Why Should you Attend Tech Conferences?

Learning multiples when a number of brains come together in the name of Conferences, Meetups, and Communities

Learning

A tech conference overloads your brain with a large about of information in a short amount of time. You will get introduced to a wide set of technologies and how they are used in the industry.

Gotchas

Lot of times people might feel "insecure" that they don't know much when attending a conference, but here is what you need to understand. The very reason conferences are happening is to introduce you to the technology and it's use cases.

Tell me one thing why would you take a course if you already know everything about it. Conferences are a forum for finding out what you don't know and how to improve on it.

Personally, after every conference, I have had a notepad full of words that I don't understand for me to go back and read about.

Meeting Cool People

Conferences, unlike meetups, are focused on a broader topic. As a classic example, PyCon covers Python not just at the software industry but also education, research, taking a snap of that black hole and so on. You get to meet not just hardcore techies but also people who put tech to good use in core domains.

Jobs, Internships

People at conferences are always hunting for cool people to work with. So if you are looking for a job opportunity or internships reach out to people and ask if there is an opening at their company. Pycons usually have a job board which would remove the first hurdle to find those people.

Motivation

At this point, you are going to give me reasons like, Oh I am just a beginner, But I don't have much expertise to even talk to the above set of people. They know so much. I understand.

This is when the sense of community kicks in. 99% of the people at the conference are there for the community. They are there to impart and update their wisdom. So don't be afraid to even ask the dumbest question.

Gotchas

When someone makes you feel low or laugh at you for not knowing this. Walk up to one of the organizers or volunteers and file a complaint. They need to blacklisted for such behavior. It is the norm in most communities.

Friends

A lot of people. With a similar mindset. Mostly developers, dealing with the same kind of issues you are facing every day. Would understand all those comics about deleting production DBs. Would there be a better setup to create lasting friendship? I got great friends out of conferences. Hope you too will.

Gotchas

Be adults, don't hit on people. That's not how you make friends and a conference is not the place for it.

Swags

Who doesn't love a cool T-shirt with a kickass saying as It works on my machine? It is always a nice feeling to conference swags. Not sure why. Not a big fan of stickers though, so you can have mine too.

Great Food

Conference organizers take a big effort in providing good food for the attendees, so the amount you pay will be worth it.

It's Worth the Money

Last but not the least, a conference may cost you. But it is always worth to pay that money because it is completely paid back to you in the form of

1. Knowledge
2. Connections
3. Good Food
4. Last but not least - The Experience

My conferences have always been Pycon India and local ones from Python Hyderabad, Delhi, and Chennai. I can vouch for their quality, the sense of community and the effort they put to create an inclusive environment.

Pycon India is coming up in my city Chennai If you are up for the experience get your tickets.