Penning down tips & tricks to crack the GDSC Lead application:
NB-The suggestions are based on what happened in 2023, so take them accordingly.
The application round
The application round is the first one that is available to everyone, & almost all the other blogs cover the aspects on it. Hence, going to specify some things to keep in mind while applying:
Do mention your community collaborations-whether you created resources for some community event, or volunteered in some, or were the speaker, do mention it. Community comes first here (which indirectly means leadership skills & experience to work as a team player while fostering the growth of other individuals around you) Bonus points are awarded if you mention working in google supported events (which means that you are aware of how the google developer community system works, & it will add a value to your application, especially if there are too many qualified people from your institution applying)
Even if you have a lot of achievements, be aware of who might be applying alongside you for the coveted position. Remember, being a GDSC Lead is a lucrative offer & there might be people who can frame their achievements & willingness to work for the cause more effectively than you- also, do not mention too much of your achievements- mention only the relevant ones (The reviewers have to sift through a lot of applications, they do not need to know everything that you achieved till the date you were writing that application). Generally, if your college folks give you less competition, you are more likely to ace it.
Know that there might be certain restrictions- Generally from what I have seen, freshmen are rarely selected. Additionally, if there was an existing GDSC in your campus which got disbanded recently (generally for breaching the terms & conditions for running the club), there is trouble impending for the next batch of students who might want to work in that club. It might even take you 2 attempts to crack it, just like me.
The Coding round
After Clearing the initial application round, I was invited to a coding round via email. It was a new round of the elimination process, newly introduced for the 2023-2024 session. I was in the first batch to experience this.
The round consisted of 2 parts- First was the part where they assessed the technical knowledge.
It consisted of basic questions from CSE & IT departments of Engineering (as told by my friends who, too, took the test) such as DBMS, Computer Networks, etc. Being from a non-CSE branch, I had no idea where the questions were going to be asked, but having attended quite a good number of tech meetups, I could answer a good chunk of them confidently. This round made me realise that even if the applicants are from a non-CSE branch, they needed to have at least, a basic knowledge of the said topics. This is to make sure that the people, who had sufficient proficiency, would sail forward.
There were instances of people having issues while trying to attempt the test, but I think that if they had mailed the respective authorities, they might have gotten another chance to redeem.
The interview
The interview round required me to schedule a call with one of the interviewers(none of us knew who would be there to interview us, but there are generally a team of people & not just a single person) to handle us. There are other blogs too, which elaborate on how the interviews are carried out but I am again, mentioning my own detailed experiences here.
From my previous stints at leadership positions at other ventures, I made sure that my audio, video, internet connections were okay before the interview started, & that I looked presentable enough to be considered as an interesting candidate, worthy to be interviewed lol. (presentation really matters)
Before scheduling an interview, if you suspect that you might encounter errors like faulty internet, make sure that you have an alternative/solution in your hand before scheduling it straightaway. There was only one chance of rescheduling the dates(mostly because of the volume of interviews they were doing)& I got the interview scheduling mail after the official dates for the interview was over-which clearly indicates the queue of people they have to assess.
Also, try to speak slowly & in a gentle way instead of rushing your answers in. The way you emphasize your answers & narrate also matters a lot, don't forget to drop a smile if needed-it would make the interviewer feel like there is an actual human being there, not a robot xD
pay attention to your posture; & if you think you might stammer/go blank, calm down a bit or inform your interviewer that you need some time to handle it. They know that you are a student, they will allocate you the required minutes.
Generally at the beginning of the interview, the interviewers introduce themselves too. If possible, listen to them properly & it would not be too difficult to break the ice.Be honest with your thoughts & ideas-but do not overdo stuff as they will know it(it will be more obvious to them that you are bluffing, if you do-they are qualified people duh)
Questions that I was asked-
- A basic introduction (yep, ain't skipping any part, being as detailed as possible to provide a smooth idea for the readers)
- Whether or not, there is an existing GDSC in your college. I am a founding lead, so I was asked some extra details for that. This info can differ if there is already an existing GDSC in your campus.
- What is OOPs? Name 4 google tech that you use on a daily basis.
- What is the difference between frontend & backend?
- name a project(could be a recent one, dont name too old projects), how did you build it, the objective of the project, & extensive details of the projects(if your project is interesting )
- How would you select your gdsc members if you were a lead?
- Suppose you were too ill to attend an event & you are the organiser. How would you ensure that the proceedings of the event aint harmed/ how would you manage the event in that setting?
- What is a GDSC? How did you come to know across it?
- What would you do if there are lesser volunteers to cater to your event? (understaffed situation)
- Were you in any leadership roles before? if yes, elaborate.
These were the questions asked to me, but I came to know that a lot of other applicants, especially from computer science domain branches, were grilled about their projects. So, be prepared to answer any question, from the aim to how you implemented the tech stacks to build it.
Some Research Work
before applying, make sure that you have gone through all the details- in every nook & cranny. Also, do not panic if there has been any delay in in sending out of the mails-extensions might occur internally-like, for eg, the interviews were conducted beyond the last declared dates for it. Just give it your best shot, you will certainly succeed in being a GDSC Lead.
if you want a part of this series, dedicated to my journey, Do give me a follow & drop some reviews on these. It would give me the motivation to write, eventually, even though I'm a professional procrastinator.
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