Hackathons vs Open Source Contributions

Developers should participate in hackathons to gain practical experience, build a portfolio, and network with peers and industry professionals meets developers should engage in open-source contributions to build a public portfolio, gain experience with large codebases, and learn from peer reviews in diverse teams. Here's our take.

Hackathons

Nice Pick

Developers should participate in hackathons to gain practical experience, build a portfolio, and network with peers and industry professionals

Pros

• They are ideal for learning new technologies quickly, improving teamwork and communication skills, and solving real-world problems under pressure
• Related to: rapid-prototyping, teamwork

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Open Source Contributions

Developers should engage in open-source contributions to build a public portfolio, gain experience with large codebases, and learn from peer reviews in diverse teams

Pros

• It is particularly valuable for career advancement, as it showcases problem-solving skills, technical expertise, and community involvement to potential employers
• Related to: git, github

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Hackathons if: You want they are ideal for learning new technologies quickly, improving teamwork and communication skills, and solving real-world problems under pressure and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Open Source Contributions if: You prioritize it is particularly valuable for career advancement, as it showcases problem-solving skills, technical expertise, and community involvement to potential employers over what Hackathons offers.

The Bottom Line

Hackathons wins

Developers should participate in hackathons to gain practical experience, build a portfolio, and network with peers and industry professionals