You've finished a course, watched tutorials, completed assignments, and maybe even built your first project. Then comes the question many beginners struggle with: “What do I do next?”
Learning a technical skill gives you a foundation. Building a career requires you to understand where that skill fits, what employers expect, and how people already working in the industry are putting it to use.
That's where community can help.
Instead of learning entirely on your own, you get access to people who are asking similar questions, sharing what they've learnt, and navigating the same industry you are trying to enter.
David Adubiina
A course gives you knowledge. People give you context
Online courses are useful for building a foundation. You can learn coding, product design, data analysis, cybersecurity, or digital marketing from almost anywhere.
But courses cannot always tell you what happens after the final lesson.
You might learn Python syntax without knowing what kinds of projects companies actually build with Python. You might complete a UX course without knowing what hiring managers expect from a junior designer. You might learn digital marketing without knowing which skills are currently showing up in job descriptions.
Conversations with people already working in those fields can help fill in those gaps.
You can also start building your reputation while you learn. Contributing what you know to a tech community gives you a way to share your ideas, participate in discussions and become known for the things you are learning.
You don't have to know everything before you participate
One of the easiest mistakes beginners make is waiting until they feel qualified enough to join the conversation. You don't need to be an expert to ask a useful question.
Maybe you are trying to choose between two programming languages. Perhaps you want feedback on your CV or portfolio. You could be wondering whether a certification is worth paying for or where to find your first internship.
Someone further along may have already dealt with the same problem.
Even questions you don't ask yourself can teach you something. Reading how different people approach a problem gives you a view of the industry that a course alone cannot provide.
LinkedIn's Workplace Learning Report also highlights the growing importance of career development and mentorship as people continue learning throughout their careers.
Your next opportunity might come from a conversation
Learning is only part of building a career. Eventually, you need to put that knowledge to work.
That could mean finding your first job, applying for an internship, joining a project, attending an industry event or meeting someone who can point you towards your next opportunity.
Communities can make those connections easier to find.
You might come across a job opening shared by another member. Someone could recommend a fellowship you had never heard of. A conversation could lead to a collaboration or introduce you to a professional whose experience is relevant to the path you are considering.
For people actively looking for work, the Techloy Community Job Board brings tech opportunities together in one place.
Techloy x Your Diaspora Hub is bringing together 6 speakers for an online session on Breaking into the UK Job Market: How to Land Sponsored Jobs.
You’ll hear from professionals and industry voices about finding opportunities in the UK, building a career there, and navigating the sponsorship process.
What you get with Techloy Community
Techloy Community goes beyond being a place to have conversations.
Members can explore discussions around AI, gaming, crypto, consumer technology and careers, while the Resource Hub provides practical materials for different stages of a tech career.
- Trying to figure out which direction to take? Browse the career paths and roadmaps.
- Preparing for an interview? Use the interview preparation kits.
- Need to improve your application? Start with the CV templates.
The Resource Hub also comes with tools and resources you can return to as your career develops.
So instead of joining a community simply to “network,” you can actually use it to move through specific stages of your career.
You finished the course. Now start building
A completed course can give you the foundation. What happens next depends on what you do with it.
You can keep learning, start building projects, ask better questions, meet people in the industry and look for opportunities to put your skills to work.
You don't need to have your entire career mapped out before you start.
Join the Techloy Community and find your next step with people who are learning and building alongside you.
Oluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho
