Do you ever think that you’re up-to-date with all that’s going on in tech and then all of a sudden everyone is talking about this new feature, technology, or company that you’ve never heard of before? Well, you’re not alone! The tech industry is constantly evolving and if you’re not curious and passionate about continuously learning, then you’re at risk of getting left behind. But don’t freak out–we know of some shortcuts you can take in order to stay up-to-the-minute with all that’s going on in the big wide world of tech. Keep reading to learn more!
Do I Have to Keep Up with the Tech Industry?
No, you don’t have to do anything! With that being said, we do think that keeping up with the tech industry is a great idea. It doesn’t matter whether you’re inside the tech industry or out, the world of tech impacts almost every aspect of our lives. It’s important to remember that tech isn’t just limited to the social media that’s consumed by the youth—it’s everything from the way we communicate with each other, where we travel, how we work, and even what we eat (you didn’t think that grapes just got together one day and decided to not have seeds anymore, did you?!). Technology has revolutionized almost every aspect of our lives and will continue to shape our future in profound ways. By staying informed about the latest trends and technologies, you can stay competitive in the industry, better understand the world around you, and even identify new opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Ok, I’m convinced: how do I get started?
There’s a countless number of ways to keep up with the tech industry, but some are better than others. Here we’re going to show you exactly how to make the most out of your time and get the maximum amount of information as fast as humanly possible.
Read Ironhack’s State of Tech report
Don’t you wish you could learn about what’s happening in the tech industry, world wide, all in one place? Well, you don’t even have to wish because we’ve got your back! You can read Ironhack’s global State of Tech report right here and be up-to-date with the world of tech in no time!
Follow tech news sources
There’s a large number of online publications that are dedicated to tech news, including TechCrunch, Wired, and The Verge. You can find many more options online, but these three are the most well-known and reputable. So, if what you’re looking for is tech news that you can trust, then look no further! And, the cool thing is that these three publications all have newsletters that you can subscribe to in order to get tech news sent directly to your email inbox! That way, you don’t even have to remember to navigate to their website—you’ll be able to stay current with tech just by reading your emails.
Speaking of newsletters, if your preferred way of consuming the news is by newsletter, then you might want to check out TLDR. If you’re like us, then you’re constantly feeling like you never have enough time in your day to do everything you wanted to do—which makes this super short newsletter the perfect tool for staying informed. TLDR is a daily newsletter that promises to keep you up-to-date with tech in only five minutes or less!
Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about our blog; you can subscribe right on the blog page in order to stay informed about all our new articles. Our writers are always cooking up fresh tech content exclusively for readers like you.
Attend tech events
Yes, we all agree that the tech news is a great way to stay informed. But, there’s nothing quite like attending tech events in person. These events offer opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals, to gain hands-on experience with new technologies, and to meet and learn from industry insiders.
You’re probably wondering what kinds of different tech events are available for you to attend. Well, we’re here to tell you that there’s a tech event for everyone, but keep in mind that not every tech event may be for everyone. The five kinds of tech events that you’ll most likely encounter are:
Tech conferences
Meetups
Startup events
Hackathons
Developer conferences
You might have noticed a little something about the order of the events: they’re ranked from the least to the most technical. If you’re outside of the tech world, you can gain a foothold by attending a tech conference; if you’re a professional software engineer, then you’ll get a lot out of developer conferences. For everyone in between, there’s meetups, startup events, and hackathons. Here’s a little bit more about each one:
Tech Conferences: while some may target industry professionals, tech conferences are places for tech companies to show off their latest and greatest ideas. A newcomer can come and see all kinds of cool and interesting gadgets that are soon-to-be released.
Meetup: these are small, sometimes informal gatherings of people who want to come together to discuss specific topics. At meetups, you’ll find all sorts of people ranging from industry veterans to complete newcomers.
Startup Event: these are opportunities for entrepreneurs to meet with investors, mentors, and other startup founders. These can range from informal to super exclusive.
Hackathon: short (1-2 days) competitions where teams (or individuals) come together to work on a particular project. You’ll find a ton of these happening everywhere!
Developer Conference: events for software engineers to learn about new programming languages, tools, and techniques. Not for the uninitiated!
Follow tech influencers on social media
Sometimes, you’ll find tech news organically by just browsing social media, especially if you follow other people in the tech industry. If you don’t follow anybody in tech, here are three tech influencers that we think will keep you both informed and engaged:
Marques Brownlee: he makes tech videos with an extremely high production quality. You’ll be amazed at how good YouTube videos can look nowadays.
Linus Tech Tips: a Canadian-based company that produces an enormous amount of lighthearted tech content on multiple platforms.
Unbox Therapy: famous for popularizing the unboxing genre. Short, satisfying videos that will undoubtedly keep you informed.
Join tech communities
Another great way of staying current with tech is by joining online tech communities. We’re all online all the time nowadays, so you might as well add some tech news and tech humor as browsing options. One particularly popular place for online communities to organize is a website you’ve probably heard of: Reddit. There are thousands upon thousands of communities or subreddits for you to join, but if you’re looking for tech communities in particular, you should consider the following options:
r/technology: the biggest tech community on reddit. A great place to start!
r/programming: a place for software developers to discuss news revolving around software development
r/ProgrammerHumor: looking for a lighthearted way to get tech news? Here it is!
There are actually thousands more subreddits for you to explore if these don’t quite fit what you’re looking for. We’re sure you’ll be able to find a community that’s just right for you!
Read the news
You could’ve probably guessed this one, but a great way to keep up with tech news is by reading the news! Every major newspaper covers tech extensively even if they don’t have a dedicated “Tech” section. But, and you might not know this, a lot of newspapers have sections called “Science” or “Business” that are really just “Tech” sections in disguise! If you pick up any newspaper right now, we’d be surprised if you didn’t find at least a half dozen articles covering tech or tech-adjacent news. We do recommend that you finish reading this blog first before you try this experiment, however.
Experiment with new tech
Last but not least, one of the best ways to keep up with the tech industry is by trying out new tech yourself! There’s no better way to gain knowledge quickly than by getting hands-on experience with a new tool. Within only a few hours (or sometimes even minutes!), you’ll have a great understanding of how the tech works and will even be able to share your knowledge with the rest of the community!
We’ve found that there’s nothing more fun than trying out a new device or feature and finding out you can do things with it that you never thought possible before! The very best tech allows us to become a better version of ourselves (but you would never know unless you tried). Do yourself a favor and try something new today!
What Else Do I Need to Know?
Now that you’re up-to-date with how to stay current with the tech news, we think you should also consider staying current with your tech skills! In the world of tech, you won’t find better bootcamps than those offered at Ironhack. We have bootcamps available for just about anybody and we think that you’ll definitely be able to find a program that’ll help you grow in your career. Poke around our website to see which bootcamp is the best fit for you. We’ll see you soon!
