Unlock Your Full Potentials In Tech by Contributing to Open-source
Tags: opensource, github, community, codenewbie
Published: 2022-12-19 15:21:58

As we all know, tech is not just for coders and software developers. It's for anyone who wants to leverage the internet to enhance, teach, oversee, support, and protect the development of technology-related products, such as mobile apps, websites, tech articles, designs, and tech sales.

**What is Open-source?**

_Open-source is mostly referred to as software, software that is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute to._

While open-source software is often associated with programming and development, it is not just in programming. Other no-code skills can be helpful and important when it comes to contributing to open-source

- **Technical writing**: Many open-source projects need help with creating and maintaining documentation, such as user manuals and installation guides. If you have an interest in technical writing and strong writing skills, you can contribute to open-source by creating or editing documentation for a project.

- **Translation**: If you are fluent in multiple languages, you can contribute to open-source projects by helping to translate documentation and other materials into different languages.

- **Software testers:** Software testing is an important aspect of any software project, and you can contribute to open-source projects by helping to test new features, identify and report issues.

- **Design and graphics:** Open source projects often need help with creating user interfaces, websites, and other visual materials. If you have design skills, you can contribute by creating or improving the visual elements of a project.

- **Participating in the community:** Many open-source projects have active communities of users and contributors, and you can contribute by answering questions on forums or in the project's issue tracker, helping to review and test pull requests, or even just being an active member of the project's community.


**Benefits of Open-source contribution**

Searching for a job in tech can be difficult. Most times, recruiters want to see proof of active engagement in the community, along with proof of having a particular skill set. That's where open-source can help. Actively contributing to open-source projects shows recruiters and potential employers that you have both the hard skills and the soft skills required to be an effective employee and a great team player. These skills include:

1. **Strong relevant skills:** Actively contributing to open-source projects shows recruiters that you have the necessary skills and experience required to be successful in the role. This includes technical skills as well as any relevant industry experience.

2. **Strong relevant skills**: Actively contributing to open-source projects shows recruiters that you have the necessary skills and experience required to be successful in the role. This includes technical skills as well as any relevant industry experience.

3. **Strong communication skills**: The ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and in person, is important for most roles. Recruiters will look for candidates who are able to clearly articulate their thoughts and ideas.

4. **A strong work ethic**: Open-source contribution can be a great way to show recruiters that you are a reliable candidate who is hardworking and able to meet deadlines.
 
5. **Problem-solving skills**: The ability to think critically and find solutions to problems is important in many roles. Working on new projects exposes you to creative ways of approaching challenges and solving problems. 

6. **Strong portfolio**: Participating in open-source projects is a great way to build a portfolio of work that you can show to potential employers or clients. 

7. **Collaboration with other developers**: Working on open-source projects allows you to collaborate with a diverse group of developers from around the world, which can be a valuable learning experience. 

**How to get started?**

One of the greatest challenges of a beginner is to find the exact right project to contribute to in open-source. Here are some platforms that can help you find the right project as a beginner.

1. **[Open source guide](https://opensource.guide)**: Open source guide teaches you the basics of contributing to open source projects. It provides guides on topics such as how to contribute to open-source projects, starting your own open-source project, building a welcoming community around your open-source project, and best practices for maintainers your open-source project. It also covers the legal aspect of open source contribution along with how to get paid for open source contribution

2. **[Up For Grabs](https://up-for-grabs.net)**: Up For Grabs maintains a list of open-source projects that have tasks specifically designed for new contributors. You can filter the projects by labels and tags to find ones that match your interests.

3. **[CodeTriage](https://www.codetriage.com/)**: CodeTriage helps you contribute to open source by sending a selection of open issues to your inbox on a regular basis. After signing up, you can choose the repos you want to help with and CodeTriage will send you issues to work on

4. **[Hacktoberfest](https://hacktoberfest-projects.vercel.app/)**: Hacktoberfest is a website specifically designed to find eligible projects for Hacktoberfest, a yearly event in October where participants are encouraged to contribute to open-source projects. You can still contribute to these projects outside of October, so it’s worth checking out this website to find some great projects to work on. 

5. **[Good First Issue](https://goodfirstissue.dev/)**: Good First Issue is a website that curates issues with the “good first issue” tag from various open-source projects and presents them in a clean and easy-to-use interface. It’s a great way to find “good first issues” on GitHub that would otherwise take a long time to locate manually. 

6. **[First Pull Request](https://firstpr.me/)**: First Pull Request is a website that allows you to see the first open-source contribution of your favorite programmers. Simply enter the GitHub username of the programmer you are interested in, and the website will display their first pull request. This is a great way to see how even the most successful programmers started with small contributions.


**Conclusion**

Getting started and dedicating time to open-source contribution takes time and discipline to progress, but it is worth it at the end of the day

I wish you good luck on your open-source journey.

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Happy contributing!