My Journey On Becoming A Google Developer Student Club (DSC) Lead

Hello, World! I am Anudit Verma, a Computer Science Graduate Student at California State University Long Beach. And today, I am very proud and excited to share my journey of becoming a Google Developer Student Club (DSC) Lead for 2020-21.

Also, I would like to mention that I am sharing my experience in the form of a blog. Blogs can be powerful things. They give even a small somebody like me a chance to speak with the entire world as an audience.

So before I dive into the nitty-gritty of my DSC experience, I wanted to share a few words of wisdom. It is from an individual who is just a speck in the Universe. Who wants to create a monumental impact in life, perhaps a dent in the Universe? But ours is a small world. You need to set a few things in life just about right to do so. But please don’t get worried if things are not going your way. The important part is that you should keep trying and keep going. I am not a philosopher. I believe you should create your philosophies. Why? Because your story is different. Although, there is one universal thing in life that you can do, Dream.

Now let us get back to the focal point. Without further ado, I shall let you read the rest of the blog.

I will put this verbatim from Google’s website, ‘‘Developer Student Clubs are university-based community groups for students interested in Google developer technologies. Students from all undergraduate or graduate programs with an interest in growing as a developer are welcome. By joining a DSC, students grow their knowledge in a peer-to-peer learning environment and build solutions for local businesses and their community.’’

Here is a short video presentation by Google Developers’ YouTube Channel explaining what Developer Student Clubs (DSC) program is about.

1. How It All Started?

On 10th June 2020, I received an invitation from the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Team to apply for Google DSC Program. But I wondered why I got the invite. Then I realized I had been mentoring participants from top North American hackathons in the Spring of 2020. I was helping student participants to deploy their software apps to utilize Google’s Cloud Computing Services on GCP. So this might be a way for Google’s Cloud Team to recognize me as an active GCP enthusiast and eventually send me an invite.

2. One-Minute Video Application, A Challenge In Itself

You got a minute to win it! It is the beauty of it. This part is somewhat challenging. You need to carefully plan what to include and what not to, remember? You only got a minute. In addition to this video application, there will be a Google Form that you need to submit. Google asks you about your prior leadership experience or community-building initiatives. Strictly speaking, this part is as equally important as your one-minute video application. So shine on! and submit an impressive entry. Speaking of entries, here is my one-minute video submission (it’s a little over a minute) for DSC Lead Application.

3. Shortlisted? Now Schedule An Interview

After one week after my submission, I received an email from Google with an update on my next step. The email included instructions to schedule an interview appointment with a DSC contact. I liked this step because Google gives you flexibility in booking an appointment. As far as I remember, the interview slots were available at almost all convenient times. You can schedule your interview the very next day or take even a month to schedule one. I was eager and excited to give my interview so without delaying it. I booked an appointment for the day after I received the email response.

4. Final Interview: The Ultimate Showdown

On 1st July 2020, I gave my last interview as a final step of the DSC Lead enrollment process. It was at 9:30 AM. My interview began with an exchange of pleasantries. My Interviewer was super nice and thoroughly explained the enrollment process, a few things about my role as a DSC Lead and what will happen next after the interview. Apologies, I cannot share the questions asked in the interview due to Google’s Privacy Policy. However, here is a list of topics that could help you prepare for your interview.

• You could be expecting all sorts of question-based about your prior experience with events and projects that you are proud of.

• Be ready to talk about your interest and passion for becoming a DSC Lead for your campus.

• You can also expect questions on your technical background and some questions on your relations with students and faculty.

5. What’s Next?

After giving your interview, you can wait patiently for the final result from Google. Just for the heads-up, wait times can be longer. You could expect somewhere between two weeks to even a month to get the response. In between, you could expect an update from DSC Program Manager about the follow-up and what to expect.

New Beginnings!

Finally! You made it! You have been accepted into the Google Developer Student Club Lead Program. And this is not the end but new beginnings. It is the moment you have been waiting for so cherish all you can. You will be a part of a team of Leads around the world who will help train student developers around campus and work with your local communities to solve real-life problems.

I am excited to be a part of such an altruistic initiative and could not be more thrilled to start a Google Developer Student Club at my campus, California State University Long Beach.

I would be glad even if you are just slightly moved or inspired by reading about my journey. I will highly encourage eligible students to look forward to Google Developer Student Club Program next year.

Please visit goo.gle/dsc-leads to read more about the program.

Thank you for reading.