My Journey to Finding my Tech Community
As someone who loves tech, finding the right community can often feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
When finding “my people” there were some things I was looking for.
I wanted to make sure it was the community I surround myself with is:
About software engineering.
About how can I improve my craft?
About how can I improve as an individual on a team?
About how can I teach others to improve their craft?
I'll share my personal journey and strategies for finding a tech community that supports your career goals and aligns with your personal interests and values. I'll focus on two platforms I use extensively: LinkedIn and YouTube.
Understanding What You Need from a Tech Community
My quest began with a simple question: What do I want to gain from this community?
Whether learning new skills, finding job opportunities, or simply connecting with like-minded individuals, having clear objectives can guide you in the right direction.
For me, it was a mix of continuous learning, networking, and teaching others about software engineering. Knowing this helped me significantly narrow down my options.
When starting, I kept bouncing between X (formally Twitter) and LinkedIn. After looking through them both, I chose LinkedIn.
A main factor for me was the negativity I found on X. I am not saying everyone’s experience is this way, but after going down some rabbit holes, I did find that, on average, there was more negativity there than on LinkedIn.
So, my LinkedIn journey began.
Starting with LinkedIn
Why LinkedIn? LinkedIn is the professional playground for career development. It offers connections and rich insights into industry trends, thought leadership, and professional groups.
This is where I started and where I started finding my people.
Networking Intentionally and Engaging: I started by connecting with various tech-focused individuals. These people included John Crickett, Gregor Ojstersek, Neo Kim and many others.
(PS: Connect with these people, they are awesome.)
These were my first goldmines of information and networking opportunities. The key here isn't just to join but to engage actively. I make it a point to participate in discussions, share relevant articles, and even pose questions to the group.
This active participation increases visibility and helps in building meaningful connections. I mean, at the end of the day, this is social media, right? I wanted to chat with others but also teach and share my thoughts.
Showcasing Tech Expertise: The first step in making meaningful connections on LinkedIn is to have a profile that reflects your interests and expertise in technology.
Ensure your headline, summary, and experiences clearly articulate your skills and passions. Including specific projects, technologies you've worked with, and your professional achievements can make your profile stand out to potential connections with similar interests.
My headline specifically says “Software Engineer | Cloud Enthusiast | AI Nerd | Good Person to Know.” The Good Person To Know has created a lot of conversations as people ask why I am a good person to know.
Using Keywords: Incorporating relevant keywords related to the tech field in your profile helps you appear in searches more frequently.
This is crucial for networking because it makes you more visible to industry peers and recruiters looking for professionals with your skill set.
Creating or updating your personal account is crucial when finding your community. People want to communicate with those they believe are real and actively participating in the community. At the end of the day, we all want authenticity.
Consistent Activity: Stay active by regularly updating your status, sharing interesting articles, and commenting on posts. Regular activity keeps you visible in your network's feed and can lead to more interactions with your connections while building your personal rep for others in the community.
Leveraging YouTube for Community Building
Finding Channels That Resonate: YouTube is an incredible resource for unrestricted learning. Channels like Arjancodes, Traversy Media, and Ali Abdaal helped me learn coding and tech frameworks and understand the career paths possible in tech while staying highly productive.
Engaging with Content Creators: Commenting on videos and engaging with content creators through their community posts allowed me to be part of the ongoing conversations. I often found myself exchanging ideas with other viewers who shared similar interests, which sometimes transitioned into Zoom calls to introduce ourselves.
Creating Your Own Content: Inspired by the creators I followed, I started my own YouTube channel to document my learning journey and projects. This not only helped me solidify my knowledge but also built a small community of followers who were interested in learning along with me.
Most of my content is about Python and FastAPI, and it has been an incredible journey.
Curate Your Feed: Carefully select channels that align with your interests in technology. Whether it’s software development, cybersecurity, AI, or tech news, subscribing to various channels can provide a well-rounded knowledge base. Channels like Linus Tech Tips and NetworkChuck offer deep dives into different aspects of technology.
Analyzing Video Metrics for Deeper Insights
Understand What Works: If you’re creating content, pay attention to analytics like watch time, views, and engagement rates to determine what content resonates with your audience. This feedback can guide your future content strategy to better meet your followers' needs.
Engage Based on Insights: Use insights from your interaction with videos (both as a viewer and content creator) to tailor your engagements. Understanding which topics generate the most discussion can help you focus your learning and interaction efforts.
Building Long-term Relationships
Finding a community is not just about taking; it’s about giving back and building relationships. Regularly engaging with your connections, offering help, and sharing opportunities can foster more robust, meaningful community relationships.
Staying Active and Updated
Being consistent in your interactions and contributions is the most crucial aspect of being part of any community.
Regular activity not only keeps you informed but also keeps your profile visible to your network. Set a schedule for yourself, whether it's daily check-ins, weekly post updates, or monthly deep-dive articles, and stick to it.
Finding and integrating into a tech community took effort and patience, but it has been gratifying.
LinkedIn and YouTube have been instrumental in this journey, providing platforms for learning and connecting with inspiring individuals worldwide.
Cheers friends,
Eric