Someone asked me on Twitter/X: https://x.com/___thatboy_Sam/status/1862685714833428969
They asked:
How did I get selected for my @outreachy internship, and how the whole process works?
I came here as I want to avoid X and not to be limited by character count.
It is important to mention that Outreachy organizers are always hosting chats with mentors, current and past interns to share experiences and tips about that. Check their YouTube, and stay tuned to their Socials, they always share new events.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrLAI1zTsX5DSF9XTRhWhjPyPc-U-02CL&si=OXlGz6tn1HvJN2Uz
My own journey:
- application phase: be yourself, share your experiences and background. If you're not selected: review guidelines to understand whether you're not eligible, or this was just a temporary thing (e.g.: you're during school time, you won't get accepted, most likely, as you wouldn't have enough time);
Contribution phase:
- find a project AND community that match your style. I checked almost EVERY PROJECT available, picked 2 or 3 for the technical aspects and how I felt about the projects, and decided to move forward with the community with which I felt I could have meaningful interactions and contributions
- keep showing up, and be consistent within your possibilities. I was working full-time back then, so I would check e-mails or chats after work, and work on contributions mainly on weekends. But
- I tried to be present, help other participants, ask when I didn't understand something,
- learn and incorporate from feedback: when I got a PR review, I tried to analyze if what was being said applied to other parts of that work, and when I worked on other tasks, I also tried to remember the former feedback, to ensure I would be making new mistakes, not known ones
SUBMIT YOUR FINAL APPLICATION FORM.
- Throughout the contribution phase, I felt I wasn't doing enough, I felt dumb, I felt there would clearly be other and better participants. And maybe there were 😅 but if I had let these thoughts rule over me, I might have given up before the finish line, and that would mean closing the doors for the chance of being selected. As it was, thankfully I had a friend and partner who both kept telling me that I was doing the best I could, and I should give myself the opportunity to try, and I believed that I deserved at least a chance. And it worked <3
(I know that's not always the case, but I've heard from more than one intern that they felt they weren't doing enough -- and they got in).
- Be honest and personal with your answers to that form. ChatGPT or other tools may be useful for some things, but often they'll make all text look the same. It's harder for people to connect and see you through such texts, and it's harder to see the applicant through such answers. I don't know if my answers impacted in my selection, but what I do know is that at least I felt that I was being myself there, and, with that, I knew that if I got selected, I would be going to a place that wanted me for whom I am - which is better than most places around :P
Ok, that's a lot. I hope this helps some folks in their journeys.
#outreachyinternships #OutreachyJourneys
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