How Vietnam's Tech Communities Helped Me Grow as a Developer

#beginners #learning #webdev #motivation

So one of my friends from India recently posed a question to me, "Are there not a lot of tech communities in Vietnam? I don't think I've seen much of a tech presence online. What's the tech scene like in Vietnam?" This made me wonder what outsiders think about the tech culture in Vietnam. Perhaps most people aren't aware that Vietnam has quite a healthy community of techies. So I decided to write this article and tell you all about the tech communities in Vietnam.

Why our tech communities are hard to spot at first

As a leader, organizer and also a contributor in multiple tech communities, in my perspective, I would say there's no shortage of amazing tech communities here! However, I do understand where my friend's statement above might be coming from. Their perspective might be shaped by the fact that many of our communities work within the country - Vietnam - and don't go out of their way to make their presence known on social media to connect to the outside world at large.

However, they're still fantastic communities that welcome anyone and help their members grow as techies.

So let's take a deeper look at the tech communities in Vietnam!

What our tech communities do

Like many other communities, we organize a variety of activities and events such as tech fairs, exhibitions, talk shows, panel discussions, fundamental classes in coding, dev workshops, and so on. These events occur throughout the year and are open to everyone, from students to workers, from beginners to senior developers, or even non-coders, with very modest entry fees or, often, no fees at all. In my opinion, that's my favorite thing about the tech communities here. And another thing I really admire about our tech communities is how inclusive and welcoming they are. If you're interested, you can join, no matter who you are or where you come from as long as you come with an open mind and a cooperative, team-oriented mindset. If you possess these qualities, you'll have a great time and people will be quite open to sharing their experiences with you.

Our Tech Fest — Some of the tech events organized by tech communities here.

Of course, people in tech communities don't just organize external outreach events, but also have some incredible activities for internal people, such as training sessions, field trips, projects, or just simple group calls to share stories and discuss ideas to work on.

That said, the best aspect of our tech communities, like most great communities, is the people! One might think tech communities should only comprise of coders, and perhaps tech entrepreneurs. But the Vietnamese tech communities are much more diverse. It might surprise you how many non-coders exist in the tech communities here! These people may not know how to code, but they all have their own skills and expertise, and above all, a passion for tech. People here have different backgrounds, different insights, and a unique openness to collaborate and improve.

Most importantly, one trait which we all share is friendliness. You don't need to hesitate to ask your peers for help if you ever get stuck with something, whether it's about coding, some other skill, or even stuff related to personal life. Your community members will help you without judgment or condescension. I guess this might be a trait shared by all great communities around the world. Willingness to help each other is what makes communities grow.

How I started my journey with tech communities

So let's come back to me. Personally, I really enjoy being a part of tech communities, and joining tech communities is perhaps one of the best decisions I have ever made.

In fact, I joined one last year, called Vietcode Project, a student-run organization for young people interested in tech. At that time, I did not know anything about tech or coding at all. I thought that people here were "nerdy" (in a cool way 😉) or "had very high expertise in tech". And I didn't feel fully confident applying to the tech team.

Our events — One of our events with attendees and organizers.

However, time flies, and with time comes clarity. I realized that my initials assumptions were incorrect. The people here are more than just tech experts, and they're such a welcoming crew. Here, as other tech communities, we share some useful resources, mentors and guidelines for newbies (like me) who want to learn coding, and sometimes do fun activities as well, like quizzes and games. I was lucky to be mentored directly by the head of our tech team. He is such an inspiring and patient person who explains new concepts and syntax to me thoroughly yet simply. He gave me exercises and projects to practice and also motivated me constantly to learn more and improve my skills. I can confidently say that he is easily the most important person in my coding journey. Had I not applied to the Vietcode Project, I wouldn't have come this far at all. I am incredibly grateful for all the guidance and inspiration.

Later, I got to join many other tech communities as well, and they helped me explore the depths of the tech world ever further. For now, I am a part of 4 tech organizations. I've come a long way, and I've learned a lot in the past year, too. I appreciate all the faith and effort my fellow techies have put in me to help me become a better coder, and this is the biggest reason I'm inspired to do the same for anyone else out there who is passionate about tech and might be looking for guidance.

Conclusion

In the end, I just want to say that the tech culture in Vietnam is wonderful. If you're a fellow techie who has been hesitating to join your local tech communities until now, you should definitely give it a try. There's nothing to lose, and plenty to gain. Besides learning a lot of new skills, you might get to create some amazing bonds and friendships, and perhaps even find a new path in your life.

One More Thing!

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