An old saying says if you find a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life. Even when you are gainfully employed in the technology industry, spending a few off-work hours each week on a project you feel especially passionate about is good for a positive work/life balance. These kinds of “extra credit” activities can also benefit your IT career.
Let’s find out more about passion projects and learn how to use them to help advance your technology career. Maybe you can discover the perfect concept to make you both a better person and a better professional?
Passion Projects Inspire Greater Efforts
Finding something about which you are truly passionate helps inspire a focused and energetic effort. When these projects enjoy a synergy with your technology day job, it provides a great opportunity to take your career to a higher level.
For example, if you are working as a programmer building web-based eCommerce applications, but you really love to play video games, consider writing your own game for the iOS and/or Android platforms. In the case of Apple’s mobile platform, the Swift programming language makes it easy to transform your gaming ideas into an app downloadable by everyone. Your career benefits greatly, because you are now a published mobile developer!
Even if you don’t make more than a few hundred dollars on the App Store, higher salaries and a wider variety of job opportunities lie in your future. So don’t be afraid to burn the midnight oil developing an idea that’s also compatible with your career path.
Nonprofits Offer the Chance to Gain Experience
Nonprofit and charitable organizations provide a great opportunity to put your passion to use for the common good. Many of these groups need technology help in a variety of areas, offering you a chance to learn something new – a different network operating system, database platform, programming language – for a noble cause. Companies also like to find candidates willing to spend their free time helping others.
Finally, if you are interested in moving into technology management, consider taking a leadership role on one of these passion projects. The experienced gained definitely helps when it comes time to move into a similar role during the day.
When you want additional insights on IT career development, talk to the experts at Synerfac. As one of the top technology staffing agencies in Boston and the Northeast, we know the best companies looking for talented professionals. Connect with us soon!