We’re starting a new thing around here called a Community Spotlight. This is where we highlight members from around Aiven’s community who are doing cool/interesting things, to get to know them a little bit better!
Our very first spotlight is on Arjun Singh, a full stack developer and open source enthusiast from Delhi, India 
! We met Arjun through his participation with Klaw (Aiven’s self-service Apache Kafka® Topic Management/Governance tool/portal) during Hacktoberfest last year.
Here’s what he had to say! (Note that this conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
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Welcome, Arjun! It’s a pleasure to have you. To kick things off, could you share where you’re from and your background?
Thank you! I’m from Delhi, India. I completed my bachelor’s in computer science from Delhi University and am currently pursuing law, though I plan to return to computer science.
That’s an interesting pivot. What drew you to law before deciding to return to computer science?
My mother is a lawyer, which initially piqued my interest. However, my ultimate goal is to work in computer science, particularly in development.
I’ve noticed your active social media presence and your involvement in tech communities. Can you tell us more about your interests and activities there?
Absolutely. I leverage my influence in tech communities for networking, which I believe enhances my job prospects. I’m deeply involved in open source projects; it started with addressing beginner issues and grew from there. Open source has been a significant learning opportunity, teaching me about software development’s complexities and the importance of networking.
I see a lot of people get into open source for the sake of it, or to get something transactional out of it, but I feel it’s important to go in for the purpose of learning, and encourage others to really immerse themselves in the projects they’re part of.
How did you first learn about Hacktoberfest, Aiven, and Klaw?
I discovered Hacktoberfest through Twitter. It was an excellent platform for contributing to various projects, similar to Google Summer of Code but more accessible at my experience level at the time.
I was looking for Hacktoberfest issues marked “good first issue” that dealt with TypeScript, and came to find Klaw through that. I found the experience contributing to Klaw to be very positive.
Can you share some challenges you’ve faced in open source projects and how you’ve overcome them?
One challenge was navigating large, complex codebases as a beginner. I started with small, manageable tasks and gradually took on more significant issues, learning to communicate openly with project maintainers about what I could and couldn’t do.
That’s awesome! What’s your ideal job, and how do you envision your future career?
I aspire to work in a SaaS company, preferably in a full stack development role. I enjoy coding and am particularly interested in working with JavaScript and React.
It sounds like you have a clear vision for your future. Do you have any advice for others looking to enter the tech field or contribute to open source?
Definitely. Utilize resources like YouTube for learning and follow a clear and concise roadmap. Explore different domains, not just full-stack development, but also security and DevOps. And build your presence on platforms like Twitter to gain visibility, by learning in public and helping others.
Are there particular resources out there you’d recommend to a new developer?
I’ve learned a lot from YouTubers like Theo and ThePrimeagen, and The Odin Project is a great resource for learning everything about becoming a full stack developer.
One additional recommendation is to find a learning path and stick with it, rather than bouncing around to a bunch of random things. Once you get the basics down, then you can start delving off into other areas.
Lastly, what do you do for fun outside of coding?
I play the guitar and listen to a lot of metal music. It’s a great way to unwind and express creativity outside of my tech interests.
Arjun, it’s been great talking to you! Your journey from computer science to law and back to computer science again, coupled with your contributions to open source, is genuinely inspiring. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Thank you for having me!