Industries

How hackathons help build a career: digest of formats and possibilities

By PlaysDev
Published: Oct 09, 2024

Hackathons are a great opportunity for developers and IT specialists to improve their skills, find new friends or like-minded people, and show off their skills. In this article, you will learn what hackathons are, how they are held, what are their benefits, and how participation can impact your career. We will tell you why you should try your hand at such events and how it will help you in the future. We will also share information about the hackathon that PlaysDev recently held for students at BSUIR.

What is a hackathon?

A hackathon is a competition where teams of developers, engineers, and other IT specialists complete tasks or create new products in a limited amount of time. The name comes from the words “hack” (to create something non-standard, to develop) and “marathon”. Typically, such events last for several days, and participants solve various problems in the fields of programming, design, testing, and even management.

For example, InnoGlobalHack was recently held at Innopolis University with the support of VK Education. As part of the hackathon, student teams faced various tasks in the field of software development: creating a system for automatic task aggregation for a sprint, integration with messengers, developing a system for verifying the authenticity of images, and creating a web interface for working with git diff. Participants were given 38 hours to complete the tasks in order to bring the process as close as possible to the real format of work of DevOps teams.

The winners of the InnoGlobalHack 2023 hackathon in the track for developing a facial image authentication system were the MISIShunters team. The team used a custom two-stage neural network, based on a pre-trained MTCNN for face position recognition, and then InceptionResnet for detailed image processing. This allowed them to achieve high accuracy in determining the authenticity of the image.

Хакатоны: как подобные инициативы помогают развивать компанию и сотрудников

In another track, the DSC team developed an application for dynamically displaying differences between Git commits, which worked with gradual data loading using Node.js, Docker, and Vue.js technologies. Their project allowed users to comfortably view changes in the repository, dynamically loading diffs as they scrolled the page.

All teams received support from mentors and participated in lectures by experts from VK and Innopolis University. The prize fund was 600,000 rubles. The event became an excellent platform for improving teamwork skills, interacting with real business problems, and gaining valuable knowledge from industry professionals.

What types of hackathons are there?

Hackathons differ depending on the topic and focus, type of tasks, format of the event and composition of participants.

  1. Hackathon topics
    The most common are technological (DevOps, machine learning and AI, web development), industrial (fintech, healthcare, gamedev) and social hackathons (city management).
  2. Type of tasks
    If the hackathon is organized by a commercial organization, then the solutions implemented during the hackathon will be related to business processes. There are also situations when only the general topic is regulated and participants can offer their own solutions. Also, the challenge format is often encountered – this is when teams solve several cases of varying levels of complexity.
  3. Formats
    Everything is simple here: you can find online, offline and combined hackathon formats.
  4. Participants
    There are two types of hackathons: internal and external.

Internal hackathons are held among the company’s employees. In this format, colleagues, divided into teams, can focus on solving specific problems facing the company. Internal hackathons are another way for management to assess the creative potential, reveal hidden talents and leadership qualities of their employees. Teamwork at hackathons can strengthen corporate culture, increase engagement and demonstrate that employees’ ideas are valued and can be implemented.

In addition, internal hackathons provide an opportunity to test new approaches and technologies within the company, creating conditions for rapid prototyping and decision-making.

External hackathons attract participants from various companies and industries, opening the door to a wider range of ideas and expertise. They bring diversity to the idea generation process. Participants can be developers, designers, marketers or students, and each of them can demonstrate their own view on solving problems. External hackathons are dynamic – fresh ideas often arise from unpredictable sources, leading to unexpected and original results.

In addition, external hackathons provide an opportunity to increase the company’s recognition in the market and strengthen its position as an employer. By organizing such an event, companies can not only demonstrate their openness, but also attract the attention of the media and potential customers, creating a positive brand image online. External hackathons also help to form strategic partnerships and expand the network of contacts, and these are new business opportunities and interesting collaborations.

How hackathons are held?

