There are plenty of open source jobs out there just waiting for you. According to a recent Cloud Foundry report, there are about 25 million job openings for software developers in the U.S. alone, and about half a million unfilled jobs that require tech skills. So why aren’t you getting hired to do them? It’s because it takes more than just great open source programming skills to get them.
In an ideal world, having the skills necessary would be enough to get you that open source job you want. But the reality is there are several other things you need. The good news however, is these are things that you can still get.
Walk the Walk
The first thing you need is experience. This holds true with most other jobs but in this case, it’s important that you have experience not just for the sake of experience, but because of your willingness to be part of an open source community.
Open source is all about community. Employers know this, and that’s why one of the first things they’ll look for in a potential employee is how much you’ve contributed to open source. This helps them understand what your specific skill levels are and where you’d perform best. It also helps them to determine your commitment to open source, which is vital since these jobs require not just knowledge but a passion for open source practices, licenses, and ecosystems.
So if you aren’t very active in at least one open source community, it’s time to get started.
Get Connected
Another factor that will help ease your way into an open source job: connections. Again, this is something common to most other jobs. In open source however, getting connected means attending open source conferences, joining forums, and talking to people in real life. It is often in these settings where you’ll find connections to and with employers.
Another way that networking and building solid connections can help you land an open source job: referrals. A number of established open source software firms have referral programs, and of course referrals get their foot in the door more easily and much quicker than other applicants.
Get Certified
Certifications aren’t always a requirement, but they’re a big plus especially for bigger open source organizations. According to the Dice and Linux Foundation survey half of hiring managers are more likely to hire certified professionals, while almost half of companies surveyed said they would help pay for certifications for successful hires. This goes to show that certifications carry some weight when it comes to landing that open source job, and continues to be significant even once you’re hired. It’s important then that aside from getting certified, you must remain open to continuously learning new technologies as the field of open source software development continues to expand and grow.
Go Where You’re Needed
Lastly, look for areas that are currently in need. These may not necessarily be areas you’ve always focused on or prefer, but they can be a quick way of getting your start in the field of open source employment.
In many researches, cloud technology appears to be the most sought-after area of expertise, followed by big data and containers. And according to the 2017 Open Source Jobs Report, most employers are seeking developers, DevOps and SysAdmins. They also look for expertise in cloud, web technologies and Linux.
Like most any job worth having, an open source job is not simple or easy to get. But with some determination, the right focus, certification, connections and experience, you’re sure to land that open source job you’ve always wanted.
really interesting…