DEV Community: Priyadharshini

Why Contributing to Open Source Can Help Your Career

Priyadharshini — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 09:56:52 +0000

Open source isn’t just about coding—it’s about community, learning, and growth.

Connect with developers worldwide – Exchange ideas and grow your network.
Explore diverse codebases – Gain hands-on experience with real-world projects.
Improve coding quality & strategy – Learn to approach problems efficiently.
Boost communication skills – Collaborate and discuss solutions effectively.
Small wins = confidence boost – Every merged PR is progress.
Portfolio & profile enhancement – Showcasing contributions strengthens your professional profile.

How to get started:
1) Pick a domain you’re comfortable with.
2) Learn GitHub workflow – how to work with repos, branches, PRs, and issues.
3) Find beginner-friendly issues: goodfirstissues.com, goodfirstissue.dev
4) Start small – fix minor bugs or documentation, comment on issues, then raise PRs.
5) Engage with the community and follow contributing guidelines.

Each contribution helps you grow, learn, and make an impact in real-world projects

How Changing My Thinking Transformed My Interview Problem‑Solving

Priyadharshini — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:25:45 +0000

For the longest time in coding interviews, my first instinct was:

“I’ve already seen this problem before. How did I solve it?”

During prep, we solve hundreds of problems mostly by recognizing patterns and applying known solutions. But in real interviews, it’s unrealistic to remember every exact solution. What I eventually realized was this reflex was actually hurting me.

The questions looked familiar, but the constraints were different each time.

And when my first coding attempt didn’t work? Fixing or rewriting it became messy and slow.

So I tried something different: I slowed down.

Here’s what changed:

I stopped trying to recall exact past solutions

I focused on why a pattern works, not just how to apply it

I read the problem once then again until constraints were crystal clear

I sketched a rough solution on paper before writing a single line of code

At first, sure it felt slower.

But clarity came first.
And with clarity came speed, confidence, and cleaner code.

Treat every problem as new. Don’t react reflexively approach it with a clear strategy and the right use of pattern. That’s real problem‑solving, not pattern matching.

This way of thinking isn’t just for coding interviews it can help in any competition or challenge, wherever clarity and strategy matter.

Happy new year everyone😃🥳

Priyadharshini — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:01:26 +0000