing everyone in his Twitter feed. Then he follows only people connected to the new technology—his Twitter feed is therefore full of exactly what he needs to know.
However, if you aren’t sure exactly what to focus on, a more general community might be a better fit. These are usually websites, but can be Slacks, forums, IRC channels, Facebook groups, or other means of online communication. These communities ebb and flow in popularity over the years. If you join a community and a few years later it is not as active or the feel has changed, look around. Chances are there is an up-and-coming community you can jump to.
Reddit, where you can find any type of community you want, from those focused on a specific technology like /r/oauth to those with a broad purview such as /r/programming
Stack Overflow and the other Stack sites
lobste.rs, which is less business and more technology focused
HangOps, a Slack just for DevOps practitioners; it’s one of many free, tech focused Slacks
Whatever community you join, make sure you actually join the community. Just as much of the value of a meetup is in who you see meeting after meeting, visiting an online community once is unlikely to be worthwhile. Be wary of self-promotion and seek guidance from the community on expectations if you have something to share. Take part in the community by commenting on posts, submitting interesting links, and in general being around.
Prepare to be offended or hurt by comments , especially if you say something not in line with community expectations. I have said dumb things. When I was called out for such behavior, I felt a flush of shame. I had to close the browser and get some space from the community for a time. In some cases, I’ve apologized. Doing so is no fun, but acknowledging your mistakes is part of the package when you join a community.
The more pleasant part of being a community member is the exposure to new ideas, technologies, and practices. You may want to discuss using a new technology or piece of open source software at work. Your employer may have policies around this, but it never hurts to ask. You also may discover new perspectives on technologies you are already using. Sharing articles or how-tos from the online community with your colleagues can help the team too. However, don’t take every article shared on such sites as absolute truth; these communities often have a bias toward the exciting new thing.
It is also fun to submit a link or story, whether an interesting open source project, a blog post of your own, or an article you’ve run across. I’ve done that a few times, and it’s a rush when my submission trends. It’s also a nice way to say “thank you” to the author, and it only takes 30 seconds.
Find an online community , participate in it, and you will reap the rewards.
Sincerely,
Dan
You get what you give
Rylan Bowers is a developer, co-organizer of Boulder Startup Week and the Boulder Ruby Meetup, and an all-around good guy.
Dear new developer,
“You get what you give” isn’t just a late 1990s catchy pop song set in a late 1990s mall that gives me a late 1990s cringe (and nostalgia, but those go hand in hand, eh?). It’s also a great way to approach your career! This is something core to the tech scene I’ve adopted in Boulder, Colorado, as codified by Techstars with their Give First rule in their Code of Conduct.2 Their other rules are great ones to build your career around, too.
Offering to help engenders a greater sense of observation and consideration of others’ needs and feelings. This is something we all can work on, given our reputation as social introverts.
It feels good to help others with no strings attached.
If you want to attach (small) strings for your own motivation, you increase how others view you in a positive light.
You likely will find rewarding hobbies, coding interests, or other intrinsic rewards without much effort.
You become less arrogant.
You help build your community in a positive way, no matter how small the give is.
People are quicker to recommend you for a job or position if you ever fall on harder times.
It improves your own sense of self-worth and confidence.
You make more friends outside of work.
Did I mention that it just feels good?
My one caveat: There are always people who will take advantage; do try to be open-minded and kind, but watch out for takers, they will burn you out! Thankfully, they are few and far between.
Another great example of this mindset is Jason Cole’s “Year of Giving Dangerously.”3 I must add that this way of living is out of reach for you as a new developer, but something to keep in mind over the course of your career. Give in small ways until you can give in bigger ways!
Also, be aware that being seen as only a taker is not a good thing. See my caveat earlier and think back on any time in your life that you’ve run into one. Maybe someone who always wanted to copy your answers or homework, but never contributed? Or those group projects where you felt like you were doing all the work? Don’t be a taker.
Volunteer in your community. Be the good you want to see in the world.
—Rylan
Build your work community
Dear new developer,
Networking isn’t just about meeting strangers and having conversations easily. Foster your community of former colleagues too. Doing so will help you if you are looking to hire, learn more about a potential employer, or ask questions about a software package. Here are some tips to help you maintain and foster your work connections.
Use LinkedIn. Keep your profile up to date with your positions and accomplishments, as well as use it to connect with people you have met in a professional context.
Never leave a job on bad terms. Give the requisite notice, document your work, and prepare for a handoff. Don’t speak ill of your former employer. You may be excited about the new job, but think about how you are leaving your current position. Treat your teammates as you’d want to be treated if they were departing.
Reach out periodically. This can be as simple as sending former coworkers a LinkedIn note when they have a work anniversary or have changed jobs. If you know they are interested in a technology and have run across an article on the topic, send it to them with a quick note. If you are visiting where they live, suggest meeting up for a coffee or beer.
If someone in your network has a request, try to help. Depending on the strength of the relationship, you may want to reshare the request, think of someone who could help, or volunteer yourself. Make sure your effort is proportional to the intensity of your connection. One time, I was overly enthusiastic about a new service an acquaintance was starting. I sent a bunch of intro emails for them. The service didn’t end up succeeding, and I felt foolish for having overextended myself.
If you make a request, follow up when someone provides aid. Thank them and let them know how it helped. It feels great when you realize your assistance benefited someone. Don’t ask for it too often from the same person, though. Spread around your requests. The stronger the relationship, the more often you can ask.
