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Using Open Source to Boost Your Resume and Get Opportunities

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Catherine Kiiru
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5 min read

Using Open Source to Boost Your Resume and Get Opportunities

What is Open Source?

Open source is software that the original creator releases under a license where anyone can modify, redistribute, inspect and enhance the source code.

This aspect of Open Source makes it an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in business-grade projects, network with other software developers and get paid opportunities.

What Skills Do you Need to Contribute to Open Source?

Since the software is freely available, volunteer individuals are the ones who maintain the software. You don't have to be software developer to contribute; there are plenty of projects that require no-code solutions.

There are different ways to contribute to open source:

  • Contribute to the codebase, fix bugs, update features as a web developer or mobile developer
  • Work on OS datasets and deep learning frameworks as a data Scientist
  • Contribute to product design as UX designer
  • As a technical Instructor where you create tutorials and learning content for developers and end users.
  • Write articles, case studies, whitepapers or documentation as a Technical writer,

Benefits of Open Source Contribution

Contributing to Open Source software has plenty of benefits for your career:

  • Contributing to open source improves your git profile. For developers, recruiters often look at your GitHub profile to confirm if you have the skill required, so contributing to open-source projects enhances your credibility and capability to solve actual business problems.
  • Open source is a good source of business-grade projects to build your portfolio. This further enhances your credibility in the job market.
  • You get to improve your skills by working on already-established software. It's also a great way to sharpen your technical skills especially for self-taught developers.
  • Open source is good for improving your collaboration and people skills. By working with distributed teams, you learn how to solve problems with diverse groups.
  • You expand your network and get good referrals for future job opportunities.
  • Getting involved in an Open-source community improves your chances of getting hired by the source organization. That's because software companies often prefer to hire from within their communities. After all, you're already familiar with the product.

How to Find Open Source Opportunities

Developer communities are a great place to find opportunities in open source. This is because companies often hire from within their ecosystem.

These opportunities tend to be short-term, so you don't have to compromise your current schedule, and are suitable for boosting your resume.

They are also remote-friendly and don't have a strict timezone requirement, provided you're available for regular meetings.

Below are ongoing open source projects:

-The Jenkins Project partners with She Code Africa to provide a paid open-source program called a contribution. You work for two months for specific organizations and get a $500 stipend after you complete. Open to ladies only.

  • Google Season Of Docs (GSoDs). GSoDs involves contributing to open source projects from companies selected by Google to participate in their GSoDs program. GSoDs also offer paid opportunities. Payment depends on the chosen organization.

  • The Linux Foundation hosts open-source projects across the Web2 and Web3 landscape that you can participate in. They offer a paid Mentorship Program for people interested in becoming Linux kernel developers. The program runs for 12-25 weeks, and contributors get paid $3,000 depending on their location.

  • Outreachy runs an open-source internship program twice a year. Successful participants get $7,000 for working on open source projects for 3 months.

  • Major League Hacking (MLH) fellowship offers contributors a 12-week paid internship to work on open-source projects. They are currently accepting contributors for their May, June, and September internships. Visit their website and select the open-source track to apply.

  • Aviyel. Aviyel is a community-driven platform that helps open-source startups get high-quality contributors. Individuals are paired with web2 and web3 companies to contribute to code and no-code projects. Writers get between $100-$200.

  • Layer5 - They have an ongoing internship program that hires from anywhere. The stipend is based on your level of experience.

Open Source Communities you can Join that regularly post opportunities:

Note: Most open-source software organizations have their communities built around a specific product, language or framework.

Open Source Companies That Frequently Hire For Full-Time Roles

These Open Source organizations often hire full-time roles, and one of their main requirements is experience in contributing to open-source software. PS: I have listed open-source companies that allow you to work from anywhere and don't have a specific timezone requirement:

How to Position Yourself For Open Source Opportunities

  • Be visible. Building your projects in public, write articles, create tutorials,
  • Contribute beyond the actual work. Be active in forums and online conversations.
  • Volunteer to host meetups on your preferred open-source project. Teach other developers how to use a particular technology.
  • Work on an open-source project that incorporates frontend and backend. This shows that you're versatile, willing to learn and solve problems.
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