Hackathons are usually divided into several stages:

  1. Registration and selection of participants. Participants submit applications, which may include a CV, motivation letters or portfolio.
  2. Formation of teams. Most often, teams are formed on the spot, based on the skills of the participants. This helps to create the most effective groups for solving problems.

Хакатоны: как подобные инициативы помогают развивать компанию и сотрудников

  1. Tasks. The organizers give a task or a set of tasks that need to be solved in a limited time. Participants start coding, testing and checking their solutions in practice.
  2. Mentoring. It is important that hackathons often have mentors – experienced specialists ready to help and guide participants in the right direction. Their advice can be decisive in the final.
  3. Presentation and judging. The final stage is the presentation of solutions. The jury, consisting of experts, evaluates not only the technical part, but also the originality of ideas, practical benefits and soft skills of the participants.

6 Reasons why you should try participating in hackathons

For developers, participating in hackathons is a chance to gain practical experience that will be useful in their professional careers. The goals of hackathons are varied: from finding talented specialists to developing an MVP (minimum viable product) for new projects. Here are some reasons why you should participate in a hackathon:

  1. Work on real cases. In most cases, the tasks at a hackathon are real and related to current problems or trends in the industry. This is a great chance to test your ideas and solutions.
  2. Systemic thinking. Participants learn to build solutions that take into account scalability, security, and reliability.
  3. Integration of new technologies. Hackathons often focus on current technologies (e.g. AI, blockchain, DevOps), which gives participants the opportunity to try something new and expand their knowledge. This can be working with cloud services, automating CI/CD processes, or using infrastructure as code (IaC).
  4. Network environment. Hackathons are a platform for meeting like-minded people who can become your future colleagues or partners.
  5. Feedback from experts. Mentors and judges at the hackathon are experienced professionals who are ready to share their experience and give constructive feedback. This helps to look at your work from the outside and learn from the best.
  6. Career and internships. The best participants can receive offers for internships or even employment. Hackathons are often held by large companies to find talented employees.

Participation in hackathons is an intensive process that develops both technical and personal skills. For participants, it is an opportunity not only to test their strengths, but also to improve their ability to work in a team, solve problems under pressure, and adapt to change. Hackathons form specialists who are ready for real challenges that they will face in a professional environment.

PlaysDev Hackathon for students: DevOps

In early October, our guys held a DevOps hackathon for students of BSUIR University, which combined elements of training and practice. Let’s tell you how it was.

We created this hackathon specifically for students of technical specialties who want to deepen their knowledge in the field of DevOps and demonstrate their skills.

Hackathon Topics:

  • First Step in DevOps: Writing a CV
  • NGNIX
  • Docker
  • Gitlab
  • CI/CD Processes
  • Infrastructure

Hackathon program

Stage 1
First, recruiters from our team gave an interactive lecture on “Tips for creating CVs for IT specialists”. We talked about creating outstanding CVs that help engineers and developers at the start of their careers.
After that, all hackathon participants were divided into teams and given tasks.

Stage 2 – online
This is the main stage of the hackathon, where participants listen to lectures, receive useful practical material and complete tasks for a while. Teams worked with PlaysDev mentors, receiving tasks and feedback from DevOps engineers. Not only the technical part, but also soft skills were assessed!
On the first day of the hackathon, the guys received a task on Docker and theory on CI/CD. After defending the first task, an offline lecture on infrastructure architecture was held at BSUIR. The mentors gave a thematic task: within 2 hours, come up with an application, draw an infrastructure for it with all the necessary components and prepare a presentation of your results.

Stage 3 – offline
All teams were invited to BSUIR to present their projects. PlaysDev mentors assessed the guys’ work at all stages, presentation skills and soft skills. The best participants received cool corporate merch: embroidered T-shirts, water bottles and eco-friendly coffee cups.

Хакатоны: как подобные инициативы помогают развивать компанию и сотрудников

What makes the PlaysDev hackathon unique?

