TO SUCCEED IN YOUR MISSION, YOU MUST HAVE SINGLE MINDED DEVOTION TO YOUR GOAL

- APJ ABDUL KALAM

Hi everyone, I am Sonali and this page talks about start of my journey with Outreachy. You can know more about me and why i applied at Outreachy May 2022 Cohort here. The believe in balance, happiness and inner harmony helped me pull it all together and i will always be grateful to Outreachy for this opportunity.

To have single minded devotion does not come easy when one has a struggling career and filled with self-doubt. To be treated differently at various occasions in life, I started doubting my capabilities.

Certain questions that crossed my mind :

  • Am I eligible as this is the first time i will contribute to open source ?

  • What if my application gets rejected ? Can I apply again for the next cycle ?

  • What if my application is selected but I fail to contribute ?

  • How will I ask for help ? Will that imply that I am not capable ?

  • And many more…..

Only way to find out : APPLY

So what is Outreachy ?

  • Opportunity to know and contribute to FOSS(Free and Open Source Software)

  • Chance to comeback after career break.

  • Not a mandatory requirement to know something in deep in the beginning itself.

  • Paid Paid Paid (Anyone who has watched JabWeMet movie can understand my sentiments here..)

  • Vast variety of projects open with all sorts of requirement starting from backend coding, testing, documentation, ui/ux dev and many more.

  • Happens twice a year [ Summer and Winter ].

  • Chance to meet the open source community.

And how does it work ?

  • Round 1 : Application Phase

  • Round 2 : Contribution Phase

  • Round 3 : Internship Phase

Application Phase :

The best part of filling the application was going through the Application Guide that Outreachy provided. This is a long guide so dedicate enough time to read the complete document.

How does this help me ?

  • I gained enough confidence to apply.

  • Understood the time commitment I was supposed to make.

  • Reached out to some alums via the list provided by Outreachy to gain better understanding.

  • Looked back and gave good thoughts at real instances in life which helped me write essays for application.

[Tip that worked for me : Stay honest to yourself and bring the same in application. Things will work out. ]

Got the much awaited mail in my inbox : "Your Outreachy initial application is approved"

Contribution Phase [Roughly 1 month duration] :

  • Go through project from the project list

  • Choose wisely depending upon availability and area of interest.

  • Select one or two, go through the requirements. They usually mention the experience level expected.

  • In a week, make a call on which one to proceed.

  • Contribute as much as possible for higher chances at selection.

  • Reach out to mentor for guidance.

  • Dedicate 4-5 hours to gain better understanding of project(I had to because i was not in touch wit the concepts).

  • Confirm from mentor the final project and it’s timeline for internship.

  • Most important : Make a plan, regular update and track progress.

  • The most important : Stick to the plan.

  • systemd : Project Selected.

What is systemd ?

  • system and service manager for Linux [Big Boss].

  • FOSS.

  • Written in C and organized via GitHub.

  • Clear and very well documented.

  • CODING STYLE is one of my favourite doc.

Got the final selection mail and could not be any happier to see my name [here](https://www.outreachy.org/alums/2022-05/).

Internship Phase [ 3 months duration ] :

  • Introduce yourself via blog.

  • Interact with other interns and organisers via chat.

  • Coordinate with mentor about tasks to be performed.

  • Fill the tax and bank details.

  • Get Started on Project.

  • My Project : Improve Suspend-Then-Hibernate functionality on Linux.

Final Words : So far, it has been going good. My 5 Pull Request have been merged in systemd in Contribution Phase. The feeling to see my name in systemd v251 open source contributor list is amazing. Outreachy focus in mainly on learning. And help us get acquainted to Remote Work culture. Thanks Outreachy for such opportunity! Thanks to my mentor : Luca Boccassi.