Many large corporations today organize hackathons to achieve various goals, including research and development (R&D) and talent retention. In the past, hackathon events were primarily organized by tech corporations. However, nowadays, they are no longer exclusive to coders.
According to the Harvard Business Review, several companies outside the tech world are using these brainstorming sessions to create new ideas. They focus on various areas, including supply chain management and culture change.
This overflow of different industries into the hackathon scene can make you wonder, do coding hackathons contribute unique opportunities for industries?
Hackathons foster innovation, creativity, productivity, and inspiration in all industries. They provide a platform for diverse people to analyze ideas from different perspectives. They encourage healthy competition between employees.
As you can see, everyone gets to benefit from hackathons. So, in this article, I’ll discuss everything you stand to gain from coding hackathons and then show you how to prepare for an event if you’ve never participated before.
Let’s get started.
Unique Opportunities Created By Hackathon Platforms
- Networking opportunities
Hackathons present a unique platform for industry professionals to network and collaborate on fresh ideas. Most companies hold internal hackathons, so you don’t get to meet new people. However, it will allow employees to form new relationships with people in the same company and foster collaboration between departments.
On the other hand, external hackathons support collaborations with professionals outside your company. As a result, you get to grow your professional network. Whichever types of coding hackathons you attend, whether online or virtual, you increase your chances of networking.
- Chances to develop new skills
Hackathons allow programmers to develop new skills by learning from each other. You may experience new coding languages and techniques, fresh industry tools, and leadership skills during the events.
Participating in hackathons will help you increase your knowledge as a programmer and expand your skill set quickly. Working with other programmers and companies can also teach you about unknown skills in your industry to help you choose a career path.
- You will gain industry recognition.
A hackathon platform brings all kinds of people in an industry together; therefore, it helps you or your team get noticed. Such recognition can help open employment opportunities, new business ventures or foster new relationships with other professionals. As you continue gaining industry recognition, you establish yourself as an expert.
- Increase motivation
Participating in a hackathon will motivate you and increase your passion for your work. Setting and accomplishing a goal in a limited time often makes people feel more confident in their programming skills.
Industry experts may also provide professional feedback about your work and motivate you to take on more advanced challenges. In conjunction with the competitive environment, these factors will boost your morale for coding and motivate you to pursue more projects.
Who Can Participate in a Hackathon?
Hackathons typically welcome individuals of all skill levels, including those new to programming or the industry. If you’re entirely new, you can participate in the events as an observer to learn how development teams work together. Observation provides an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in venturing into programming but uncertain about the nature of the work.
How to Prepare for Hackathon Events
- Set goals
You must know what you want to accomplish. Set aside time for you and your team to consider why you want to participate. Do you want to add a new code to your portfolio? Are you trying to learn a new programming skill? Are you trying to build an app with an API?
Whatever the reason, be explicit about your goals to achieve them.
- Research the topic or theme before the event.
Hackathons typically feature a predetermined theme or theme to guide participants. For instance, the theme may be music-related or sponsored by a company. If you want to win, thoroughly research and brainstorm relevant programs or app ideas. Study the sponsoring company’s API and come prepared with a flexible code base.
- Assemble your squad
For a first hackathon, forming a team with people you like or work well with is advisable. The chemistry from a team that knows how to work well together will give you an edge over other teams meeting for the first time during the event.
- Hype your team up.
Possessing the technical skills to build a product will only take you far in a hackathon.
Whether you’re attending the event as a technical or non-technical person, you will need energy and enthusiasm to fuel your team for the hackathon. In addition, the presentation of your product at the end is crucial to your score. You can’t expect to engage the judges if your team isn’t enthusiastic about your idea.
- Ensure that you bring all the necessary equipment.
Before attending the hackathon, create a checklist of everything you need to avoid inconveniences. Ensure you have your laptop charger, headphones, extra USB cables, travel tickets, and hotel reservations if necessary. You wouldn’t want to be the person in the group who forgets something crucial and causes setbacks for the team.
- Try and work together as a team.
Having participated in several hackathons, I’ve observed that discord is one factor that can hinder teams’ progress. Some team leaders disrespect team members, especially when disagreeing with their ideas. Such cases cause teams to lose morale and focus, often halting progress in executing ideas.
This point emphasizes the importance of team selection before the hackathon. Ensure you pick people who work well with others to help you accomplish your goals.
The Bottom Line
Hackathon events were initially attributed to tech corporations. However, today, even people outside the tech industry can benefit from the opportunities brought by organizing hackathons.
Hackathons help employees from every industry network and develop new skills they’ll use in the future. They also help both teams and individuals to gain recognition in their specific industry and establish themselves as experts in the field.
Whether you possess top-notch programming skills or are relatively new to the industry, you can participate in a hackathon. Utilize the opportunities presented by hackathons to grow within your industry and enhance the skills of your employees.
Equipped with a Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) degree, Lucas Noah stands out in the digital content creation landscape. His current roles at Creative Outrank LLC and Oceana Express LLC showcase his ability to turn complex technology topics into engagin... Read more
