Are you still a quiet developer, working tirelessly behind the scenes with no one noticing? Do you dream of breaking out of the shadows, sharing your knowledge, and becoming an internationally recognized developer who impacts the lives of countless professionals?

The January 28, 2025 episode of the “The Out of the Box Developer” with Elder Moraes, a big reference in the Java community, had a lot of insights on this.

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Elder Moraes, Java Champion and Red Hat Advocate, shared his journey and valuable insights on career growth, knowledge sharing, and community building in the tech industry. Here’s what we learned from this engaging conversation.

The Power of Knowledge Sharing #

Start Where You Are #

Elder emphasizes that everyone can start sharing knowledge, regardless of their experience level. “Even if you’re a beginner, you know more than some people in the market because there are people that haven’t even started yet,” he explains.

Key Takeaways:

• Start small with what you know
• Share from your unique perspective
• Don’t wait until you’re an “expert”

Building Habits #

When it comes to consistent knowledge sharing, Elder recommends taking “baby steps”:

• Begin with 5-minute conversations
• Write short blog posts (even just two paragraphs)
• Share what you learned today with your team

“Most of us stop when building these good habits because we want to start by doing something great, and that’s the recipe for failure.”

The Role of Community #

Getting Involved #

Elder stresses the importance of community involvement for career growth. He suggests:

1. Find communities aligned with your interests
2. Offer to help before taking
3. Start with online participation if location is a barrier

Pro Tip: “When you would like to go faster, you go alone. When you want to go farther, you go with others.”

Contributing to Open Source #

Strategic Approach #

Elder shares a practical framework for getting started with open source:

1. Choose ONE relevant project
2. Pick something you use daily
3. Start with documentation or “good first issues”
4. Maintain consistency

“Open source is the fastest way for you to work with the main companies around the world, especially Big Tech.”

Career Development Tips #

International Presence #

Elder strongly advocates for creating content in English:

• English is the language of software engineering
• It opens international opportunities
• Helps build a global career foundation

Building Authority #

To establish yourself in the industry:

• Share knowledge consistently
• Engage with communities
• Contribute to relevant projects
• Focus on quality over quantity

Conclusion #

The path from being unknown to becoming a recognized leader in tech isn’t about dramatic transformations but rather consistent, purposeful actions. As Elder demonstrates, success comes from:

• Sharing knowledge generously
• Contributing to communities
• Taking small, consistent steps
• Having clear reasons behind your actions

Connect with Elder: #

• Instagram: @eldermoraes
• YouTube: Elder Moraes
• LinkedIn: /in/eldermoraes

Remember: “Don’t let the years pass – make the years count.”

YouTube link to the original session