Developer Relations (DevRel) is an evolving, cross-functional field that blends software engineering, community building, content creation, and advocacy. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in DevRel, this page will help you understand the various job roles, required skills, and tips for getting started.
Developer relations isn’t a single job—it’s a broad field with multiple roles,
each requiring a different mix of technical and communication skills.
Understanding where you fit will help you target the right opportunities.
DevRel jobs are roles that focus on building relationships between a company and the developer community. These roles aim to improve product adoption, gather feedback, and grow a healthy, engaged developer ecosystem.
Focuses on speaking at conferences, writing blogs, creating demos, and gathering feedback from developers.Core skills: Public speaking, technical writing, coding, empathy, social media engagement.
Involves building and nurturing developer communities through online platforms, meetups, and community programs.Core skills: Communication, moderation, community platforms (Discord, Discourse, etc.), event management.
Centers on creating technical tutorials, videos, podcasts, documentation, and blogs that educate and inspire.Core skills: Writing, editing, scripting, SEO, video production, documentation tooling.
Works closely with product and engineering teams to improve SDKs, APIs, and developer tooling.Core skills: Software development, debugging, Git, API design, usability testing.
DevRel job titles are inconsistent. A Developer Advocate at one company might be focused on technical content, while another company expects heavy involvement in product feedback and engineering. Similarly, Community Managers might oversee everything from forum moderation to event planning—or be part of a marketing team with no developer engagement at all.This means you need to look beyond the job title and focus on what the company actually needs. Read job descriptions carefully, and if something is unclear, ask questions during the interview process.
🚀 How to Stand Out in a Competitive DevRel Job Market
Companies prefer to hire DevRel professionals with experience, so how do you get a job as a
beginner DevRel without any experience to your name? Demonstrate/show value before have the title, start acting like one before you are recognized as one.
Build in public – Share what you learn, build small projects, and publish your journey online.
Contribute to open source – A great way to showcase technical skills and community involvement.
Start speaking or writing – Create a blog, speak at meetups, or start a YouTube channel.
Follow DevRel leaders – Learn from experienced DevRel professionals on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube.
DevRel is not just a stepping stone—it’s a long-term career path. You can evolve from a generalist into a specialist or move into leadership roles such as:
Once you are done building your portfolio, it’s time to start applying. But where should you look?Referrals and personal contacts are used more often than traditional job boards in DevRel hiring. Some of the best ways to land opportunities includes:
Engaging with hiring managers and DevRel teams: Make comments on job posts, connect with people in the industry, and join discussions to increase your visibility.
Searching for job postings on LinkedIn: Many DevRel roles are posted on LinkedIn before they appear elsewhere. Set up job alerts, follow relevant companies, and apply early.
Joining industry Slack and Discord communities: Many DevRel communities, such as the DevRel Collective, have private job postings that never make it to job boards.Being a part of these communities gives you first hand access to jobs.
Talking to people already in DevRel: If there’s a company you’re interested in, connect with its DevRel team on X or LinkedIn and ask about their experience.
Attending DevRel events: Conferences like DevRelCon, as well as local meetups, are great places to meet hiring managers.
People who are already engaging with developer communities, even before they officially step into a DevRel role are often times priortized by hiring managers. so take advantage of that.
DevRel is as much about people as it is about technology. If you’re passionate about creating meaningful developer experiences, solving problems, and connecting communities, there’s a place for you in DevRel.