Have you ever had trouble building a network of contacts or counselors while working as a freelancer? Here are 10 recommended communities for freelance engineers. A community that offers a variety of venues such as social gatherings and skill-up events will surely improve your freelance life. Please use all means.
table of contents
- 1. Three benefits for freelance engineers to leverage the community
- 2. [By type] 10 recommended communities for freelance engineers
- 3. Points and points to note when freelancers choose a community
- 4. Summary
1. Three benefits for freelance engineers to leverage the community
For those who have never actually used it, the community is an unknown world. I would like to know what kind of benefits it has before using it. I would like to introduce three typical benefits of a community for freelance engineers.
1.1 Increased personal connections and expanded the range of project acquisition
A community where you can expect to expand your network through various encounters. It can be said that there is an advantage in expanding the range of work, as it is possible to acquire new projects through interaction with members.
There is also an opportunity to challenge new work styles, such as working as a team in collaboration with members from other industries such as writers and designers.
Don’t forget to be close and business-like, and make sure you decide how to pay your rewards.
1.2 Leads to problem solving and skill improvement
Many communities regularly hold events such as study sessions, social gatherings, and online salons.
For engineers who need continuous learning, it is a great opportunity to learn skills improvement techniques and know-how for success. Interacting with people with diverse skills will lead to early resolution of worries and can be expected to improve time management at work.
In addition, sharing knowledge within the community also leads to improving one’s own skills.
1.3 The existence of friends will relieve anxiety and increase motivation
A community is a group of people who work as freelancers and engineers. Many members have similar problems, and it is also a place to find good counselors.
It is extremely difficult to always work with high motivation or to come up with a solution by yourself. By finding colleagues in the community who can inspire each other and talk to each other, you will be able to create an environment where you can work with high aspirations at any time.
2. [By type] 10 recommended communities for freelance engineers
Then, I would like to introduce the recommendations for each item as to what kind of community actually exists. Please use it as a reference to find a community that suits you.
2.1 Problem-solving community
A community with a wealth of content to help you solve problems so that you can work efficiently. It is a useful community for engineers because it can lead to the acquisition of new techniques.
2.1.1 Qiita
A service for recording and sharing engineering knowledge. You can share various knowledge with other engineers, such as what you noticed by writing the code and the specifications you were addicted to. It is a well-known community that no one knows in the technician area.
◆ Point
・ It also contributes to society as an engineer.
＞＞qiita
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2.1.2 stack overflow
A Q & A site for programmers and those who are enthusiastic about programming. If you want to know the high technology overseas, the overseas version is recommended. In Japan, it is a wisdom-like position, but it seems that it is treated as a good community among overseas engineers. There is a lot of information, and our engineers are one of the communities that we are always indebted to.
◆ Point
to get the latest information as an engineer.
＞＞stack overflow overseas version
＞＞stack overflow Japanese version
2.1.3 Developersjp
An online community that has emerged as a gathering place for lonely engineers. It is a site that solves problems such as deep discussions, good information exchange, and wanting friends to study with.
◆ Point
・ Communication using Slack
＞＞Developersjp
2.2 Information exchange community
A community where you can exchange ideas and increase your knowledge through study sessions, events and comments. When you want to know the success techniques of those who are active on the front lines.
2.2.1 New way of working Lab
A community that provides a variety of venues such as events and seminars for the purpose of interaction and learning, skill-up videos, and counseling rooms. It is a community where you can easily find useful information for people who are aiming for a new way of working, whether they are freelancers, side businesses, or office workers.
◆ Point
・ The counseling room that says “There is freelance” answers the questions that everyone thinks and is helpful.
＞＞New way of working Lab
2.2.2 Lancepod
A freelance SNS with the theme of loosely connecting. You can create a party to share your work, share your skills, get together and talk, and so on. Even beginners in the community can easily start the ease of finding people who are interested and having fun with people who want to connect with each other.
◆ Point
You can easily register your profile like facebook
＞＞Lancepod
2.2.3 connpass
IT study session support platform for engineers. It is convenient because it is linked with Twitter and facebook, and has a function to notify you of the event you are interested in and a participant-only application. It is also attracting attention from engineer recruiters because it allows them to understand the candidate’s intentions and areas of interest. It can also be effectively used for changing jobs through events and seminars.
◆ Point
・ With a notification function that is nice for people who are busy and tend to forget
＞＞connpass
2.2.4 TECH PLAY
A community where you can search for IT study sessions and seminar information for engineers. It is full of events that will lead to career advancement. Experts in iOS, Android, cloud, startups, and UI / UX (design) who are active on the front lines have been appointed as “TECH PLAY Ambassadors”. We support technologists from a professional standpoint, such as interaction at events and direct questions.
◆ Point
Easy to find information of interest based on keywords and areas
＞＞TECH PLAY
2.3 Project acquisition community
Suitable for people who want personal connections and friends who are directly connected to their work. It’s easy to win projects as a team, and there is also a chance to participate in a big project.
2.3.1 Freelance Now
A community that matches more than 4,000 freelancers immediately for free.
◆ Point
・ There is a page where you can check the portfolio of registrants, which is useful for finding a partner.
＞＞Freelance Now
2.4 Coworking space
For those who want to share the office environment with people from different professions and expand their work and personal life. They offer free working styles such as emigration and share houses.
2.4.1 Marumo
A community where a wide variety of freelancers share the coworking space of Minamiboso. A wide variety of members and a homely atmosphere are attractive.
◆ Point
・ There are club activities in the community, and it is as fun as when I was a student.
＞＞Marumo
2.5 Life plan support
One of the indispensable information for working as a freelancer. If you have just become independent and are uncertain about what to do with tax returns and insurance, it is worth participating.
2.5.1 Freelance Association
A community with abundant lifeline support for freelancers. With regard to various types of insurance, he / she specializes in supporting things that cannot be easily solved by yourself, such as accounting and taxation and legal consultation. You can also catch information on life plans in the world that will be announced for freelancers as soon as possible.
◆ Point
There is also a guide to independence, and there is powerful information for those who have just become freelancers.
＞＞Freelance Association
3. Points and points to note when freelancers choose a community
We have introduced a lot of communities, but if you do not have an image of which community to join, please refer to the following points.
3.1 Carefully select and participate in the events you should go to
It is not advisable to blindly attend an event or study session.
Try to participate as much as possible by examining the techniques and information you want to obtain.
3.2 Clarify what you want to join the community for
Do you want a clue to solve problems when you are in trouble, do you want to interact with people from different industries to broaden your range of work, or do you want to participate in study sessions to deepen your knowledge and know-how?
It is important to think carefully about what you want to participate in.
3.3 Choose a community that suits you
I think that there are ideal usage methods for each, such as wanting to browse only when in trouble, wanting to always deliver fresh information, and wanting to build relationships that allow interaction outside of work.
Choose a community that fits your style and doesn’t burden your business.
4. Summary
Although it is summarized as a community in one word, its shape varies depending on the purpose and purpose.
As a freelance engineer, I think that the best way to interact with the community is to think about what you need most now and utilize it.
Don’t forget to revisit your business cards, portfolio, etc. so that you can choose a community where you can participate naturally and promote yourself before joining.
