Celebrating women everywhere, this Women’s day, I adopt the global theme of #EmbraceEquity, initiating my vision to help women become better informed about the opportunities and scholarships available in the tech field. In this series of blog posts, I will be decoding the application process of various women-centric opportunities and sharing my tips for helping your application stand out.

So, beginning with my first experience, which recognised my efforts as a researcher and a woman in STEM - the Adobe India Women In Tech Scholarship.

What is the Adobe India Women in Tech Scholarship?

The Adobe India Women In Tech scholarship is an initiative by the Adobe India team to encourage and empower girls to showcase their excellence in computing and technology and become future leaders and role models in the field.

As a matter of fact, Adobe offers two such female-limited scholarships - one open to women globally and one exclusively available to Indian female students in their penultimate year of college (Consider checking their eligibility criteria before you proceed). Being a student studying in India, I believed I had an increased chance whilst applying for the Adobe India opportunity. However, the application process is fairly similar for both, for anyone wondering. In addition to providing recognition and a platform for women to nurture their intellectual curiosity, the scholarship also provides:

  1. Tuition Funds for the Senior year of college
  2. An interview opportunity for a summer internship at Adobe
  3. Mentorship from a Senior Technology Leader
  4. A funded trip to Grace Hopper Conference India.

How I ended up applying for it?

I came across this scholarship while compiling a list of opportunities offered by various organizations. During the start of my sophomore year, I tried to plan, organize and assemble multiple scholarships, competitions and research internships I could apply for - A piece of advice I would like to give everyone. The list not only gave me access to every opportunity out there but also the flexibility to choose between those that I felt fit into the vision I had created for myself.

Initially, however, I decided against applying for the scholarship. Intimidated by the limited number of selections, I was underconfident about my profile getting shortlisted for the same. I feared failure more, and not trying seemed like a good excuse. However, it dawned on me that if I didn’t apply, I firmly set myself to fail. Another piece of advice I would like to pass to all the girls who feel underconfident in their skills. It’s okay not to get selected for an opportunity. It just means we have an incomplete journey. We are yet to become the best possible versions of ourselves. So try, try and try. You never know what the future holds.

Overcoming the main application process:

Now that you have decided to apply for the scholarship, It’s time to tackle each section of the application process.

Essays

Here are a few points to go through while writing your essays.

  1. Read all the questions clearly and contemplate the prompts: Take a few days, and just let the questions sink in. Think profoundly and try to question yourself about them. Bring forth the experiences you have faced as a woman in tech and think about moments that have aligned for you to embark on the path of technology.

  2. Concisely structure your answers: Since you have only 200 words to express yourself, choose your words wisely. I usually like to follow the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) format whenever I frame my answers. This ensures I do not deviate from my topic and stick to the experiences I want to share. A tip I would like to share here- It is not essential to write in perfect English or use really fancy words. It’s more important that the committee members understand what you are trying to say.

  3. Highlight your impact and beliefs in each question: Ensure you highlight the impact of your vision to empower women around you and your ideas for workplace equity. Try to emphasise how your actions and past problems have made you who you are today and have pushed you into your current journey. Also, never structure your answers by saying, “I am x, y, z”. Show them instead through your actions. Rephrase it like - “Working with so and so has helped me learn these x, y, z skills on the way.”

  4. Be true to your answers: The most crucial point of all - be authentic. Refrain from reconstructing your experiences based on what you think the committee would like to hear about. Instead, write about your personal experiences in the field. That’s what makes you a unique applicant, your journey and your struggles.

  5. Get your answers proofread: Try getting your friends, seniors or previous scholars to proofread your essays and provide suggestions. Every bit of help counts in making your application stronger.

