From Googling about communities to becoming the Google Developer Student Club Founding Lead of my college. I have had constant support from all my batchmates, mentors, and my campus.

I would try to wrap both my journey and key takeaways for anyone stumbling to my blog to push through their journey. Mainly this would be a Thank you to all my friends and mentors who guided me in my path from application till these 6 months of being the Lead...

My journey from attending Meetups to Selection

Stumbling around Twitter, LinkedIn, and various WhatsApp groups, I started attending the meetups. These meetups brought me across the different scenarios of the market trends and crazy bunch of techies.

The way these DevRels and industrial experts delivered their knowledge just overwhelmed me a lot. This kept pushing me to learn about something substantial and try to bridge me from the audience to the stage. Although being on the path to the final year of my Bachelor's made me believe that it would start when I graduate, not in my Alma Mater itself.

Story from Registration to Selection

One fine day (Yeah! It was literary one fine day), I was walking out of a Computer Lab and one of my batchmates SHAISHAV P. SURATI was guiding our juniors to fill out the form for GDSC Lead. He asked me out of the blue to fill it as well, looking at my previous experiences in managing mega fests of the college. I was not that hopeful and took it leisurely, but Shaishav was persistent and pushed me to fill out the form.

Many of us have that camera fear when filming ourselves. The GDSC Lead form requires us to make an introductory video about ourselves and how are we a perfect fit for becoming the Lead. Answering the 3 witty questions was enough for me, but I thought of giving the video a shot (yes, it took me 4 takes 😅).

After somewhat 2 months I was sent a test link for aptitude and personality test. It was just another test for me, tried to answer it with the inner will to be the lead. After a couple of weeks, I got an email asking me to schedule an interview with the program representative. The questions felt pretty straightforward and 3 years of college taught me enough how to face such questions and carry yourself up.

Then comes the day 16th July, 2023 when I received my mail of getting selected as the Lead of GDSC - Lalbhai Dalpatbhai College of Engineering Chapter. This mail popped up when I was least expecting it. So far my journey has been awesome with loads of experiences and learnings.

Key Takeaways for the Application Process

The application needs to be personalized and it needs to reflect you in the best form and sense. I will be sharing my agenda and experience, the way I thought and responded during the process

Answering the Question in Application

The questions encircled our motivation for becoming the Lead & experience in leadership and management. The answer for experience is pretty straightforward for everyone, as it marks their own journey in their respective courses and campuses.

The answer for experience should combine both, your past work and your willingness to learn more.

The answer to "motivation for becoming the Lead" must be creative and sharp. It must include something like what would be your Goal in your 12-month tenure or what you want your campus to learn and grow out of GDSC.

Scripting and Shooting the Introduction Video

No Rocket Science for the very least. Basic introduction of your experience and knowledge. Sass it up a bit with something unusual like Failures, Rockbottoms, Humungous Achievements, Vision, or anything.

I shared my vision for the club and one of my failures in mega events in the previous years of my college. (Just part of my journey)

Technical & Personality Test

The technical test comprised 10 - 15 aptitude and technical questions. These questions are pretty easy if one is clear with the basics of mathematics and core subjects of Computer Science.

My hack for the personality test was answering the scenario-based questions as if I were the Lead of the community. Maybe this was the hack that cracked open my way to the final interview of the selection process.

Online Interview

This is the round which is forwarded to only selected candidates from the previous assessments. I was required to book a slot for the interview in the given date frame by Advocu. The interview went around topics like general management scenarios, basic technical questions, various personality and time-management questions, and so on. The key to most interviews is staying confident and true to yourself, not bragging, and not trying to shadow the achievements as well.

Then came the day when I received the mail of getting selected as the Community Lead for the Google Developer Student Club - Lalbhai Dalpatbhai College of Engineering chapter. That feeling is unmatched and it's pure happiness. And it feels overwhelming as I had not tried any extra effort add-ons for the selection process, just kept myself in the raw form as I have been.

Onboarding sessions and 6-month journey...

The onboarding sessions from the GDSC India program were just a once-in-a-lifetime experience things. Connecting to the batch of nearly 700+ Leads of 2023-24 across India and the program lead of GDSC India has been a nerve-racking experience. The unforgettable onboarding sessions were a whirlwind of experiences, motivations, and valuable assets including brand guides, insightful dashboard walkthroughs, and numerous other tracks.

Then it was just living up to the title that was given to me - forming a team, conducting Info sessions, Cloud Campaign by GDSC India, multiple events, and guidance meetups...

A special Thanks to my faculty mentor Professor Amita Shah, whose unwavering support, guidance, and trust in me made everything seem possible even in tough times in any events or workshops.

A Big Thank You to my family, friends, and mentor who kept trusting me not only during the application process but also in this journey of Leading the community...