Not a side project, per say, but I answered questions on my local Linux User Group almost daily. After applying for a job and not hearing back, I got a request to come in for an interview weeks afterwards. Long story short, the boss told me he saw my responses on the mailing list and it turns out I knew more than the RHCEs and CCNAs walking into his interviews.
That landed me my first job ever in IT as a Junior NetEng and eventually a Linux SysAd.
I'd disagree with that. Community building is every bit as much work, and arguably often more impactful than just putting up yet another OSS repo on github.
That landed me my first job ever in IT as a Junior NetEng and eventually a Linux SysAd.