The Developer Community (DevComm) at C.H. Robinson hosts a variety of different knowledge sharing events and facilitates fun and informational interactions amongst developers.
Lunch & Learn Sessions
Presentations can be topic-based or team-based. Individuals are encouraged to come forward and present on any topic they are interested in, or feel like other developer colleagues would derive benefit from. Team members are recruited to give presentations about what their teams work on, how their team fits into the grander vision of IT at our company, as well as the how and why they choose to work with and utilize their chosen technologies and architectural stacks.
Along with acquiring awesome information about teams or topics, we provide a catered lunch from a variety of pizza places or other local restaurants. Who doesn’t want a free lunch?
Those who present are incentivized by receiving one of our highly coveted DevComm T-shirts. (See more about our annual T-shirt design contest as you read on…)
Why Be a Presenter?
Being a DevComm presenter does not only provide you with a cool T-shirt! It also provides new opportunities that you may not normally get in your day-to-day coding roles.
Presenters have the opportunity to:
- Get the chance to put together PowerPoint slides to supplement the talking points of your presentation.
- Work with graphics, and enhance your copywriting skills with clever and witty prose.
- Get past the common fear of public speaking (especially important for some of us introverted developers).
- Gain some level of celebrity amongst your colleagues and friends.
Audio/Video Recordings
Our Developer Community presentations are recorded and posted to our internal video site for use as refreshers, onboarding new employees, educating current employees, and other teaching opportunities.
T-Shirt Design Contest
The Developer Community annual T-shirt design contest is a fun way to show off your wittiness and graphic design capabilities. Design submissions are aggregated from any interested participants, and are voted upon by members of our Developer Community. the design with the most votes becomes that year’s T-shirt design to be offered to presenters and other people who contribute to the community.
Summertime Grill Out
Once a year, we pick a nice sunny summer day to fire up the grill and cook well-seasoned hamburgers and cheeseburgers (veggie burgers are also available). The last couple years the Developer Community Committee managed to make patties and grill burgers for around 100 hungry developers. Our annual grill out is a great opportunity to interact with colleagues and get in on some good food.
Happy Hours and Movie Nights
We are always looking for a good excuse to get together and do something fun. What’s better for morale and well-being with your fellow developers than getting together for a Happy Hour after work or taking in the newest Star Wars flick at a local movie theater? The Developer Community Committee is always open to great ideas for promoting social interaction amongst our friends and colleagues.
The Developer Community at C.H. Robinson is another great example of why our IT department at C.H. Robinson is one of the most fun and exciting places to work in the Twin Cities.