Open Source Career Day returns for its fifth year at SCaLE 23x, building on our proven track record of delivering practical career development for the open source community. In 2025 alone, we served over 650 participants across talks, workshops, career consultations, and professional services. This isn't your typical career event—we're the place where our community shares real strategies that work in our world.
Why Open Source Career Day Matters
The tech industry talks endlessly about "building the future," but who's building the careers of the people doing the actual building? Most career advice treats software development like any other profession—generic resume tips, networking platitudes, and interview prep that ignores what makes open source work unique.
We know better. Open source careers don't follow traditional paths. We evaluate talent differently, work differently, and build influence differently. Your GitHub history matters more than your degree. Your contributions to a project can open doors that a perfect cover letter never could. Remote-first isn't just a policy—it's how we've always worked.
For five years, Open Source Career Day has been the place where our community shares the real strategies that work in our world. Not corporate HR advice, but hard-won insights from people who've actually navigated the unique challenges of building a career around open source.
What to Expect
Open Source Career Day 2026 is a full-day event featuring presentations and workshops from industry leaders, seasoned engineers, and career development professionals. Our goal is to empower individuals at every stage of their career journey with actionable advice, real-world examples, and engaging content that you can use Monday morning.
Expert Talks & Workshops
Real practitioners sharing specific strategies that worked for them—not generic advice, but the exact scripts, templates, and approaches that got results.
One-on-One Career Consulting
Free personalized sessions with industry professionals who understand open source careers. Get specific feedback on your resume, portfolio, career strategy, or job search approach.
Professional Headshots
High-quality photos for your LinkedIn, GitHub, and professional profiles—because first impressions matter in the digital world.
Interactive Workshops
Hands-on sessions where you'll practice skills like resume optimization, interview techniques, and portfolio building with immediate feedback.
Topics We Cover
For Job Seekers & Career Changers:
- How to turn GitHub activity into interview wins, beyond just "contribute to projects"
- Salary negotiation tactics that work for open source roles
- Breaking the "you need experience to get experience" cycle in tech
- Using AI tools ethically in job searches without misrepresenting yourself
- Making a compelling case when transitioning from non-tech fields
- Navigating layoffs and market uncertainty in the open source industry
For Professionals Ready to Level Up:
- Moving from individual contributor to leadership without losing your technical edge
- Building influence in open source communities that translates to career opportunities
- Creating your own opportunities: consulting, founding companies, becoming a maintainer
- Adapting your skillset as AI changes software development workflows and expectations
For Hiring Managers & Leaders:
- Spotting genuine open source talent beyond resume keywords and GitHub green squares
- Building effective remote-first engineering cultures that attract and retain top talent
- Evaluating technical skills in an AI-assisted development world
- Creating pathways for junior developers in senior-heavy open source teams
Who Should Attend
Job Seekers: If you're looking to enter the open source field or advance your career within it, this event will provide you with the knowledge and connections you need. Whether you're a recent bootcamp graduate, career switcher, or returning to work after a break.
Career Changers: For those considering a transition into open source from other industries, we'll offer insights and inspiration to help guide your path. Learn from people who've made similar transitions successfully.
Established Professionals: If you're already in the open source industry, join us to refine your skills, learn new strategies, and network with your peers. Discover how to take your career to the next level.
Hiring Managers & Team Leaders: Discover best practices for finding, hiring, and leading talent in the open source world. Learn how to build teams that thrive in our unique ecosystem.
Students & New Graduates: Get ahead of the competition by understanding how open source careers actually work, not just what you learned in CS classes.
Our Track Record
2025 Impact:
- 650+ total participants across all activities
- 340+ attendees for talks with growing audience throughout the day
- 100 workshop participants in hands-on skill-building sessions
- 50 individuals served through personalized career consulting
- 400 professional headshots taken for career advancement
- 20+ volunteers including 10 career consultants from industry
Over five years, Open Source Career Day has established itself as an essential annual gathering, consistently delivering high-quality programming and measurable career advancement support.
Call for Speakers
We want real talk from real practitioners. If you've navigated the challenges our community faces and have specific insights to share, we want to hear from you.
We're looking for:
- Specific stories: Not "here's how to write a resume" but "here's the three lines I added to my resume that got me callbacks at Stripe, Red Hat, and GitHub"
- Practical tools: Templates, scripts, frameworks people can use immediately
- Honest failures: What didn't work, what you learned, and what you changed
- Current reality: How AI, remote work, and economic uncertainty are changing our field
Submit your proposal through the SCaLE CFP system by January 15, 2026.
How to Participate
Register for SCaLE 23x: Open Source Career Day is included with your SCaLE registration. Register today to secure your spot.
Sign Up for Career Consulting: Free one-on-one sessions with industry professionals are available throughout the day. Slots fill up fast, so register early.
Bring Your Questions: This is a hands-on, interactive event. Come prepared to participate, ask questions, and engage with the community.
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your career and connect with the open source community. Join us for a day of learning, networking, and practical career development that you can't get anywhere else.
The open source community deserves career advice as innovative and practical as the technology we build.
