Building a Career in Developer Advocacy: Amanda's Story  [[3. Resources/Readwise/Full Document Contents/Articles/Building a Career in Developer Advocacy Amanda's Story|Full Document Contents]] ## Document Notes Abstract This article tells the story of Amanda, a successful Developer Advocate, and how she built her career in the field. It provides insight into the key steps she took to become an advocate, such as learning the technology, getting involved in the community, and leveraging her network. It also offers tips for those looking to break into the field, including having a willingness to learn, being a self-starter, and having an understanding of the customer journey. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of gaining trust and credibility in order to be successful in developer advocacy. Detailed Bullet List - Introduction: - The article is about Amanda, a successful Developer Advocate, and how she got to where she is today. - Learning the Technology: - Amanda started by learning the technology and getting familiar with the product. - She took courses in coding and worked with experts to learn the ins and outs of the product. - Getting Involved in the Community: - Amanda got involved in the developer community, attending events, networking, and engaging in conversations. - She also started writing content to share her knowledge and expertise. - Leveraging Your Network: - Amanda leveraged her network to get the attention of potential employers. - She highlighted her skills and experiences to demonstrate her value. - Tips for Breaking into the Field: - Have a willingness to learn and be a self-starter. - Understand the customer journey. - Gain trust and credibility. Paraphrased Paragraphs Paragraph 1: Amanda began her journey by educating herself on the product, taking courses and working with experts to gain a deep understanding of the technology. Paraphrase: To start her career as a Developer Advocate, Amanda made a concerted effort to learn as much as she could about the product, taking classes and collaborating with experienced professionals to gain an in-depth knowledge of the technology. 1. What inspired Amanda to pursue a career in developer advocacy? 2. What tips does Amanda have for staying up-to-date with the latest tech trends? 3. How did Amanda overcome the obstacles she encountered while entering the tech industry? Amanda is a passionate developer advocate who found her career path in helping others and promoting open source. She worked as a developer for six years before discovering Developer Advocacy and taking the job at Wix. She balances her responsibilities as a developer advocate and open source development by prioritizing what is important and dedicating a small amount of time each day to checking in on the repositories she helps maintain. She measures the impact of her work by focusing on community engagement, growth, conference leads, and conversations. Amanda's biggest obstacle in her path to the tech industry was unstructured job requirements, and she has found success by being willing to not be attached to any particular idea. She is an example of the importance of pursuing one's passions and making a real impact in the tech world. > [!note]+ Document Notes > Abstract > > This article tells the story of Amanda, a successful Developer Advocate, and how she built her career in the field. It provides insight into the key steps she took to become an advocate, such as learning the technology, getting involved in the community, and leveraging her network. It also offers tips for those looking to break into the field, including having a willingness to learn, being a self-starter, and having an understanding of the customer journey. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of gaining trust and credibility in order to be successful in developer advocacy. > > Detailed Bullet List > > - Introduction: > - The article is about Amanda, a successful Developer Advocate, and how she got to where she is today. > > - Learning the Technology: > - Amanda started by learning the technology and getting familiar with the product. > - She took courses in coding and worked with experts to learn the ins and outs of the product. > > - Getting Involved in the Community: > - Amanda got involved in the developer community, attending events, networking, and engaging in conversations. > - She also started writing content to share her knowledge and expertise. > > - Leveraging Your Network: > - Amanda leveraged her network to get the attention of potential employers. > - She highlighted her skills and experiences to demonstrate her value. > > - Tips for Breaking into the Field: > - Have a willingness to learn and be a self-starter. > - Understand the customer journey. > - Gain trust and credibility. > > Paraphrased Paragraphs > > Paragraph 1: > > Amanda began her journey by educating herself on the product, taking courses and working with experts to gain a deep understanding of the technology. > > Paraphrase: > > To start her career as a Developer Advocate, Amanda made a concerted effort to learn as much as she could about the product, taking classes and collaborating with experienced professionals to gain an in-depth knowledge of the technology. > > 1. What inspired Amanda to pursue a career in developer advocacy? > 2. What tips does Amanda have for staying up-to-date with the latest tech trends? > 3. How did Amanda overcome the obstacles she encountered while entering the tech industry? > > Amanda is a passionate developer advocate who found her career path in helping others and promoting open source. She worked as a developer for six years before discovering Developer Advocacy and taking the job at Wix. She balances her responsibilities as a developer advocate and open source development by prioritizing what is important and dedicating a small amount of time each day to checking in on the repositories she helps maintain. She measures the impact of her work by focusing on community engagement, growth, conference leads, and conversations. Amanda's biggest obstacle in her path to the tech industry was unstructured job requirements, and she has found success by being willing to not be attached to any particular idea. She is an example of the importance of pursuing one's passions and making a real impact in the tech world. ## Highlights - [Permalink](https://blog.wemakedevs.org/building-a-career-in-developer-advocacy-amandas-story?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#heading-how-do-you-measure-the-impact-of-your-work-as-a-developer-advocate-what-metrics-do-you-use-and-how-do-you-use-them-to-improve-your-performance)How do you measure the impact of your work as a developer advocate? What metrics do you use, and how do you use them to improve your performance? My company's needs drive this question, so we currently measure impact through community engagement, community growth, conference leads and session attendance, and organic external conversations. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gvx4q67gcpcyvft5s5v80vkj)) - Note: Amanda is a developer advocate who found her calling in developer advocacy due to her strong coding background and desire to work closely with people. She began her journey by applying to job openings and was eventually hired. She balances her responsibilities by prioritizing based on what is most important and dedicating a small amount of time each day to open source. She measures the impact of her work by assessing events internally and externally and sees what works best. She encountered some obstacles when entering the tech industry, such as the job requirements being unstructured. She is proud of the initiative she worked on to launch the first-ever Wix DevCon and learned a lot about balance and executing a developer conference. She encourages individuals to pursue their passions and make a difference in the tech industry.