Image of MLH Batch 1 Fellows

Being a Major League Hacking (MLH) Fellow was an exciting experience. I met awesome people from different parts of the world and learned new skills (technical and soft skills). I write this article to share few tips that helped me during the application process and I hope these tips will help you too.

Application

This is the first phase of the process and it is really important. It is important because if you don’t pass the application phase, you won’t get to the interview phase.

It is important to to note that the MLH Fellowship has three different programs : Open Source, Explorer and Externship. You need to be sure about the program that you want to apply for in order to tailor your application to suit the requirements of the program.

I don’t have sufficient information about the Externship program so I will only share tips for the Open Source and Explorer programs.

You can learn about the different programs here.

Application tips

1. Be intentional about your essay. Make sure that you communicate your passion for technology and open source by providing relevant examples e.g extra-curricular activities that you have engaged in.
2. You will be asked to submit a project that you have worked on. This project can be team-based or personal. If you’re going to submit a team-based project, make sure that it is a project you really contributed to (maybe you worked on a really important feature). Make sure that you are very familiar with the project and you can discuss it in detail because this project will be used during your code conversation interview. The project should have a GitHub repository.
3. If you are applying for the Open Source Fellowship, take note of the languages listed in the application form. The projects that will be available for open source contribution will most likely be in those languages. Make sure that you are skilled in at least one of the languages listed.
4. You can choose to be a part-time or a full-time fellow. Make sure you choose the one that suits your schedule.
5. Be intentional about your essay. I write this again because the essay is really important. Please give it your best shot.

Phone Screen Interview

If your application is successful, you will be invited for a phone screen interview.

During the interview, you will be evaluated on the following:

1. Eligibility: Do you meet the criteria for the program & understand the commitment?
2. Passion: Why do you want to become an MLH Fellow and what will you bring to the batch?
3. Communication Skills: Will you be able to successfully collaborate with other fellows?
4. A/V Setup: Do you have a remote environment that will allow you to successfully participate?
5. Professionalism: Did you show up on time and demonstrate a high level of professionalism?

Phone Screen Interview tips

1. Show up early for your interview
2. Make sure you are in a quiet environment with good lighting
3. Display your passion for technology. When you are asked, talk about the projects that you have worked on and the extra-curricular activities that you have participated in.
4. Display your ability to work in a team when you can. They also want to find out if you can successfully collaborate with other people.
5. I recommend the STAR technique when answering questions. Learn about it here.
6. Have a good internet connection.

Code Conversation Interview

If your phone screen interview is successful, you will be invited for a code conversation interview. During this interview, you will be asked to share your screen and work your interviewer through the project that you submitted during the application phase. The project should have a GitHub repository.

During the interview, you will be evaluated on the following:

1. Technical Proficiency: Do you have a proficient understanding of the language you used
2. Learning Potential: Do you respond well to feedback and have an aptitude for learning?
3. Communication Skills: Will you be able to successfully collaborate with other fellows?
4. A/V Setup: Do you have a remote environment that will allow you to successfully participate?
5. Professionalism: Did you show up on time and demonstrate a high level of professionalism?

Code Conversation Interview tips

1. Study your project on GitHub before the interview. Be familiar with the classes, functions, packages, etc in your source code. You will be asked questions and you do not want to be clueless about a code that you wrote. That may be a red flag.
2. Learn how to communicate effectively before the interview. You can practice this through mock interview sessions with friends, mentors, etc.
3. Make sure you are in a quiet environment with good lighting.
4. Make sure that the ReadMe of your repository is detailed. Learn about writing a good ReadMe here.
5. Have a good internet connection.

Acceptance Email

If your code conversation interview is successful, then you will receive an acceptance email. Congratulations! I hope you get to this phase! :)

Summary of my experience as an MLH explorer fellow

It was truly an amazing experience. I applied to be a part-time explorer fellow. I wanted to work on projects and build my portfolio so I figured that the explorer fellowship would be perfect for me at that time.

The explorer fellowship is different from the open source fellowship. During the explorer fellowship, I participated in themed hackathons. Each hackathon had its own theme and fellows had to come up with a project based on the theme for that hackathon.

Each Fellow had a pod. Pods are groups and each pod had a pod leader. My podmates and I had two meetings every week with our pod leader. During the meetings, we talked about what we worked on during the week, play games, demo our projects, give feedback on projects, discuss challenges, etc.

I worked on awesome projects during the fellowship. You can check them out here.

I made new friends and learned how to work in a diverse team. I also learned about time management because most times, my teammates and I were in different time zones.

I wish you the best and I hope that you get into the fellowship. It is an awesome experience.