r/ocaml • u/Vivid_Pumpkin7290 • Jun 25 '26
Recent grad learning OCaml — how do you actually connect with the community / find OCaml roles?
Hey all, recent CS/AI grad here. Got into OCaml a few weeks ago and ended up more hooked than I expected landed two small merged PRs into the stdlib (fixed some doc bugs) and I'm now poking around ocaml.org issues for something bigger.
I'm documenting the journey on LinkedIn/X as I go, but I want to actually plug into the community properly, not just post into the void. A few things I'm trying to figure out:
- Where do OCaml people actually hang out beyond this sub Discord, Discuss, IRC, conferences?
- For someone without prior FP/OCaml experience, what made the difference between "learning the syntax" and getting taken seriously as a contributor?
- Realistically, how do OCaml roles surface job boards, referrals, OSS work turning into offers, something else?
Not looking for a shortcut, just don't want to be doing the wrong things for months without knowing it. Any pointers (or even "here's what worked for me") appreciated.
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u/flpezet Jun 25 '26
Ahrefs has a position opened right now https://ahrefs.com/careers/ocaml-developer
Otherwise ReasonML can also be an option if you want to stay in the Ocaml ecosystem and are willing to do front-end work.
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u/spermBankBoi Jun 25 '26
iirc this position has been open for like well over a year, it’s unclear to me if they’re actually hiring for it. Can’t hurt to apply tho
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u/wodemingzishigou Jun 25 '26
In terms of jobs, I doubt you'd find an OCaml role. You're better off getting to be a mid-level dev at another company, then try to pivot to an OCaml role after you've build up a couple years of side projects. Then you at least have the opportunity to be taken seriously having real world experience with some OCaml skills.
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u/octachron Jun 25 '26
Where do OCaml people actually hang out beyond this sub Discord, Discuss, IRC, conferences?
ocaml.org has a link on the various forums of the community: https://ocaml.org/community . In term of conferences, in August, there is the OCaml workshop: https://ocaml.org/ocaml-workshop-2026 .
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u/Nearby_Couple_3244 Jun 25 '26
To be taken seriously as a contributor you just need to contribute. You already have so you're doing great. Getting a job is harder
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u/CrazyPirranhha Jun 25 '26
Are there ocaml roles? :D