Unleash Your Potential: My Experience as GDSC Lead and Why You Should Apply to Become One
If you have been looking for an opportunity to improve your leadership skills, get more involved in Computer Science communities or even have fun while learning new and interesting stuff, then look no further — I have an irresistible opportunity just for you!
In this blog post, I aim to share my personal experience as a GDSC Lead, shedding light on a journey of growth, learning, and community building that awaits those interested in taking on this role.
About Me
Hi, my name is Houssem and I am soon-to-be a software engineer graduating from Université Paris-Saclay.
I enjoy building things and solving problems (repairing your printer doesn’t count). I also like to hike and sometimes I enjoy beekeeping (minus the stings). I held different roles so far, from software engineering at Amazon to fintech, currently at Murex. My love for technology and my passion for community building led me to become the GDSC Lead at my university for the past 2 years.
So, what are Google Developer Student Clubs?
I believe the official description from the GDSC website sums it up pretty well:
Google Developer Student Clubs are university based community groups for students interested in Google developer technologies … By joining a GDSC, students grow their knowledge in a peer-to-peer learning environment and build solutions for local businesses and their community.
In other words, GDSCs are student-led communities that aim to bring together students interested in Google technologies and provide them with the resources and opportunities to learn, grow and connect with other like-minded students.
What is the role of a GDSC Lead?
The GDSC Lead is the person in charge of the GDSC at their university. They are responsible for building and managing a core team, managing the club’s budget, and most importantly, building a community of students passionate about technology and eager to thrive together.
As a GDSC Lead, you also get to plan various events and workshops that cater to the interests of your fellow students with the help of your core team. You can organize coding competitions, invite industry experts for tech talks, and explore creative ways to make learning fun and engaging.
Your impact as a GDSC Lead extends beyond your term, leaving a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire and benefit future generations of aspiring developers.
What’s in it for you?
While the GDSC Lead role is a volunteer position, it comes with a plethora of benefits that make it a truly rewarding experience. Here are some of the benefits that I personally found most valuable:
1. The Experience
For the past 2 years, I took on various responsibilities that helped me develop essential skills and navigate through challenges. One of my primary roles was organizing events that catered to the interests and needs of our student community. This involved everything from conceptualizing and securing guest speakers to coordinating logistics and ensuring smooth execution. Such experiences helped me develop my project management skills and taught me how to create and execute plans effectively, how to set goals, create timelines, and meet deadlines, which is something I still benefit from today.
Another crucial aspect of my role as a GDSC Lead was managing a team of passionate individuals who shared the common goal of promoting technology initiatives. I had the opportunity to recruit a core team. We shared common values and complemented each other’s strengths. This experience taught me the importance of effective communication, collaboration, and delegation, which are skills that deserve a separate post of their own due to their importance (stay tuned!).
Not to forget that while leading my chapter, I encountered various challenges, one of which was navigating the bureaucratic hurdles of starting a club from scratch. Although it was a daunting task, it taught me the importance of adaptability and persistence. Overcoming these challenges required a proactive approach, building relationships with university administration, and effectively communicating the value and impact of our club.
2. The Community
2.1. Other Leads and Community Members
The GDSC community is truly one of a kind. It is a global community of like-minded leaders and talented individuals who are passionate about making a difference in their communities. As a Lead, you will have the opportunity to connect with other GDSC Leads from all around the world, share ideas, and learn from each other through exclusive networking events and workshops organized by the Google Developer Student Club program’s global team.
You will also have the opportunity to connect with other GDSC Leads from your region and collaborate on various initiatives together. For example, I had the opportunity to collaborate with other GDSC Leads from France to organize an event about machine learning and AI. It was great to work with other leads and unite communities and talents from different universities.
2.2. The GDSC Program Bureau
While there are also multiple programs out there for student communities, after first-hand experience I’d say what sets GDSC apart from the rest is the overall organization of the program. I have taken part in other programs before (such as Enactus, IEEE and more) and frankly it’s a whole different league.
