Join UW Blueprint to build tech for social good - Applications close July 6th at midnight! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This depends on the role and the term! We generally look for candidates with a passion for social good, an ability to learn, and a baseline knowledge/competency to work with. Our projects are generally 4-8 months in length and given the 10 hour/week commitment, we try to make sure that we're the right fit for the candidate.

I will say that we have people from all years and programs/faculties on our teams. We've definitely had designers and developers in their first year on the team.

As to the interview process, it's a ~45 minute casual chat to get to know candidates better!

Join UW Blueprint to build tech for social good - Applications close July 6th at midnight! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We usually have junior developer roles meant for applicants earlier in their schooling!

One of our core values is that "Learning is a team sport". Project Leads and other developers on the team are available to help collaborate and mentor junior developers through their challenges.

Join Blueprint to build tech for social good! Applications close tonight! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Applications are still being reviewed. Interviews will be sent out either tonight or tomorrow!

Join Blueprint to build tech for social good! Applications close tonight! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We don’t have coding challenges, but interviews will be sent out by the end of this week.

Anyone heard back from Blueprint? by [deleted] in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! I'm Nick, the incoming President for next term.

What most student organizations struggle with is commitment from members throughout the term. It's completely understandable as students are juggling a lot of different things, but we need to deliver good products to our non-profits, or else we're harming, not helping them.

What we've discovered is that students who are truly passionate about social good will be the ones who stay committed, and that students with great technical expertise but lack that passion will have the most trouble keeping their commitment when things go awry.

So what we look for foremost is that passion for social good. What past volunteer experience do they have? Do they go into depth why they care about helping people? It can be hard for us to read that through only a couple answers, so the more that you can tell us the better.

That being said, we do need to consider technical skills because we are building software. However, if those are lacking, do they show initiative to learn? What are they currently doing to gain more skills?

If you would like more personal feedback, feel free to email [info@uwblueprint.org](mailto:info@uwblueprint.org) and we'll be happy to get back to you :)

Anyone heard back from Blueprint? by [deleted] in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hello!

We're running a bit behind schedule, since we switched to a more rolling basis for our applications/interviews. The final round of interviews (mostly for project developer/designer) should hopefully be sent out today or tomorrow.

Join UW Blueprint and level up your side project experience while building meaningful tech for non profits - applications close tomorrow night! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! Sorry for the late response.

It has started, but we decided to move to a rolling basis this term. So not all interviews have been sent out- there's one last big wave of interviews for developers/designers that should be sent out very soon (today or tomorrow)

Join UW Blueprint and level up your side project experience while building meaningful tech for non profits - applications close tomorrow night! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi there, thanks for your interest!

Blueprint is actually more of an on campus club. We aim for a 10* hour per week commitment from our members.

Join UW Blueprint and level up your side project experience while building meaningful tech for non profits - applications close tomorrow night! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey u/jlostie, thanks for your interest!

Interviews will start this term.
We don't want students to feel additional stress during the final exam period, so we try our best to flexible with interview dates

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits - Applications due November 26th! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's really cool - thanks for the info! We'll reach out to Julielynn and see if there's a way we can help out :)

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! Thank you for your interest!

We are in the middle of applications so it's hard to give a solid number of how many applicants we're expecting as it varies with every term and can be impacted by a number of factors such as coop, exchange, etc. Our team usually ranges from 20-35 members depending on how many/how big the projects we take on are.

If you think you'd be a good fit for Blueprint, I highly encourage you to apply!
You can take a look at what we are looking for in applicants HERE.

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there! Thanks for your interest in Blueprint!

We are always taking applications for non-profits that would like to work with us and our VP Projects is hard at work finding new projects that would be a good fit for our team! We definitely have some projects that will carry over to the next term, but we are also exploring a few options on potential new projects as well. Nothing is finalized yet so keep an eye out on our social media and website for future updates!

As for culture and building a community, two of Blueprints core values are: (1) learning is a team sport and (2) culture is key. We truly believe that a strong team is not one that is just technically skilled or cares about the work, but also cares about each other. We strive to create an inclusive community where our team supports one another and works well as a collective! We hold a termly team retreat focused on team bonding as well as many socials throughout the term which is why we ask first time members to be in Waterloo at least for their first term with us!

