Navigating the world of open source isn’t easy. If you’re new, it can feel intimidating. Huge codebases, legacy systems, technical jargon and people who seem way more experienced than you. For a long time, I wasn’t sure how to step in.
That’s precisely where programs like Outreachy shine. It offers a three-month, paid, remote internship that provides a structured entry point into open source. Designed to support people from under-represented groups in tech, interns work with mentors on real projects in communities like Wikimedia, Mozilla, Linux and many more.
My name is Adiba Anjum and I was fortunate enough to be an Outreachy intern in the 2025 mid-year cohort for Wikimedia. Looking back, the program did more than just boost my technical skills, it built my confidence and taught me how to truly collaborate in open source spaces. When I was applying, I had to piece together fragmented advice from countless blogs and articles plus a lot of people have been reaching out to me for advice about applying to outreachy so this guide is my attempt to create a comprehensive, practical, and personal roadmap.
Eligibility Criteria
The official Outreachy applicant guide has the full rules, but I want to highlight the things that matter most from a personal viewpoint:
- Beginners are Welcome: You absolutely don’t need to be an expert. If you know the fundamentals and are committed to learning, you should apply. I lacked significant professional experience, but my dedication to learn worked in my favor.
- Students Must Be Free: This is the big hurdle where many applicants get stuck. You must prove (via a link to your official academic calendar) that you’ll have at least 42 days off from classes and exams during the internship. Double-check this requirement!
- Make sure you apply for the correct cohort: Different people have different cohorts they can apply for, cross check this properly.
Prep Work: Before Applications Even Open
I followed the following things that eased the process of looking for organisations during the actual internship process. Here’s my advice for getting a head start:
- Study Past Organizations: Outreachy archives past projects, so go through the last 4–5 years. Many organizations return regularly.
- Spot the Patterns: Look for the type of projects they bring and the skills they commonly require. For instance, Wikimedia often involves JavaScript and Python, while Linux Kernel usually requires C language.
- Choose 2–3 Organizations: Focus your initial prep on these few. This gives you direction instead of feeling lost when the new project list is released.
- Brush Up Your Skills: If your target organizations often use Python and Git, start practicing those skills now.
- Optional: Observe Channels: You can join open chats or mailing lists early to simply observe the community dynamics. I didn’t do this until much later, so it’s not mandatory, but it can help you feel more comfortable.
The Initial Application
This stage filters out lots of applicants and causes the most anxiety. The application is quite long and cannot be saved mid-way. You get one shot, so have a stable connection and all documents ready.
While the official guide details the documents and essay questions, here are my personal pointers:
- Draft Everything in Advance: Prepare your essays in a separate document before the portal opens and get it proofread multiple times.
- Authenticity Beats Hype: Be realistic about your struggles. You don’t need to exaggerate, authenticity matters more than sensationalizing.
- Tell Personal Stories (with Context): Use personal anecdotes and where possible, include statistics to back up your claims. Reviewers may be from different cultures, so you must clearly spell out your context and community struggles; don’t assume they understand.
- Be Early: Submit as soon as applications open. Outreachy receives thousands of applications and late submissions may not even be read.
- Stay Humble: They are looking for genuine voices, not “perfect” essays.
The Contribution Period
Once accepted, you move into the contribution period, the core of your application. You finally see the project list, choose your community and start making real contributions.
Choosing a Project
The list can be overwhelming, with dozens of communities and different tech stacks. Navigate it this way:
- Follow Your Interest: Pick a project you’d genuinely enjoy working on for three months, not just one that “sounds impressive”.
- Be Strategic with Skills: The logical route is to choose a project matching skills you already have. Even hitting 50–60% of the required skills is usually enough; you can learn the rest.
- Assess the Mentor Vibe: Look at how welcoming and responsive mentors are. This matters more than a fancy tech stack.
- Limit Your Focus: Concentrate on 1-2 projects. Applying to too many spreads you too thin.
- Don’t Chase Numbers: Bigger organizations might take more interns but smaller communities often offer more focused mentorship.
My Story: I chose Cat-a-lot JavaScript Gadget Development with Wikimedia Commons because I liked JavaScript and UI/UX, also Wikimedia’s mission resonated with me. I was also reassured that they were a stable choice, having returned in many past rounds. I initially completed one microtask on a crowded project inside wikimedia itself but quickly shifted my focus entirely to the project I was selected for. I didn’t feel the need to contribute to any other project after that.
Making Contributions
This is where you show your work and attitude.
