Hashnode Bootcamp 2023 - A Gateway into Technical Writing
Major key takeaways from the 3-day Bootcamp to boost your Technical Writing career.
When I got a confirmation email, with my acceptance into the Hashnode Bootcamp I was kind of thrilled. Like I registered late due to I didn't get to see the poster earlier. But when I got this email I was happy and ready to learn more about Technical writing live from the experts.
In this article, I have documented some major key takeaways from the Bootcamp - it's part of the technical writing already, document your journey and progress. So relax and enjoy the read🙂.
DAY 1
The day started with an introduction from Dani Passos- hostess. She introduced herself, introduced Hashnode as well as the Bootcamp, and how it's been divided into different sessions with different speakers and their topics respectively. She later went ahead with a poll asking how long the attendees have been using Hashnode to blog and the majority have for less than a year. After that started the first session of the first day
First Session - "Importance of Writing as a Developer " by Ankur Tyagi
Ankur started by introducing himself, almost 10 years as a developer, a short story on how he started as a Java developer and transcended to Javascript, and also how he started writing.
He didn't have a slide(not much of a slide guy according to him😄). So after his brief introduction about technical writing, he went straight to questions and answers. Most of the questions he answered were voted ones. So I would be summarizing his answers and advice during his session below( P. S: I wouldn't be writing the questions as I can't remember all of them🥲).
As a developer writing code is not enough. If you can't communicate what you've done with your code to an audience, it's practically nothing done. Technical writing helps you develop these skills over time.
Don't force yourself to write daily or weekly or something of the sort. When the motivation gets in write whatever idea you have down. You can edit and publish them later.
It's usually better to have a writing schedule that best works for you. Most people use the weekend to write, especially when it's not their main job.
Write about what you are learning. It doesn't matter if it has been written before, write about it in your unique way. Give your opinion about the topic.
Before you start writing, make sure you understand the topic you're writing about. When writing it, write from your audience's perspective. Don't just write what you like, instead write what your audience would like to see.
As a writer, you need to go out there and also read other people's articles. Check on different platforms to see how things are going, trending topics, or technology. Write on them. Twitter is a good platform for this.
On expanding your reach, leverage different blogging platforms, don't just use one. Share your articles/posts on them. But don't be spam, share them genuinely. You need to be proficient in sharing your articles.
If you're someone looking for a way to balance your work with writing, you need to look into the future - like 5 years forward. What do you want to be then, that would help you make that choice and help balance them.
Second Session - "Leveraging Technical Writing to Land Opportunities, and Boost Your Developer Career" by Swapna Kumar Panda
After he introduced himself. He continued to discuss the 3 pillars of a product - the Application, the Relations, and the Documentation. He talked about technical writing in general and different technical and occupational fields where is used, but in the context of the Bootcamp, he talked based on the Computer Software industry.
He talked about how it is a stepping stone for new people entering the industry, as certain problems which are usually common have been solved and documented, so others won't have to start from scratch solving them again. He shared slides as a discussed the topic
Key Takeaways 📚
Developers are problem-solvers, it's important to write down how these problems are being solved. With a similar problem is encountered in the future, you can revert to your documentation and use it. Not only you are going to use it, and that's the reason you should publish them.
He talked about the benefits of technical writing, and how it improves communication skills, boosts visibility, and improves lifestyle.
Also, he mentioned the opportunities that come from technical writing, such as Educator, Mentoring, public speaking, Brand Ambassador, etc.
On how to improve your skills, know what you can write, how to write them, and where to write them. Connect with people, your audience. Maintain balance in your writing and diversify your field.
He said also avoiding silly mistakes, like grammatical errors and spelling errors will improve your skills and boost your career as a technical writer. Add humor to your language, but don't be silly like me saying "Developers wear glasses because they don't see sharp😂".
He also discussed how to monetize your articles, and you can do that through ghostwriting, asking for subscriptions to newsletters, collaborations, paid content, and full-time opportunity
DAY 2
First Session - "Leveraging Social Media for Monetization" by Nadar Dabit
After Nadar introduced himself, stating that he started his journey in 2013 and from then till now he has made significant progress. Currently, he has the role of Director of DevRel at Aeve and Lens protocol.
In this session, he discussed how you can use social media to monetize your content, starting from building your brand. The best ways to build a brand, choosing the best platforms and how to create engaging content.
Key Takeaways 📚
Build your profile and make it professional. State what you do in your profile. Make it link authentic and nice. Your profile photo also matters, use profile photos and be consistent with them.
Be consistent on social media, and engage with people, especially those with similar interests. Build an authentic relationship with them. These relationships help a lot.
Create engaging content that stands out in the crowd. And be consistent with it. You can also share your blog post on social media.
The best to monetize your content using social media platforms is by being out there, sharing your content, building your brand, and leveraging on it. Leave your comfort zone.
Second Session - "Building Your Brand on Social Media" by Ákos Kómúves
Ákos is currently a software engineer, a freelancer, and a writer. In this session, he discussed how to build a personal brand on social media and Why you should - which he divided into four(4) distinct reasons;
Simple tools
Simple to build
No competition
No rules
Key Takeaways📚
He talked about how important it is to stay consistent with your profiling, especially your profile photos. Keep it the same across all platforms. State how you are in your profile and create content that matches it.
Leverage using social media for networking rather than competing with people. Be genuine in your relationship with others.
When people steal your content, just ignore them, and don't interact with them. Just be you.
You can make use of algorithms analytics tools like Typefully to track your content progress and schedule post.
DAY 3
I was not able to make it on this day due to some reason. But with the help of the video recording, I still learned a lot. So I will still put down what I learned here
"Freelancing Writing Opportunities for Developers" by James Q. Quick
James a YouTuber and a software engineer, shared insights on freelancing opportunities for developers. But he also emphasized on you doing what works for you, don't force yourself to write if you know you can't do it.
Key Takeaways 📚
He also made mentioned writing mostly based on your niche as it will give you more ground on what to write.
Engagement in communities helps create opportunities he said, on platforms like Twitter, engage with mind-likely people, people that share your interests with you. Engage on their post, and make yourself known.
Use AI tools to assist you, it makes you more productive.
He also emphasized cross-posting on different platforms, to increase visibility.
Always learn, build, and share in public. "The best way to learn is by teaching others".
Conclusion
I thank Hashnode for this great opportunity to learn so much about technical writing from great minds in the industry. With the knowledge gained from this Bootcamp, my writing skills will improve.
Honorable thanks to the hostess Dani Passos, she was wonderful throughout the event. And also my special thanks to all the speakers, who brought out the time to come to talk to us. I promise that the knowledge I gained from them will be put to good use.
And to you, my lovely reader, thank you for reading to this point. You're among those that are encouraging me. I hope you learned something from the article. I hope to see you again in my blog reading an article😊.