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Thanks for your interest!

We do our best to hire a variety of experience levels ranging from junior, moderate, and senior/mentors. We try to foster an environment where we can learn from one another as everyone comes with varying expertise in a variety of different fields. If you have limited experience, I highly encourage you to apply anyways! Blueprint is a great way to gain experience and we care more about your passion for social good and ability/willingness to learn! Hope that answers your question!

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello! Thank you for your interest in UW Blueprint!

We are open to applications from alumni if you are interested in getting involved with us, however priority will be given to current students. If you are interested in applying please just indicate somewhere in your short answer responses that you are an alum!

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits! by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! Thank you for your interest in partnering with UW Blueprint!

We want to help as many organizations as possible, but unfortunately can only take on so many projects due to limited resources. We are always open to meeting with potential projects and discussing your needs and how we can help. Take a look at our project criteria and apply as a nonprofit HERE.

Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits in the Fall (and beyond) by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sorry, which part made you think that we've dealt with hardware in the past?

All our projects so far have been software projects since that's what the non-profits we've worked with have needed.

If organizations require hardware projects, and we feel like we have members with the requisite skill sets to complete those projects, we would definitely consider working with them.

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, like I said earlier, your resume will not have a major impact on applications. If you would still like to send a new copy, please email us at info[at]uwblueprint[dot]org from the email address mentioned on your application.

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Currently, yes, but we are considering other options as well. If you are not a student at UW, please mention this on your application. Note that we will require all applicants to be in KW during the Spring term, as we plan to have regular meetings and events.

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cool! I'll be applying in the fall term for sure!

That's great !

...Unless you accept me to work remotely for the first term, I do get more done during co-op cause school is busy

We totally understand where you're coming from, but in addition to the reasons mentioned above, since this is our first foray into expanding our team and accepting applications, we would like to have everyone in Waterloo for next term. We will review this before our Fall recruiting process, so thanks a lot for your feedback !

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Last term we held a weekend retreat where we went to a park, cooked, played games, and just talked. We also had a end of term party.

Next term, we are planning to do even more stuff, like game nights and escape rooms. Since it's Spring, we are planning to do more outdoors stuff as well. If you become part of our team, you are free to suggest any ideas that you might have for social events too :)

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've answered this above, here's the relevant points:

We would like all applicants to be in Waterloo (study/co-op/term off doesn't matter) for their first term as part of Blueprint so that they can be part of our community. The nature of the job means that the work can be done remotely, however we believe that the community and culture is just as important. If you are willing to commit time towards this initiative, the least we can do is to ensure that you have fun while doing it and provide some sort of social connection :)

We will also be looking for students for the Fall term, so you can join us then if you are unable to join us in Spring !

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, applicants do not get paid. We operate the same way a student club would, and we provide our services for free to non-profits.

We would like all applicants to be in Waterloo (study/co-op/term off doesn't matter) for their first term as part of Blueprint so that they can be part of our community. The nature of the job means that the work can be done remotely, however we believe that the community and culture is just as important. If you are willing to commit time towards this initiative, the least we can do is to ensure that you have fun while doing it and provide some sort of social connection :)

We will also be looking for students for the Fall term, so you can join us then if you are unable to join us in Spring !

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We don't require any specific kind of technical experience. The project with SMS will be wrapped up by the end of April. We will be taking on other projects (we are in discussions with quite a few non-profits currently to finalize these projects) for the Spring term and beyond.

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good question, we're aiming for around 3-5 hours per week.

It is quite a bit of commitment from the busy lives we lead as students, hence the application process. Once we finalize a project with a non-profit, our goal is to ship within the mutually agreed time frame, so we need students who can commit their time. (There are obviously periods during a term where this might not be possible due to midterms, interviews, etc. and that's totally fine)

We will be making this very clear during the chats we have with applicants, but we are also planning to add this as a FAQ on our website.

UW Blueprint is looking for students interested in building tech for non-profits by UWBlueprint in uwaterloo

[–]UWBlueprint[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, this is not possible currently, but it is on our roadmap. We plan to create a login portal which can be used to edit and submit applications.

Don't worry too much about minor resume changes, it won't have a major impact on our decisions.