How to Navigate the Outreachy Application Process

Outreachy application process is a very straightforward process when you have the right guidance. Whether you are a first-time applicant or reapplying, this guide will walk you through each step and provide helpful tips that will ensure a smooth application. So let's get started!

Introduction to Outreachy

Outreachy is a remote internship program that focuses on diversity and gives underrepresented groups in tech the opportunity to contribute to open-source projects for three months—and yes, it’s paid!

The Outreachy internship is open to everyone, whether you're an experienced open-source contributor or a first-timer exploring the space. There’s a place for you! Outreachy welcomes a diverse range of skills, including programming, research, UX design, documentation, graphic design, data science, marketing, user advocacy, event planning, and more. Interns receive guidance from experienced mentors across various open-source communities, ensuring support and learning throughout the program.

Who are the Underrepresented Groups?

If you are unsure what underrepresented groups are, here is a short definition along with some examples;

An underrepresented group refers to a smaller portion of people in a specific field compared to their presence in the overall population in that field. In tech, these can include people from marginalized backgrounds based on factors such as; age, body size, caste, disabilities, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, socio-economic status, gender identity and expression, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, sexual identity and orientation and more. You can read more about underrepresented groups here.

When does Outreachy Open for Applications?

Outreachy runs two cohorts each year. The first application cycle typically begins in early February, while the second starts in late August. You can find more details about the application schedule here.

Outreachy Application Stages

The Outreachy application is in 3 stages

• Initial application stage

• Contribution stage

• Internship stage

Initial Application Stage

The initial application stage is the first step for the Outreachy application process. Steps to complete this include;

Account Creation: Create an account on their website. This is because the application form would be filled out there. I highly recommend following them on one or more social media platforms to keep you updated, from when the initial application form is out to when the contribution phase has started. Here is a link to their X handle

Go through Outreachy Resource: After creating your account, you can check out this documentation that will help you familiarize yourself with the initial application process before it even begins.
You can also check out their YouTube channel to get familiar with what they do and who they are.

Initial Application Form: As soon as the application form is released, submit yours promptly. Early application is crucial, as thousands of candidates worldwide apply for this internship. Applying early increases your chances of advancing to the contribution stage.

To ensure a smooth and timely submission, it's best to prepare in advance. Here are a few things you should have in place before the application form is released:

1. Time Commitment: Assess your availability, as Outreachy requires a significant time commitment during the contribution and internship phase. If you have a job or are in school, it may impact the hours you can dedicate to the internship. This is why Outreachy asks about your availability in the initial application—to ensure you can fully commit to the program.

2. Essays: Outreachy would require you to share your experiences about facing underrepresentation in tech in your country or region. One thing you can do to stand out here is to share personal experiences and also include statistics (if available). Someone wrote about this on their blog a while back, it might be helpful to you.

   Here is a template I used;

   • Define the problem

   • Mention relevant statistics

   • Introduce a personal connection to the topic

   • Highlight the factor that makes you underrepresented

   • Share an experience

   • Explain how these experiences affected your confidence, opportunities or growth.

Note the essays should not be more than 1000 characters.

3. Application Submission: Once you have successfully filled out and submitted your application, the next step is to wait for the announcement of the contribution phase. This is why following Outreachy on social media is important to stay updated on key dates and announcements.

   In preparation for the contribution stage, you can go through this video on YouTube Contribution to Outreachy to know what to expect.

Contribution Stage

The next stage after the application is the contribution phase. Unfortunately, not everyone who applies will be selected for this stage. If you weren’t selected, don’t worry—you can always apply again in the next round. However, if you made it, congratulations! You’ve advanced to the next step, where you'll contribute to one or more projects over four weeks.

The following will guide you through the contribution stage;

Explore the Projects: To be able to view available projects, you would have to log into the Outreachy website, click on the “My Participation” button to check out projects

Now, I understand that looking through the list of projects might be overwhelming, especially if you are a first-time contributor, the project you wanted to work on was not listed this round (for returning contributors) or you do not see any projects with your skill set listed. If you fall under any of such categories, take very deep breaths and go through the projects one more time, you can come back to it at a later time but make sure to thoroughly read through the requirements of each project to see the one you are likely to pick.

As for those who might not see a project that matches their skill set, I would give you a personal experience and how I was able to navigate it.

As a UI/UX designer, I was a bit overwhlemed after I went through the projects for this round because there was little to no project that required UX or UI design contributions. After a day, I came back to the list and what helped me pick a project was a transferrable skill. As a UI/UX designer, at least once in my career journey I have been ask to draft a PRD, or to document my design process to help developers, stake holders and other people understand my design direction without being called up everytime to explain what I did. This skill is DOCUMENTATION and can be regarded as a transferrable skill. I am sure if you think hard enough you would find a skill you have that will be revelant to a project.

Choose a Project: Get a pen and paper and write down every skill you have, both hard skills and soft skills (if you are unsure what these skills are, you can read this to get a better understanding). Cross-check these skills with the skills required for a project. Now, you mustn’t have ALL the required skills, but you can have some and that is enough to get you started! You can learn more about it as you begin making contributions. With this, you can pick one project and start.

Join the Community: Every project has its means of communication, so make sure to join the platform (it would be specified in the list of instructions for that project). During these 4 weeks, you would work alongside other contributors and the mentor assigned to the project you are working on. Introduce yourself and get familiar with the community, adhere to the rules and regulations, and help other people who might be stuck during their onboarding process.

Make Contributions: Follow the instructions and start making your contributions. To record your contribution, go to the project page and click on the “Record contribution and apply to this project” button, this takes you to a page where you click on the “Record a contribution” button. You can go ahead and record as many contributions as you’ve made.

Note: Make sure your mentor approves your contribution before recording it on the outreachy platform.

Final Application: Close to the end of the contribution period, you will be asked to make your final application, some of the questions asked might need you to consult your mentor so take your time and avoid rushing to prevent mistakes.

Internship Period

After the contribution stage, mentors will select intern(s) for their projects based on their contributions. The internship period will then last for 3 months.

Conclusion

Don't overwhelm yourself—take it one step at a time. Support fellow contributors, ask the right questions, and focus on learning quickly. Start making contributions as early as possible, and most importantly, be visible. Engage actively in the community by answering questions, sharing useful resources, and participating in discussions.

Wishing you the best of luck with your application. Bye for now! 😊