Gaining Hands-On Experience to Stand Out in the Federal Market

Knowledge is important, but experience is what separates candidates in the Appian ecosystem. Fortunately, there are several ways to gain real-world exposure before your first contract or DoD role.

1. Appian Community Edition

Appian offers a free cloud environment where you can build, test, and publish your own applications. This is a perfect space to demonstrate your skills and create a personal portfolio.

2. Contribute to Open Projects

Join the Appian Community challenges and hackathons. Many government use cases — like workflow automation and digital forms — are replicated in these events, helping you simulate real DoD applications.

3. Shadow or Support a Current Project

If you’re working in IT or consulting, volunteer to support an internal process improvement initiative. Even small automation tasks can help you showcase tangible experience with workflow and process logic.

4. Build Your Own Demo

Create your own app that solves a real problem — such as tracking certifications, onboarding employees, or managing task approvals. These small projects make a big impression on recruiters and government hiring managers.