How I became the first Google DSC Lead from my college?

I am Ankita Ugale and currently leading a Google DSC on my campus for the year 2020–21.

Welcome, everyone!

Here, I will be sharing with you guys how I aced my Google DSC interviews and got selected as the first-ever Google DSC Lead from my campus.

Before starting I just want to tell you that getting selected as Google DSC Lead is not rocket science. Everyone who has the required skills can get a chance to lead the Google Developer Student Clubs.

And trust me, if you do get selected you will get once in a lifetime experience.

Now, as I am done with spreading some positivity and motivating you all let’s get started!

The last thing which I would like to mention before ACTUALLY starting is that if you are new to the concept of Google DSC, here is the blog What is Google DSC? How to become Google DSC Lead? where I have mentioned everything you need to know about Google Developer Student Clubs.

My experience with the Google DSC

• I used to attend the sessions taken by another Google DSC from Pune with some of my friends and from there I got the idea to start Google DSC on our own campus.
• But I didn’t know what to do? How to start our own DSC? But I really liked the environment, the enthusiasm the core team of DSC VIT Pune had at that time.
• And thankful, to my rescue Shreeya Deshpande, Google DSC Lead at VIT Pune at that time created a group and helped all the students who wanted to start their own DSC.
• Then came the application process and this is how I approached it
• First, I updated my GitHub and Linkedin profile with the latest things I was doing at that time.
• As I never knew the importance of the online presence I started using Linkedin more than Instagram and I was really scared about the technical profile so I also started to solve coding questions.

• Then, one of the important things Google asks from you guys is the video and at that time we had to record it of 1 min duration. I took reference from here. I am not sharing mine as the camera quality was not very good.
• In the video, you have to tell them why you are the best fit to be a Google DSC Lead in very minimal time. So, do that well and pour your heart out and be honest!
• Then! Then! Then! I received this mail

• As I was selected for the second round, which was the interview round, I was very happy and scared too because I didn't want to miss this opportunity.
• So, as a normal human being, I prepared a lottttt. I imagined my interview, questions my interviewer may ask, and then wrote down the answers for them beforehand.
• Also, I did a mock interview with my friend to check if I could do it properly, or rather I can say to check if my preparation was enough.
• Then came the interview day and this how it went:
• I still remember my interview was taken by Hanuj Tilwani and I joined 4 minutes early but he was present before me and my confidence went downhill because “ideally” I should have joined before him.

• Anyway, so my interview went really well for about 20 minutes in which mostly he questioned me about:

My management experience

My technical knowledge

Questions about the area of interest which I mentioned in my profile

He asked me to show him one of my projects which I have mentioned in the profile/application form.

Scenario-based questions

• At the end of the interview as he asked if I have any questions for him, I asked this:

How should I react when my team members make mistakes?

Tips you would like to give if I get selected as a Google DSC Lead.

• Then finally, that day came! I still remember the date {August 11th} and the time(at 5:26 pm). I was checking my social media and a mail popped up in my notification bar. As usual, I ignored it and then one message popped from the group Shreeya created saying “I got selected as a Google DSC lead”. My heart started beating very fast and I went to my Gmail and found this mail. I just read the “thrilled” and started dancing and screaming!!

• I was selected as a Google DSC Lead from my campus!!!!!! and it was the happiest moment for me!

Now, as I am done with my longggg story let’s get into some tips!

Tips that I think worked for me and might as well work for you:

1. Update your social media profiles
2. Be honest in your application as most of the questions are based on the answers given by you.
3. Check your interviewer’s background on Linkedin
4. If you are not comfortable with giving interviews, practice with your friends first.
5. Keep the questions ready to ask your interviewer at the end of the interview and don’t ask any random questions
6. Don’t overshow your experience and by this I clearly mean don’t lie to the interviewer
7. Keep your video short and sweet. Use a good-quality camera/phone to record the video.
8. Don’t doubt yourself and just go for it. You never know you might be the best Lead your campus can ever get.

This was it for my experience and tips.

You can connect with me here for any queries and questions and I would be more than happy to help you.

Thank you and all the best!