Even when working in closed source environments there is some open source project you will use. Liked it? Disliked it? Go to github, check their issue list. Mo

Even when working in closed source environments there is some open source project you will use. Liked it? Disliked it? Go to github, check their issue list. Most projects have beginner picks, grab one, solve it. Invest 30 minutes a week, and you'll have a solid, steady contribution showing on github. Contributing is often a matter of minutes, and should be driven by your needs. That helps a lot. I picked up Go and started contributing to Terraform providers because I use Terraform at work, and it's interesting. Side bonus, now I can fix all issues on my own and submit PRs to make them disappear for others. For info: it's not a time issue. I run my own company, I have children, I am single parenting, I exercise daily, and enjoy a few leisure activities.