The GDSC program is well-structured and organized, with a clear vision and mission. You won’t feel alone in this journey, especially at the beginning (who would have thought that starting a club from scratch would be so hard, right?). They will provide all the necessary support (funding, documentation, learning resources, etc.) to help you get started and make the most out of your experience.
It’s also worth mentioning the sheer effort and dedication that goes into organizing global and regional events for the leads. There is always something going on, whether it’s a workshop, a networking event, or a competition. So you will always have something to look forward to and be excited about.
Personally I had the pleasure of meeting some of the most amazing people through the GDSC program, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made this experience so special for me, namely: @Angelika Zaucha and @Natalia Stones who were always there to help and answer any questions.
3. The Impact on Local Communities
Community building is at the heart of your role as a GDSC Lead. By creating a supportive and inclusive environment, I encouraged collaboration and knowledge sharing among students. I witnessed the growth and development of my fellow students as they embraced their passion for technology and took on new challenges. The impact extended beyond technical skills, as the community became a hub for personal growth, professional development, and lifelong friendships. Being a part of this transformation and witnessing the positive influence it had on individuals within the community is truly fulfilling.
There are also multiple global and regional initiatives that you can take part in as a GDSC Lead to make a positive impact on your community namely the Solution Challenge, and the GDSC Europe Ideathon, which is a week-long contest where teams have to use their creativity and tech skills to design the architecture of a scalable application, tackling one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Our team actually ended up winning the Ideathon for this year!!
4. Bonus: Other Perks
4.1. VIP Access to Events
As a lead you will also get exclusive access to other Google events which are really fun. This year for example, we were invited to the Google Developers Community Summit in Paris, a 2-day event with paid accommodation and travel expenses. It was a great opportunity to meet other leads and actors in the tech industry! I also had the opportunity to organize one of the workshops during the summit along with my fellow lead @Luc Mahoux which was a great experience.
I also had the incredible honor of being invited to the Google I/O Connect event in Amsterdam. It was an unforgettable experience, bringing together over 1000 members of the Google Developers community from across EMEA. I cannot stress how well the event was organized and how much fun we had over the course of 2 days. The conferences featured multiple workshops, talks, and networking events and the venue was absolutely stunning.
I also got the chance to finally meet some of the people I have been working with for the past 2 years in person. A heartfelt shout-out to the incredible @Laura Cincera!
Moreover, I had the opportunity to be a panelist at the GDSC Meetup event, where I got to reflect on my experience with other fellow leads and share my insights about the journey.
And of course in true Google fashion, food and drinks were provided throughout the event, with a range of options for everyone including vegetarians and vegans.
4.2. Swag
Yep, you get free, high-quality swag. Who doesn’t like that? My favorite were this year’s T-Shirts which I wear to almost every tech-conference I attend. Actually, I am wearing one right now as I am writing this post.
Testimonials
If my personal experience wasn’t enough to convince you, here are some epic testimonials I gathered from other GDSC Leads:
Being a GDSC Lead has been an incredible community experience. It has provided me with the opportunity to not only build and contribute to an amazing community but also connect with other passionate individuals while exploring exciting new technologies. The role has opened doors to unique opportunities that I wouldn’t have had access to elsewhere
— Luc Mahoux, GDSC EPITA Lead.I’ve been selected as a GDSC lead in 2020 and I became the very first GDSC lead in Belgium! This was a huge pleasure for me and an amazing experience followed. During my one year commitment, my contact network tripled, in quantity and quality. I had the opportunity to attend amazing events, to get some swags hehe 😎. Since I was also in charge of contacting speakers for our events, I’ve improved my English and now I am able to host an entire event in English!
— Thierry Njike, GDG Mons Organizer.
I hope this post was helpful and gave you a better idea about the GDSC program and the role of a GDSC Lead. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn or hit me up on Twitter.
Special thanks to everyone who helped through this journey, especially my Core Team, that without them none of this would have been possible.
