u/sys_exit_0

I want to hear from past contributors about the actual experience. What were your biggest takeaways, and how much did having GSoC on your resume actually help you land interviews or jobs later on?

Hey everyone, just wanted to share a quick win to hopefully motivate anyone feeling like they don't have the "right" background for tech.

​My background: I’m a Political Science grad who worked a standard non-tech office job for over 5 years. Honestly, my intro to coding was super random. I was just looking for a free alternative to Excel for work, stumbled onto LibreOffice, and playing around with it made me completely fall in love with how software works.

​About a year ago, I finally decided to sit down and seriously learn how to code.

​Well, I just found out I got selected for Google Summer of Code! I always used to hear people saying GSoC was basically reserved for IITians or students from top-tier engineering colleges. I'm literally living proof that isn't true. You don't need a fancy CS degree to get in.

​If you've been hesitating because of your background, just go for it. Once you decide you actually want to do something and put the time in, no one can stop you. Keep at it!