How I Went from Self-Taught Coder to Mozilla Intern Through Outreachy

Two years ago, I made the bold decision to transition into software development. With a computer science degree but no professional experience, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I threw myself into online courses, tutorials, and building small projects to learn the essential skills of a modern web developer.

But as I started applying for entry-level and junior developer jobs, I kept hitting the same wall – most required professional experience that I simply didn‘t have yet. Disheartened but still determined, I continued expanding my skillset, hoping that the right opportunity would come along.

That‘s when I discovered Outreachy, a program that provides paid, remote internships in open source to people from underrepresented groups in tech. I decided to pour my heart into the application process, knowing it was a competitive long shot. Spoiler alert – it paid off, literally! I landed a dream internship working on the Firefox JavaScript debugger at Mozilla.

In this post, I‘ll share my journey through the Outreachy application process, my experience as an intern at Mozilla, and advice for other aspiring participants. I hope my story proves that with hard work, dedication, and a bit of luck, you can achieve what may seem impossible.

Understanding Outreachy: Supporting Diversity in Open Source

Outreachy is a non-profit organization that offers 3-month paid internships, twice per year, with free and open source software (FOSS) projects. Interns work remotely, receive a $5,500 USD stipend for the 3 months, and a $500 travel grant to attend conferences or events.

The program‘s goal is to support people from groups historically underrepresented in the technology industry, including women (cis and trans), trans men, non-binary people, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander, and/or people with disabilities. However, as of the May 2022 round, Outreachy opened up to applicants of all backgrounds.

During the internship, participants work full-time (40 hours per week) on their assigned project under the guidance of mentors. Major tech organizations like Mozilla, Wikimedia, Debian, Fedora and GNOME participate by sharing projects and mentoring interns.

According to Outreachy‘s 2021 annual report, they received 823 applicants across 71 countries, and awarded 69 internships with 25 FOSS communities. The acceptance rate was roughly 8.4%, illustrating the competitive nature of the program.

My Outreachy Application Journey

The Outreachy application process has a few key stages:

1. Initial Application

The first step is filling out an initial application that collects basic demographic information, your educational and work experience, and confirming you can commit to the full-time, 40 hours per week internship schedule if selected. Outreachy organizers review these to determine if you meet their eligibility criteria.

I was honest about my self-taught coding journey, limited professional experience, and genuine enthusiasm to learn. Much to my delight, I made it through to the next round to start exploring projects and contributing.

2. Project Selection & Contributing

In this crucial phase, approved initial applicants explore the list of participating projects, select ones that match their skills and interests, and start making open source contributions to them. Project mentors evaluate your contributions to gauge if you would be a good fit for the full internship.

As an aspiring full-stack web developer with a budding interest in React, I was immediately drawn to the Firefox debugger project with Mozilla. It involved working on the Firefox DevTools, using modern technologies like React, Redux, and Webpack. It seemed challenging but achievable for my skill level.

I spent a good amount of time studying the debugger‘s architecture, building the project locally, and understanding the contribution guidelines. The mentors were welcoming to my questions and eager to help me get up to speed. I started tackling some ‘good first issues‘ to get my feet wet:

• Relocating tests to match file structure
• Separating preview popup state logic
• Migrating Accessible component to TypeScript

My first pull request was nerve-wracking but the thrill of getting it approved and merged was incredible! I kept up my momentum, submitting PRs almost daily, and racked up 6 contributions before the final application deadline. But I didn‘t stop there…

3. Final Application

At this point, you formally apply to the specific projects you‘ve been contributing to. I poured my heart into my application essays, linking my passion for the open web with Mozilla‘s mission, and sharing my excitement to learn from the talented engineers there.

After submitting my final application, I kept the momentum going, fixing more bugs and adding small enhancements to the debugger. By the time decisions were announced, I had 10 merged PRs to my name. I wanted to demonstrate my dedication and ability to keep delivering if selected.

The Ultimate Reward: Acceptance & Perks

Finally the day I had been simultaneously awaiting and dreading arrived – decision time. I held my breath and opened the email to discover that I was accepted into the Mozilla Firefox Debugger project! I literally jumped for joy and fought back tears of relief and happiness. The many late nights and weekends I had poured into this process had actually paid off.

As if the opportunity itself wasn‘t enough of a reward, Mozilla provides some incredible perks to its Outreachy interns. First, they sent me a brand new, specced-out MacBook Pro to use during my internship and keep afterwards. As someone who had been coding on a battered old PC, this was a dream come true!

Additionally, Mozilla invited me to their upcoming All Hands conference, flying me out to meet my mentor and colleagues in person. For a remote worker, the opportunity to connect face to face was priceless. Lastly, I received an official @mozilla.com email address – a serious badge of honor in the open source world.

Advice for Aspiring Outreachy Applicants

If you‘re considering throwing your hat into the Outreachy ring, here are my top tips:

Find your niche. Identify your strongest coding skills and focus on projects that align with them. Trying to learn a brand new tech stack while juggling contributions and applications is challenging. Optimize for projects where you can make a meaningful impact quickly.

Start early, contribute often. Don‘t underestimate how long the contribution period is and how many PRs you should aim for. The earlier you start, the more you can prove your knowledge and commitment to your target project‘s mentors. Treat it like a real job!

Communicate, communicate, communicate! Don‘t be afraid to ask mentors and project maintainers questions, provide status updates, and overall engage with the community. Your technical contributions are important but so are your soft skills and ability to work with the team.

Treat the experience as its own reward. Yes, the stipend, laptop, and conference invites are all amazing perks! But the true value of Outreachy is the opportunity to build in-demand skills, expand your network in the FOSS world, and prove to yourself that you can do it. Focus on maximizing the learning and growth.

Embrace iteration. Very few Outreachy applicants get selected on their first try. If you don‘t succeed this round, treat it as a learning experience and opportunity to keep building your portfolio. Seek feedback from mentors and keep those connections warm for future rounds.

The Lasting Impact of Outreachy

Ultimately, my Outreachy internship became a launching pad for my career in ways I never could have imagined. I gained invaluable experience in full-stack web development, working on a complex, real-world codebase with a team of world-class engineers. My mentor became a champion for me, connecting me to opportunities even after my internship ended.

But beyond the technical skills and career doors it opened, Outreachy gave me something even more profound – confidence. Confidence in my abilities as a developer, in my resilience to tackle hard challenges, and in the power of betting on myself.

As a career changer and self-taught programmer, I had often doubted if I truly belonged in this field. But through Outreachy, I proved to myself that my passion, aptitude, and effort were enough to earn my spot. And that‘s a lesson I‘ll carry with me no matter where my career takes me.

To all the aspiring Outreachy applicants out there – you belong in tech, and this program could be your foot in the door. Pour your heart into the process, but remember that ultimately, investing in yourself and your skills is the greatest reward. I‘m rooting for you!