Mentoring support from PlaysDev DevOps experts
An important advantage of the hackathon is the support from the company’s experienced DevOps engineers. Each participant gets access to experts who will not only help with tasks, but also give valuable advice on a career in DevOps. The opportunity to learn from professionals is one of the main reasons why our hackathon attracts attention.

Useful lectures and CV selection
The hackathon begins with training. Recruiters from PlaysDev tell you how to create a professional resume that will make a student stand out from competitors in the labor market. This is a valuable experience for those planning to build a career in IT. Each practical stage is accompanied by a lecture with video materials, our goal is to conduct hackathons in an interactive format, telling and showing theory in practice.

Online and offline stages
The hackathon combines online and offline formats, in the future we also plan to conduct a full online format.

Hard and soft skills assessment
It is important to note that PlaysDev hackathons assess not only technical skills. Teams receive tasks that require teamwork, well-established communication, and the ability to think outside the box – this is a full range of skills needed to succeed in real projects.

How to take part?

The hackathon is open to all students of technical specialties who are confident in working with Linux, have a basic understanding of Git and have an understanding of network technologies.
Are you interested in DevOps topics and want to participate in the next hackathons? Send your CV to playsdev.lab@gmail.com.

Why PlaysDev?

PlaysDev is not just an IT company. It is a community of professionals who strive to develop and support young talents. Participation in the PlaysDev hackathon is a great opportunity to get an insight into working on real projects from current DevOps engineers.

Hackathon Prep Tips

  1. Assemble a team with diverse skills. If you build your team not only from strong specialists in the required technologies, but also from guys who have other distinctive qualities and skills that will help you win, you will be able to demonstrate a strategic approach already at the moment of team formation.
  2. Study cases of past hackathons. One of the best ways to prepare is to understand successful solutions of past hackathons. Understanding what judges value and which projects win will help you adjust your approach and avoid common mistakes.
  3. Distribute responsibilities within the team. An organized team works faster and more efficiently. Before the hackathon starts, decide who is responsible for what. This will help to avoid confusion and unnecessary questions during the process.

Хакатоны: как подобные инициативы помогают развивать компанию и сотрудников

 

  1. Be prepared for the unexpected. Hackathons often involve unexpected situations: technical failures, new tasks from mentors, or limited time for improvements. Resourcefulness and the ability to adapt are what distinguish strong teams from the rest.
  2. A strong presentation is your key to victory. A good presentation decides the outcome of the entire hackathon. This is your chance to show not only the result, but also its significance. Focus on demonstrating the benefits of your project for users or business. Or on the key features of your solution – why should they choose you?
  3. Rest before the start. A hackathon is a marathon, not a sprint. A full working day or even more awaits you throughout the event, and it is important to start it in good shape.

Holding a hackathon — what can a company gain?

Hackathons are beneficial not only for participants, but also for organizers. Such events attract specialists interested in learning and development, who find the strength to combine personal growth with study/work.

Hackathons strengthen the company’s image as a place where creativity and professionalism are valued. They are often used to find fresh ideas that may not arise within the framework of the usual business process. Hackathons are a quick way to test solutions and create working prototypes of products. In conditions when companies do not have time for long development cycles, a hackathon can become a platform for creating a minimum viable product (MVP), which can then be refined and released to the market.

Some companies use hackathons for training and professional development of employees. As part of such events, participants get the opportunity to study new technologies, methods and approaches to solving problems in more depth. Hackathons also help establish contacts with educational institutions and students, preparing them for work on real projects.

Conclusion

If you are an IT specialist, then an event like a hackathon will help you add a few new skills to your CV, develop creativity, the ability to make quick decisions, and overcome shyness when working in a team. This is a good opportunity to start a career and meet experts from different fields, learn more about technologies that you have not worked with before.

Do you want to develop as a DevOps engineer? Try your hand at the next PlaysDev hackathon: send your CV to playsdev.lab@gmail.com.

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