After graduation, I noticed many fresh grads struggling to land jobs. It wasn’t because they lacked effort or qualifications. The real issue was that what we learn in university doesn’t fully match what employers are looking for. Now, with the rise of AI coding and the increasing competitiveness of the tech job market, junior software engineers face even more obstacles.
A recent Harvard-backed study of 285,000 firms found that junior software engineering roles have declined by 23%, while senior roles have increased by 14%.
Part of the reason is that many graduates come out of university with similar academic results. A good CGPA matters, but on its own, it rarely shows employers how you will perform in a real work setting. At the same time, with AI boosting productivity, companies often see more value in pairing senior developers with AI tools than hiring juniors who still need time to adapt.
That is exactly why hackathons matter. They give students a chance to stand out by showing they can solve real problems, work with real technologies, and create solutions that add value beyond what AI can do. It is one of the clearest ways to build credibility and open doors in a market where traditional first jobs are getting harder to land.
I did not begin with a big international hackathon. My first hackathon was a small one on campus, and to be honest, I almost did not go. I had never built anything outside of class assignments, and I worried I would not be good enough. In the end I signed up anyway, even though I did not have a full team and had no idea what to expect.
That first experience showed me that hackathons are not about being an expert, they are about being willing to learn on the spot. I made mistakes, but I also picked up new skills and met people who were just as nervous and curious as I was. The point is that hackathons are meant for learning and experimenting, just like university, only here you get to do it in a setting closer to real-world. Realizing that took the pressure off and gave me the confidence to join bigger competitions later.
When my team “Sweetzerland” joined the Hilti IT Competition 2024 with support from my university, Asia Pacific University of Malaysia, it was not the usual hackathon. Instead of a weekend sprint, it lasted months. We had time to do research, design the system, build it out, and finally pitch it.
The process was tough, but it gave us real exposure that lectures rarely provide, and it opened doors I never expected. I even used it as the solution for my final year project, which later received the best project award during graduation.
Here’s why I believe every student should try participating in as many hackathons as possible during their college/university days.
Table Of Contents
You Meet People Who Care as Much as You Do
One of the best parts of hackathons is the people you meet. You are surrounded by others who are just as motivated to solve problems and willing to put in the effort to make their ideas work. Everyone brings their own strengths, whether it is coding, design, research, or pitching, and you quickly see how much energy and passion fills the room.
I remember in my previous hackathon, some teams were experimenting with VR while others used machine learning, all tackling the same theme in completely different ways. It was exciting to see how many different approaches people could bring to the same problem. And when the community is small, you often find similar participants in various hackathons.
That shared drive creates a special kind of connection. The people you brainstorm with at 2 a.m. or share a quick meal with between sessions often become friends, collaborators, or mentors long after the hackathon ends. It is not just about competing, it is about finding a community of people who are just as curious and committed as you are.
From Case Studies to Real Solutions
In university, most projects come with fictional case studies and guided hints. Hackathons are different. You are given a theme and have to figure out the real problem behind it, design a solution that actually fits how the company/industry works, and make sure it is viable to roll out with a clear return on investment. That shift from schoolwork to solving real-world issues changes the way you think.
Along the way, you also end up using industry standard tech stacks, solving problems under real constraints, and learning how to push past self-doubt. Imposter syndrome is common when you see so many great ideas around you. Our brain is built for survival, so it naturally reacts with fear when facing something new and uncertain. What helped me was reframing that fear, not as proof that I did not belong, but as proof I was stepping into a new territory. Breaking problems into smaller wins, asking questions openly, and remembering that even the most confident people in the same room will feel the same way made it easier to keep going. Over time, the progress you see in yourself becomes the best confidence boost of all.
Teamwork and Feedback
What surprised me most in a hackathon was how much the team dynamic mattered. I usually worked on the frontend or as a full stack developer, but I quickly learned that code alone would not carry the project. The real challenge was keeping research, design, coding, and slide preparation all moving in parallel. With limited time, you cannot afford to wait for one task to finish before starting another, so clear delegation and trust in each teammate’s role are critical.
A good teammate is not just skilled, but committed. The teams that thrived were the ones where people showed up consistently, shared ideas openly, and pushed through even when the energy dipped. In longer hackathons especially, perseverance mattered more than raw talent.
The feedback from mentors also changed how I thought about building solutions. In one hackathon, a mentor asked us, “What is the main feature in your solution?” That hit me, because we had built a system that did a bit of everything, but nothing stood out. After that, we focused on one main feature we had researched, the one we knew could create the biggest impact for the business. We spent most of our time refining that flow and only mentioned the smaller features briefly.
That lesson stuck. As software engineers, it is tempting to show how many features we can build, because our mindset is often stuck at “more features mean more skillful, which means a higher chance of winning.” That may work for school projects, but businesses care about ROI. They want to know if your solution is strong enough to justify the resources it would take to implement. Focusing on the feature with exponential upside not only made our pitch clearer, but it also shifted how I think about software engineering as a whole. It is not just about writing code, but about creating value that matters to businesses.
Opportunities and Growth
Hackathons open doors in ways you might not expect. When I started applying for jobs, having hackathon experience on my CV made it easier to stand out. Recruiters saw it as proof that I could solve problems under pressure and collaborate with others.
Some opportunities also come in unexpected forms. For me it was getting featured in The Star, Malaysia’s national newspaper, which showed me that hackathons can give you visibility and credibility beyond the competition itself.
Most importantly, hackathons shifted my mindset. After competing I found myself saying yes to more opportunities and pushing past my comfort zone. And once I did it, I kept doing it. Each step gave me more exposure and confidence, because the last time I did that, it gave me a life-changing experience. This has benefitted me in many ways once I started working. When we are young, we have time, energy, and fewer commitments. That is when growth can be exponential if we take risks with minimal downsides.
It’s Simply Fun
The most important point is that Hackathons are also fun. You meet people, you get swags, you grow your portfolio, you get cold hard cash, and sometimes you get to travel. And out of all the hackathons, for me it meant a trip to Switzerland, something I never imagined a student hackathon would bring. And I wouldn’t change a thing if I was given them same choice again.
Where to Find Hackathons
If you’re ready to try one, here are some platforms that regularly host student-friendly hackathons:
Major League Hacking (MLH): Global student hackathons, both online and in-person.
Devfolio: A hub for hackathons in AI, Web3, fintech, and more.
Devpost: Popular for online hackathons with international participation.
Hackathon.com: A global directory of upcoming events.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on hackathons run by universities, or by companies like Google and AWS. Sometimes they have student ambassadors who organize hackathons on campus, and many of these events are open globally. These can be great entry points to start building experience.
Final Thoughts
If you have never joined a hackathon, the question is simple, what do you have to lose? The answer is nothing. There are no downsides and only benefits. You gain skills, exposure, and experiences you will carry long after graduation.
Looking back, one regret I have is that I only joined a few during my four years of university. Even with the handful I did, the impact was huge. It makes me wonder how much more I could have learned and experienced if I had joined more. Every hackathon brings something new, it could be a lesson, a connection, or even an opportunity you never saw coming.
Don’t wait until you feel ready. Sign up, show up, and figure it out along the way. Your future self will thank you.