Before getting started, I want to congratulate you for taken an exciting first step towards an immersive internship experience. This guide will equip you with the knowledge and best practices to navigate through all the stages of your outreachy internship journey.
What is Outreachy?
Outreachy is a paid, three-month remote internship program that takes place twice a year from May to August and December to March. Outreachy's goal is to provide people from underrepresented groups in tech with internships in open source and open science. Interns contribute to real-world projects, gain valuable experience, and become integral members of the open source community. Outreachy offers a rewarding internship experience, with interns receiving a $7,000 USD stipend upon successful completion of the program.
Eligibility Requirements for Outreachy Internships
While Outreachy welcomes applications from everyone, there are some eligibility requirements to ensure a successful internship experience.
Age: 18+
Time Commitment: 30 hours/week. No other internships or full-time jobs allowed (part-time jobs require approval).
Previous Internships: Not open to past Outreach Program for Women & Google Summer of Code participants, but only first-time Outreachy interns are eligible.
Student Status:
• Students: Must have 42 consecutive days free from school/exams during internship period.
• Non-Students: Can apply to any cohort (May-Aug or Dec-Mar).
• Hemisphere Students: Apply based on university location (Northern - May-Aug, Southern - Dec-Mar, Near Equator - case-by-case review).
• Graduating Students: Eligible for either cohort if final term exams end before internship start dates.
Preparing you for Outreachy
The journey to becoming an Outreachy intern is an exciting adventure! Let’s break down the three part to the Outreachy application process, revealing what to expect and equipping you with strategies for success.
1. Initial Application phase:
The initial application phase is the first step towards securing an internship with outreachy, during this period you will be asked primarily questions that require you writing an essay showcasing your passion for open source and commitment to diversity. Expect essay-type questions exploring your ideas on workplace inclusivity and current challenges faced in the field. Remember, your answers should demonstrate a genuine interest in learning and a true dedication to the Outreachy program. Here are some tips you may find useful:
• Start on time: Outreachy applications involves writing many essays. Make sure to start on time so as to give yourself enough time to think deeply about these essays. Making it as personal as possible as waiting till for few days to application deadline before writing your essays can be compared to shooting yourself on the foot.
• Tell your story: Whatever you do, keep in mind that these essays are the Organizer's only way to get to know you. Prepare your essay like you would prepare for an interview. Remember that no matter how good you are, this is your first and only chance to get into the program. Outreachy organizers aim to get to know you better through these essays, so make sure to tell a compelling and personal story. Why should they choose you over the many other persons who are applying? (think very much about this as much as possible).
• Meet the deadline: Finally, make sure to submit your essay before the deadline. It wouldn’t matter how wonderful your essay is, failure to submit your essay before the deadline destroys all your efforts towards the program
- Contribution Phase:
I am currently at this phase of my internship journey, here applicants dive into the world of open source contributions. This phase is your chance to shine! The quality of your work will be a major factor in determining your selection. For the contribution phase, you are expected to choose at least one project from the list of projects from different organizations to contribute to. Many potential interns get it wrong here. They spend so much time contributing to many projects at once, with the idea to increase their chances of getting selected. Instead, here is what I’d advise you do:
• Be thorough: While trying to select a project, take your time to go through the whole lists of projects to find the ones that matches your skillset. This can be hectic judging from my experience, but it’s of best practice to narrow your selection to at least one or two.
• Spend time understanding the project repository: Go through the project repository and get a feel for how everything is integrated, ask questions. There will be some standard conventions followed in any project, feel free to talk about them to foster understanding.
• Foster Collaboration over Competition: Always be on the lookout for opportunities to collaborate with others, have discussions, gracefully agree or disagree with proper reasoning. The goal is to engage in healthy and constructive discussions. In any open source environment, we are naturally measured by our ability to collaborate others which is key to completing tasks and achieving project goals.
• Understand why they need an intern: While contributing, keep this question in mind, what does this project want from me? The specific things a project wants from you will depend on the nature of the project and the type of contribution you're making. Think of the Project goals, Mentor Expectations, Commitment and Initiatives. By understanding these general expectations and tailoring them to the specific project, you can become a valuable asset to the open source community and potentially land that Outreachy internship.
3. Final Application Phase:
Once you've completed your contributions, don't forget to submit your final application! On your Outreachy applicant dashboard, you'll need to record the contributions you made during the contribution phase. This information, along with your commitment demonstrated through your efforts, will be reviewed by mentors who will then finalize their selections.
Remember, the Outreachy team and your project mentors are there to support you throughout your internship. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or require assistance.
By following these guidelines and actively engaging in the Outreachy experience, you're well on your way to a successful and enriching internship!
Here as some additional resources you may find useful
Additional Resources
• Outreachy website: https://www.outreachy.org/
• Outreachy intern handbook: https://www.outreachy.org/docs/applicant/
• Outreachy blog: https://www.outreachy.org/