Resume

Creating an impactful resume is very important since it gives the interviewer a glance into your life. Here’s how you go ahead:

  1. Choose a suitable template: Ensure you choose a neat template. Some templates have funky font styles or may look too compact. I would suggest choosing a simple and neat template to use. Also, keep a check on the length of your resume. 1-2 pages should be enough - try to stay within that.
  2. Mark sections separately and highlight the important words: Use different sections for education, experiences, positions of responsibilities, publications and awards. Cator your resume towards the scholarship. Highlight events you may have held to empower women, such as a session to encourage girls in your universities to learn to code. Avoid irrelevant information that may not be vital for the scholarship since that takes up space.
  3. Use bullet points for the content: Frame all the content parts of your experiences, and projects in bullet points, since the information seems more concise and clear. Use action verbs instead of framing long sentences.
  4. Put more stats when describing projects: Back your projects with statistics. E.g., Instead of claiming you improved performance, say that you increased performance by 10%. This shows the reviewer that you have proofs to validate your claim. Also, while adding group projects, highlight your contribution to the project - since you may be asked this at a later stage.
  5. Do not exaggerate your resume: This is most important while creating your resume. If your application gets shortlisted for the next stage, the interviewer is passed on your resume. Any exaggerated point may be cross-questioned, putting you in a bad light if caught.

Letter of recommendation

When I applied, the requirements insisted on a letter of recommendation from a college professor who had taught us a course. Hence, I chose to take it from a professor who knew me well in class and could attest to my interest in research. I suggest the same for you all. Take it from a professor who knows you well rather than the head of the department, who would write the same recommendation letter for everyone. Their position doesn’t matter as much as their ability to certify essential skills that you possess. A few points:

  1. Provide your recommender with all information regarding your achievements, goals and class performance well in advance.
  2. Give them adequate time to draft the letter and let them know beforehand the procedure for submitting it. Ensure they do not send in just a small paragraph, keeping in mind their busy schedules.
  3. Communicate the importance of a good letter which attests to your ability to work in a team, your performance in class, your various extracurricular activities and your strong inclination to coding or research.

Optional Video

The video is an excellent chance to communicate to the reviewers who you are and your vision and goals. Since this is optional and an opportunity to provide additional information, ensure that you highlight points you could not focus on in your essays. An important point to note is that even if you do not submit this, it won’t impact your application negatively (I did not submit this section. So don’t worry!)

Battling with Interviews

After your application gets shortlisted comes your battle with interviews. You will be interviewed by senior members of Adobe India, who will question your technical prowess and your motivation to help women around you. Now is the time to unleash your confidence, believe in your goals and vision, and be proud of yourself.

Cumulatively, I had three interviews which revolved around my resume. My first interviewer questioned me intensively regarding the projects I was proud of. I was asked to explain every terminology I stated and cross questioned based on my answers. All of the interviews scheduled were for 30 min each, and each interview got more detailed as we proceeded.

A piece of advice here would be to be considerate even when provided with suggestions. The interview rounds get tougher and explore more depth each time, so even if you are still trying to figure out the answer, let them know you would be open to exploring it later. Also, a factor that could differentiate you from the crowd would be the questions you ask at the end of your interview. So definitely keep them ready beforehand. If you are nervous about the questions, ask your friend to take mock interviews. These can really help boost your confidence.

Remember to stay calm during interviews. Believe in yourself because you never know what’s going to arrive in your email after two weeks xD.

Closing Thoughts

As anxious as I was during the application stage, so was I cool during my interviews. For me, getting my application shortlisted was a huge deal in itself. So I was okay with the decision not favouring me because I was proud of my courage anyway. I think that really helped since, without the stress of tanking the interview, I could be free and confident with the answers I provided.

Thus, I firmly believe in not thinking of the outcome when applying. Sometimes, we put so much hope and expectation on ourselves that we feel pressured or stressed moving forward. The what-ifs seem frightening, especially when our overthinking brain takes the wheel. So trust the journey rather than the outcome since you can only go as far as controlling the things within your reach.

All in all, the Adobe WIT Scholarship is an excellent opportunity to apply for and get recognized at an international level. It provides you with a platform to give back to the community by helping spread your experiences to girls at the same stage as you and guiding them to the top.

Also, following these tips in no way guarantees getting selected, but it is a strategic manoeuvre to strengthen your application. Don’t worry about it, and believe in yourself! You’ll do great wonders either way.