How to Maintain Interaction with Your IT Community in a Completely Virtual Setting

Conventional in-person meetups have served as the primary network building platform for global tech communities, where tech professionals from a specific geographic area would gather during evenings or weekends to exchange knowledge, skills and foster industry relationships. These physical meetups have persisted for several years.

Previously, enterprises held technology meetings on a local level frequently, ranging from quarterly to weekly. They also organized international tech conventions where tech professionals from all corners of the world could come together to share their ideas and knowledge about emerging products and platforms.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had catastrophic effects on various facets of life globally, including interpersonal communication. The ensuing financial crisis has had an especially adverse effect, making it nearly impossible to host traditional face-to-face conferences or meetings.

Due to the current global regulations surrounding social gatherings, holding monthly events at preferred tech hubs or coworking spaces is no longer feasible. Additionally, the scheduled weekend hackathon that aimed to unite technology enthusiasts and solve local issues cannot go ahead as planned. It is probable that individuals may have to wait a little longer before embarking on their preferred technology conferences to participate or present.

However, does this imply that we are unable to support the growth and advancement of our communities? No, on the contrary, we can leverage the resources at our disposal and team up with fellow tech professionals to gain knowledge and expertise. Definitely not!

Here’s how you can continue to make a positive impact:

Virtual Workshops for Professionals

With the rise of remote work, platforms such as Zoom are gaining more popularity. Such platforms provide a convenient way to facilitate interactive, hour-long technical sessions that bring together professionals. This accessibility enables professionals to work together without having to be physically present in the same place.

Apart from being more accessible to those outside the local area, organizing online meetings requires significantly less preparation than their face-to-face counterparts. It is crucial to consider potential barriers, such as power and internet connectivity in remote locations. Yet, these challenges aside, it is possible to record the session and make it accessible for anyone to view at their convenience. Even though it may be disappointing that participants no longer receive freebies on the spot, it is not an insurmountable challenge.

Works has recently initiated scheduled technical workshops that focus on the internet digital ecosystem.

Webinars are Online Presentations.

In today’s constantly evolving world, the internet offers a dependable and stable network, enabling people to remain in touch with their family, colleagues, and associates, regardless of geographic location. Moreover, it has made it much simpler for worldwide tech enthusiasts to stay linked and acquire knowledge from the most notable experts in their field of expertise.

Code Wars Challenge

For engineers, working in a remote setting can be both stimulating and pleasant, especially when they can demonstrate their abilities and knowledge through participating in an enjoyable, cooperative, and competitive code challenge. Moreover, the opportunity to compete against engineers from all around the world and the rewards for the winners adds excitement to this unique and captivating experience.

Websites such as HackerRank, Codewars, and TopCoder host online programming competitions that provide engineers with an excellent opportunity to improve their coding skills. Developers community conducts these competitions, allowing participants to showcase their expertise in a specific programming language or skill level. Such code challenges provide engineers with ample opportunities to test their coding abilities and demonstrate their expertise.

Online Hackathons and Open Source Software

Amidst the obstacles created by the COVID-19 pandemic, several businesses and technology firms have arranged virtual hackathons to elicit innovative technological solutions from engineers. Such programmes have provided a platform for skilled engineers to showcase their creativity and expertise in developing solutions to overcome the challenges brought about by this unprecedented event.

Some examples include WHO’s COVID-19 Hackathon, MIT’s COVID-19 Challenge, and covidathon.

Initiatives that offer aid with the Covid database are among the open-source examples.

As leaders in the technology sector, we should continue to leverage digital platforms to organize effective meetings for scientists and engineers. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, the industry continues to grow at a rapid pace. We should not overlook the necessity of continually learning and developing our professional skills, and utilizing technology to nurture those skills should remain a top priority. Let us continue to bridge gaps, establish new connections, and refine our talents to guarantee that despite the present circumstances, there is a bright future for IT advancement.

Check out this related article: How to Motivate Remote Teams to Enhance Their Skills

Join the Top 1% of Remote Developers and Designers

Works connects the top 1% of remote developers and designers with the leading brands and startups around the world. We focus on sophisticated, challenging tier-one projects which require highly skilled talent and problem solvers.
seasoned project manager reviewing remote software engineer's progress on software development project, hired from Works blog.join_marketplace.your_wayexperienced remote UI / UX designer working remotely at home while working on UI / UX & product design projects on Works blog.join_marketplace.freelance_jobs