If you take care of your work network, when you want to tap it, former coworkers will respond. I’ve had former coworkers offer intros to interesting companies, provide contract work, and help me find the right hire .
Sincerely,
Dan
Three mantras to live by
Dave Mayer is a long-time community building advocate, and by day he’s CEO of Technical Integrity, a boutique recruiting firm focused on building diverse executive and technical teams for startups in Colorado and beyond.
Dear new dev-
After 20+ years of “production level” experience in the real world, I’m writing to share three mantras that have led to more happiness and more success for us.
To be clear, these are DAILY mantras. Not weekly, not monthly, not annually. Daily.
Surround yourself with people smarter than you.
Build community and give without expecting anything in return.
Listen to your gut, without exception.
Surround yourself every-damn-day with people who are smarter than you
You’ll never be, nor should you, be the smartest person in the room. Confucius reportedly wrote “if you are the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” Regardless of who wrote those words, they couldn’t be truer. Since high school, I’ve always known that I was smart, but I was also clear that I was not the best at everything and that everyone had something to help me learn or to help me become a better student or a better human.
I’m not suggesting you surround yourself with jerks with a ton of pretense who can’t stop talking about themselves and how smart they are; I’m suggesting that you learn to say “I don’t know,” “wow, that’s cool, tell me more,” and “yes, I could use some help.” Knowing that you will never have all the answers, that it’s okay to ask for help, and having an insatiable curiosity about engineering, life, music, and anything that is important to you will get you far in life.
Build community and give without expecting anything in return
In 2006, going into the “Great Recession,” we sat in the back of the room at the Boulder-Denver New Tech Meetup and listened to Brad Feld talk about bringing people together and building community (in whatever area and subject that matters to you) with no expectation of anything in return. This idea of #GivingFirst was revolutionary to us 13 years ago, and it’s been a life changer for us. It’s a super simple yet elegant idea of walking into a room and asking how you can help someone solve their biggest challenges rather than where-do-they-work-or-what-kind-of-car-do-they-drive.4 It’s truly been life-changing to help others and embrace that as a BUSINESS philosophy, not just a life philosophy. It will all come back to you; you just don’t know how or when, and that’s okay.
Listen to your gut, every day without exception
It sounds simple, but not everyone does it. Your intuition is always right, yet folks second-guess themselves, rethink things, and question their own motivations. That’s all healthy, and yes, you should “sleep on it,” whatever “it” is. Space gives clarity. In large decisions, I ALWAYS take at least 24 hours to think on what the right answer is for me and to listen to my gut. It’s NEVER failed me and it will never fail you. I promise.
I hope you will consider even one of these three mantras. You won’t be disappointed.
—Dave
Build a personal board of advisors
Dear new developer,
You should build a board of advisors . For a startup, advisors are people with an informal relationship to the organization. They have not necessarily invested money but are available to help with issues that arise during the building of the business. At a new company, you want some advisors with experience in the area of business the company is pursuing. You also want variety—some with deep technology expertise, some who have a finance background, some with marketing experience.
In a similar fashion, I’ve found a personal board of advisors helpful. I’ve never formally asked the members to join, but there are three to four people to whom I reach out when I have a career issue. They are often former work colleagues who I respected and enjoyed. But they’ve also been people I’ve met at a meetup or conference.
I had a direct report who was not succeeding in their role.
I had an issue with my manager that I wasn’t sure how to solve.
I was evaluating job offers.
The common thread is that these are specific, bounded problems hard to discuss frankly with my coworkers. Whether that’s because you are concerned about rumors, have few peers, or are just seeking an outside perspective, a board of advisors is helpful. In particular, I would never discuss job offers with anyone at my current employer, yet they require thought and consultation.
Technology advice, on the other hand, should be sought from your team. They have the most context, and technology discussions shouldn’t be risky in the same way as the preceding topics. But if you’re new to your career, having someone outside of your work that is an expert in a technology you use on the job may help you understand the technology’s strengths and weaknesses. This is especially true if you don’t have anyone on your team with the time or expertise to help.
The value of this board of advisors is in the questions they ask and the context they have. One of my advisors, when I was talking about having left a company, mentioned it had seemed like a place I wasn’t happy. He’d gleaned that through conversations and emails, and hearing him say that reminded me of my misery.
You don’t need to talk with these folks on a regular schedule, but checking in every quarter keeps that context fresh. If they are in the same area, buy them coffee or a beer. Look for ways you can provide value to them; ask what you can do to help them, as they may be facing a problem that you have insight into, or perhaps you know someone they should chat with.
When you have a conversation , be explicit about the level of confidentiality. If I’m sharing something private, I say “can we keep this between us?” You need to trust anyone who acts as an advisor to you.
However, there is no need to be formal. Someone can be both a friend and an advisor, sometimes in the same hour. The list of people fulfilling this role will change as your needs change. When you are a new developer, you have different questions and challenges than you do when you are a team lead.
Building a board of advisors will help you when you run into an issue you can’t discuss with your team but on which you require perspective.
Sincerely,
Dan
In conclusion
Community takes many forms. But all of them involve you, as a new developer, building relationships with other human beings. These relationships have been instrumental to my career success but are valuable beyond that. They’ve helped me help others. They’ve helped me in times of need and frustration. They’ve helped me talk through problems I was facing. They’ve helped me grow. A friend called community “the most powerful force in [his] career, hands down.”
You are already a community member—unless you live on a desert island, I suppose. Be thoughtful and intentional about how you foster connections, help others, and participate.