The best investment you can make is in yourself. As a web developer, one of the best ways to invest in yourself is by going to a conference. Attending a conference with a focus and community that resonates with you has incredible value in many ways. Here are the wys that motivated me to get myself from Munich to Utah for EpicWebConf 2024.
Just being somewhere new is inspiring
Travelling to America for the first time is stimulating. Everything is slightly different and slightly larger. Being somewhere so far from what I know, that is still so large and bustling, makes me feel insignificant, but also inspired. There is so much opportunity out there. And it is there for anyone who is willing to set a star and start working towards it.
I’ll make friends across the world
For the first 5 years of my career as a web developer, software has been code repositories and Github handles. I attended my first conference last year and that concept began to change. The repositories turned into communities. The Github handles turned into friends.
Being a web developer now means I am part of a thriving, passionate and very very smart community. A community that is shaping how we interact with our now ubiquitous devices every day. I see that being part of this community is not only a privilege of the technology of our time, but also a responsibility. I have the skills and the ability to help make the future better, and I want to make sure I do so.
It’s also just nice to make new friends.
My weaknesses are highlighted
Attending a conference is pretty intimidating. It tests your social skills, your focus levels and very quickly highlights the gaps in your knowledge. This is not a bad thing. I recently learn’t about the growth mindset from Josh W Comeau and it applies here.
One of the most powerful things that drive me to get better and work on myself is feeling inadequate. A conference can make you feel like you know nothing and that everyone is operating at another level. This is good! Identify the gaps in your knowledge and triage them. What gap of knowledge would make the biggest impact if filled? The nice thing is, while your knowledge gaps are being exposed, you’re also getting blasted by new ideas.
Feeling inadequate and being exposed to tons of new ideas at the same time leads to incredible amounts of drive, inspiration and creativity. Use that spark.
I’ll have fun
Maximising value from your conference adventure (and investment) is great, but it’s important to take a step back, take a deep breath and absorb the moment for a while.
Amazing ideas, amazing people, new opportunities and connections. Enjoy this. Our careers are long, and this moment, this phase of your career, will only happen once. Here you are, making it happen, getting out there. Soak in that feeling, that accomplishment, and the boundless promise of the future.
