We’re thrilled to announce that Microcks has been accepted into the LFX Mentorship Program with 7 projects! This is an incredible opportunity to enhance contribution and collaboration, help train future open source leaders, and grow the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) / The Linux Foundation communities.
With this milestone, we welcome 7 LFX mentees to the Microcks community. They will contribute the open source way to advance Microcks API mocking and testing. Check out the details and projects here: LFX Mentorship Projects.
The Challenge: Selecting Mentees from 120 Applications
LFX mentorship brings a wave of excitement to open source communities. New contributors jump in, eager to prove themselves, contribute, and (hopefully) secure a spot in the program. This enthusiasm is fantastic!
For Microcks, we received 120 applications across our 7 projects, with a staggering 40 applications for a single project focused on Microcks CLI improvements. The selection process was long and challenging for our two maintainers, as we aimed to ensure fairness and choose the best fit for each project.
Following the selection, many applicants who were not chosen reached out, asking for feedback on their applications and how they could improve their chances in future cycles.
This post is our attempt to provide guidance based on our experience. We also welcome different perspectives and suggestions to help future mentees improve their applications.
Key Takeaways for a Successful Mentee Application
1. Engage with the Project Early 🚀
One of the biggest advantages an applicant can have is being involved in the project before the mentorship application opens. Engaging early allows you to:
- Gain visibility within the community.
- Demonstrate your motivation for the project.
- Show your ability to collaborate and contribute.
- Prove your eagerness to learn the open source way.
However, this doesn’t mean you should rush into opening random issues, submitting PRs without context, or tagging maintainers excessively. Spamming will not improve your chances! Instead, take a thoughtful approach:
- Open meaningful issues and ask for comments and collaboration.
- Engage in discussions before submitting PRs.
- Understand the project’s needs and look for ways to contribute effectively.
Our friend Lukasz Gornicki shared a great message on this topic and on one specific request, we usually see from new potential contributors: “Please assign this issue to me…” which illustrates the points above 😎
2. Understand Open Source Culture and Principles
Open source is more than just code; it’s about collaboration, transparency, and continuous learning. If you’re new to open source, take the time to understand its core principles.
A great place to start is this article by Red Hat : Open Source Culture: 9 Core Principles and Values. See also this article from the CNCF: Do you want to start contributing to open source and need help figuring out where to begin?
3. Make It Easy for Mentors to Review Your Application
Mentors review hundreds of applications, so making your application clear and complete is crucial. Some key recommendations:
- Always include your GitHub profile. Most open source projects are hosted on GitHub, and not having a GitHub account is a major red flag.
- Provide links to past contributions or relevant experience.
- Include all relevant social accounts (LinkedIn, Bluesky, X, etc.) so mentors can learn more about you.
- Use consistent names across all documents (cover letter, resume, etc.). It’s surprisingly difficult to track applications when names and identifiers don’t match or are omitted on some document!
4. Master GitHub (At Least the Basics)
Git is a fundamental skill in open source. If you apply to a technical mentorship, you’ll likely use Git daily. While you don’t need to be a Git expert, a basic understanding will set you apart.
- Learn how to fork a repository, create branches, commit changes, and submit pull requests.
- Familiarize yourself with rebasing and resolving merge conflicts.
- Check out free Git resources to improve your skills.
Even as a maintainer, I’m still learning Git every day! If you’re new to Git, don’t worry; just show that you’re willing to learn.
5. Tailor Your Application and Put Yourself in the Reviewer’s Shoes
Applications for open source mentorships are usually deliberately open-ended, allowing candidates to provide the information they find most relevant. This means the burden is on you to make your application stand out.
A good rule of thumb is to put yourself in the reviewer’s shoes:
- What would convince them that you’re the right fit?
- Are you demonstrating your passion, skills, and ability to contribute?
- Are you making it easy for them to assess your experience and potential?
Final Thoughts
Applying to an open source mentorship program like LFX (or even Google Summer of Code) is an incredible opportunity to grow as a developer and contribute to impactful projects. However, competition is fierce, and a strong, well-prepared application can make all the difference.
By engaging early, understanding open source culture, optimizing your application, and mastering essential tools like Git, you can significantly improve your chances of selection.
Don’t be discouraged for those who didn’t get selected this time! Keep contributing, learning, and building relationships in open source. Your time will come 🙌
We hope these insights help future mentees on their journey. Do you have additional tips or thoughts? Feel free to share in the comments!