# How to get into DevRel

> Live from devrel.directory as of 2026-07-31. Counts and deadlines below are current, not a snapshot.

## 1. Read these, in this order

1. [What Developer Relations actually is](https://devrel.directory/docs/fundamentals/definition.md) - Start here so the rest has a shape to hang on. The word covers four or five different jobs.
2. [Why companies fund it](https://devrel.directory/docs/fundamentals/importance.md) - Knowing what the budget is for tells you which of those jobs a given company is really hiring.
3. [How the roles differ](https://devrel.directory/docs/fundamentals/roles-and-responsibilities.md) - Advocacy, community, and docs are separate crafts. This is where you pick which one you are aiming at.
4. [Who you are actually serving](https://devrel.directory/docs/fundamentals/understanding-developer-personas.md) - Read this before strategy, not after. A strategy written without a persona is a plan aimed at nobody.
5. [Turning that into a program](https://devrel.directory/docs/fundamentals/devrel-strategy.md) - Now the strategy guide has something to work with: a role you want and an audience you understand.

## 2. Where the practitioners are

11 communities, newsletters, and podcasts, each verified reachable by an automated check:

- **build mode** (newsletter, verified 2026-07-22): PostHog's newsletter on building and growing products, formerly Product for Engineers; covers marketing, activation, and product lessons from PostHog's own work.
- **CMX** (community, verified 2026-07-15): Community for community professionals with events and research, much of it DevRel-adjacent.
- **Community Pulse** (podcast, verified 2026-07-15): Podcast on community and DevRel topics, hosted by long-time practitioners.
- **console.dev** (newsletter, verified 2026-07-22): Free weekly newsletter reviewing new developer tools and beta releases, sent every Thursday.
- **dev.to** (community, verified 2026-07-15): Large developer blogging community, a common distribution channel for DevRel content.
- **Developer Avocados Weekly** (newsletter, verified 2026-07-15): Weekly email roundup of Developer Relations articles, resources, and conference CFPs.
- **DevRel Collective** (community, verified 2026-07-15): Slack community of DevRel practitioners; the de-facto watercooler of the profession.
- **devtools.fm** (podcast, verified 2026-07-22): Podcast about developer tools and the people who make them; hosts Andrew Lisowski and Justin Bennett interview maintainers and devtool builders.
- **Hashnode** (community, verified 2026-07-15): Developer blogging platform with custom domains, popular for personal dev branding.
- **Scaling DevTools** (podcast, verified 2026-07-22): Interview podcast by Jack Bridger on how developer tools companies grow; founders and operators talk marketing, positioning, and DevRel.
- **The Business of Open Source** (podcast, verified 2026-07-22): Interview podcast by Emily Omier on positioning and company building for commercial open-source companies.

## 3. Speak somewhere

Open calls for papers, soonest deadline first:

- **Kubernetes Community Days Indonesia 2026** (Bandung, Indonesia) - closes 2026-07-31, 0 days left: https://devrel.directory/events/kubernetes-community-days-indonesia-2026
- **ASF Community Over Code / ChurConf** (Sydney, Australia) - closes 2026-07-31, 0 days left: https://devrel.directory/events/asf-community-over-code-churconf-2026
- **Kubernetes Community Days Argentina** (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - closes 2026-08-02, 2 days left: https://devrel.directory/events/kubernetes-community-day-s-argentina-2026
- **Cloud Native AI Summit Europe** (Paris, France) - closes 2026-08-14, 14 days left: https://devrel.directory/events/cloud-native-ai-summit-europe-2026
- **KCD Suisse Romande** (Genève, Switzerland) - closes 2026-08-15, 15 days left: https://devrel.directory/events/kcd-suisse-romande-2026

Subscribe to every deadline: https://devrel.directory/cfps.ics

## 4. What the job market actually looks like

Of the 34 open DevRel roles listed right now, **none are junior**. That is the normal state of this field, not a bad week: DevRel is rarely an entry-level job, because it is usually paid for on the assumption you already have credibility with developers.

The realistic routes in are sideways: from engineering, from support, from technical writing, or from community work you did unpaid first. Aim at mid-level postings and expect your prior craft to be the qualification.

Current mix: 11 mid, 8 senior, 3 staff, 12 leadership.

Browse with filters: https://devrel.directory/jobs