- Introduce Yourself: Mentors won’t reach out to you first. You need to connect, give a short description of your skills and show your enthusiasm.
- Start Early: Your first contribution can take 5-10 days, so start as soon as possible to allow time for review and revisions. Don’t wait more than a week to pick and start working on a project.
- Begin Small: Start with newcomer-friendly microtasks or documentation fixes. Each microtask completed counts as one contribution.
- Record Everything: Use the link on your project’s Outreachy page to record your work. You can update it anytime but only recorded contributions allow you to submit a final application.
- Ask for Help: Getting stuck is normal. If you’re blocked for a few hours, reach out to mentors. Start private, then go public if needed. Don’t be intimidated, mentors are there to guide you.
- Review and Revise: Feedback is a chance to improve, not criticism. Follow up, make revisions and work with your mentor until your contribution is ready. Allocate time for this iterative process.
- Quality over Quantity: A few solid contributions are much better than many rushed ones.
- Communicate Consistently: Silence is worse than being stuck. Share updates like “tried X, got stuck, moving to Y”.
- Collaborate, Don’t Compete: Your attitude is vital. Treat other community members as collaborators.
My Story: My first contribution was about documenting and automating the use of cat-a-lot on the testing platform for wikimedia commons, which felt like one of the easier micro tasks but it was a breakthrough. It helped me understand the codebase while contributing. Mentors want to see curiosity, persistence and willingness to learn, not perfection.
The Final Application
Once the contribution period ends, you must submit a final application for your chosen project. Remember, only applicants who have recorded at least one contribution can submit.
- Submit Early: Aim for at least a few days before the deadline . You can edit it until the deadline.
Your final application must include:
- Summary of Contributions: Highlight all your work during the period, including microtasks and pull requests.
- Past Experience: Describe prior involvement with this community (as a user and contributor) and any experience with other free software communities.
- Relevant Projects: Showcase personal, school or work projects that demonstrate the required skills. Include what you learned and links where possible.
- Proposed Timeline: Break your project into smaller tasks and milestones for the three months. Plan to share drafts and updates with mentors at least every two weeks. Crucially, consult your mentor before finalizing your timeline so they can help align it with the project.
A clear, well-organized final application shows that you understand the project, can plan ahead and are ready to collaborate.
The Waiting Period: Don’t Stop Now
This stage feels like limbo, you’ve done your part and now you’re waiting for the verdict.
My personal advice? Don’t stop contributing. Stay engaged:
- Keep working on microtasks you started.
- Pick up a new small task if you have time.
- Stay active in the community.
Why? Because this shows mentors that you genuinely care about the project and aren’t just chasing an internship. It reflects diligence and a long-term interest. For me, staying busy with contributions eased my anxiety and gave me visibility.
The Internship Experience
When the acceptance email lands it’s surreal, a mix of joy, relief and a little fear. Spoiler: you can pull it off.
- Onboarding: The initial community bonding week is often just a formality, if you’ve been closely involved, most people start working on their projects right away.
- Workflow: I did almost daily chat check-ins with my mentor to stay on track. I broke tasks into small chunks and sought feedback early.
- Blogging: You are required to write blogs about certain predefined topics. This is something that I really enjoyed and looked forward to.
- Time Management: Balancing Outreachy with college wasn’t easy. I blocked 5-6 hours daily for the internship and worked more rigorously on weekends to compensate for lost time. You are required to spend at least 30 hours per week.
- Challenges: I got stuck and made mistakes, asking questions I thought were “silly”. But my mentor guided me without any judgement and each moment was a lesson.
By the end, I have grown as a coder, a collaborator, and a communicator. More importantly, I gained the confidence that I belong in open source.
Final Advice
- Just apply: Don’t wait until you feel “experienced enough”.
- Focus on yourself: Don’t compare your contributions to others, everyone starts differently.
- Prioritize consistency, curiosity, and clear communication.
- The process is valuable: Even if you aren’t selected, your contributions are still valuable, and you can always try again. Many interns get in after multiple tries.
Helpful Resources
Conclusion
Outreachy fundamentally changed my career trajectory. It gave me confidence, mentorship, and proof that I belong in open source. If you’re considering applying, go for it. You don’t need to be perfect, you don’t need to know everything, you just need the courage to start.
And remember: whether you’re selected or not, the process itself will teach you skills, introduce you to open source communities and open doors you didn’t even know existed.
If you ever feel stuck throughout this process and need guidance, then feel free to reach out to me via linkedIn. 🌸
Until next time,
Adiba 😀
