An Ode to Technical Writing, Non-Linear Careers, and Other Things I Learned This Week...
Tags: beginners, codenewbie, discuss, opensource
Published: 2023-05-02 23:52:44

Well hello again! My name is Rachel and I am a part of the Forem/DEV/CodeNewbie team. 

I have been creating this “What I Learned This Week” segment to discuss relevant posts on [#codenewbie](https://dev.to/t/codenewbie) and/or [#beginners](https://dev.to/t/beginners) that relate to things I have been interested in this week.

If you haven't peeped the CodeNewbie tag or CodeNewbie Team Page, here are those things!

{% embed [https://dev.to/t/codenewbie](https://dev.to/t/codenewbie) %}

{% embed [https://dev.to/codenewbieteam](https://dev.to/codenewbieteam) %}

## Let’s Get Into It!

SO, this week, I wanted to highlight a mixed range of things (surprise!). In all seriousness, this week I have been loving reading articles and depositing information into my brain that is written nicely (surprise _again_!). I have been more of a sedentary gal this week, so reading has been making me very happy. _(SIDE NOTE: I am reading the book “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle and am loving it so much if anyone has any book recs send em to me below!)_

So here is my more reader-focused list  (instead of a help/task-oriented list) of the week!

## Technical Writing

I have long thought a career in writing would serve me super well and I coincidentally have thought about re-centering my career multiple times to being an instructional manual designer or machinery designer. This article was super up my alley and if you are looking for a more interdisciplinary field within coding and writing, this could be for you too!

{% embed https://dev.to/kwamedev/technical-writing-101-how-to-get-jobs-gigs-opportunities-5kf %}

## Non-Linear Careers!

I 👏 am 👏 all 👏 for 👏 non-linear 👏 career development (and you should be too!)! This article helps to break down what exactly a non-linear career is, how our current model of conceptualizing the tech career is outdated, and why we should support this way of learning. I think in many ways, non-linear career development is much more accessible, forgiving, and allows folks to indulge and explore their interests more fruitfully. 

{% embed https://dev.to/maddy/why-non-linear-tech-careers-are-the-future-ci5 %}

## Beginners Guide To Open-Source

Last week, I created a beginner crash-course to open-source, specifically focused on Github, as our [Github + DEV Hackathon]([https://dev.to/devteam/announcing-the-github-dev-2023-hackathon-4ocn](https://dev.to/devteam/announcing-the-github-dev-2023-hackathon-4ocn)) is happening right now!

**If you didn’t see that post, here it is below:**

{% embed https://dev.to/codenewbieteam/what-are-your-biggest-tips-for-beginners-to-open-source-andor-github-2ffg %}

I found some new articles that could be of service to folks, especially beginners and non-devs, on how to contribute to open-source!

{% embed https://dev.to/opensauced/beyond-content-creation-how-open-source-contributions-can-help-you-get-noticed-4l5n %}

{% embed https://dev.to/codewithvoid/non-coders-guide-to-open-source-contributions-pbo %}

## If You Need Motivation…OR Are Feeling Confused About Where To Start…

This one needs no introduction, but a side-note from me is that I have said for months that I want to be like water and move mindfully through change, new challenges, and generally embrace adaptability more. I thought for a long time I got this from Brené Brown, but I stand corrected! I am glad to see articles like this urging folks to see through a new perspective.

{% embed https://dev.to/bitmaybewise/dont-obsess-about-choosing-a-first-programming-language-be-water-1jb7 %}

## So You Don’t Feel Like Reading, But You Do Feel Like Talking…

We released a great discussion that, in my opinion, deserves more attention! So drop your insights below! 

{% embed https://dev.to/codenewbieteam/embracing-your-coding-style-how-do-you-express-your-individuality-in-a-tech-career-41pm %}

All this is to say, I really enjoy writing these posts and hope you enjoy reading about them.

**Share what you are reading/learning this week down below + Happy coding!**