If you’re wondering why you should contribute to open source, we are here to help you out!

In today’s post from the #TipSeries, we bring you the top 10 reasons to contribute to open source. We hope this article answers all of your questions.

 Let’s get started!

Tip 1: Gain confidence as a developer

By contributing to an open-source project, you get suggestions and instant feedback on your programming skills and tech-knowledge which helps you to enhance your skills and boost your confidence.

Tip 2: Make your Resume and CV strong

In addition to developing your skills and building your confidence, all your open source contributions are public and show the skills you’ve learned and the projects you’ve been doing. Nonetheless, your open source profile itself could provide you with a powerful portfolio that separates you from other job applicants.

Tip 3: Build your professional network

Creating a strong professional network will help you meet your career goals, learn more about your own or related fields, and help you find a job. Contributing to open source is a very effective way of creating your network. You may also get introduced to key people in the industry, such as the high-profile maintainer of an open-source platform. These networks can help you form career-changing relationships.

 Tip 4: Make sure you write a cleaner code

You may propose to the group separately to adhere to a code that is easy to understand through the rules of writing. The fact that the code is open to everyone helps you focus on making your code readable.

Tip 5: Learn about the latest tools and technologies

Many students don’t even know about the software frameworks, the tools used in the industry to make the coders more efficient and accurate. Open source contribution helps students to learn about new tools and technologies.

Tip 6: Gain recognition

Another incentive to contribute to open source is to get recognition. Potential workers may end up meeting many great employers while making their names known to the coding community.

 Tip 7: Upgrade software on which you rely

Lots of open source contributors begin with being users of the software to which they contribute. If you find a bug in open-source software that you are using, you might want to look at the source to see if you can patch it on your own. If that’s the case, then contributing back to the patch is the best way to make sure your friends (and yourself, when you upgrade to the next release) will benefit from it.

Tip 8: Meet people with common interests

With warm, welcoming communities, open-source projects keep people coming back for years. By engaging in an open-source platform, many people develop lifelong friendships, whether it involves running into each other at conferences or online chats about burritos late at night.

Tip 9: Find mentors and educate others

Operating on a joint project with others means you’ll have to explain how you’re doing the task and ask for input from other people. Training and teaching activities can be a rewarding experience for those concerned.

Tip 10: It is inspiring to make changes

You don’t have to become a lifelong contributor to enjoy open-source participation. Have you ever seen a mistake on a website, and has anyone tried to repair it? You can do exactly that on an open-source project. Open source makes people feel a sense of control in their lives and how they view the world, and this is gratifying in itself!

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