As you may already know, Joomla participates in the 2021 edition of the Google Summer of Code. Enthusiastic students from all over the world get the opportunity to work with us on improving Joomla with exciting new features. Shivam Rajput is the perfect example of what can happen after you join GSoC: you can become a Joomla Volunteer and learn even more! Shivam started as a student of the Google Summer of Code. Today, he is a fundamental part of the team that coordinates Joomla participation in the GSoC. Let’s get to know Shivam a little more!
Thanks for participating in this interview, Shivam! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi, currently I am living with my parents in Noida, India. My mother is a teacher and my father and brother are engineers.
How did you get involved with Joomla and the J! Community?
I started my journey back in 2017 as a GSoC Student. I got a chance to work on JDoCs Project with Sandra Decoux, Tom Hutchinson, Peter Martin, Joao, and Puneet Kala. In 2019 I got a chance to be a Mentor for a Project and this year as an Admin.
What do you do for a day job, and if this includes Joomla, how?
I work with UnitedHealth Group as a Senior Software Engineer, I work on ServiceNow, Angular JS.
Do you use Joomla in other ways? (hobby, own website, building websites for clubs, friends etc)
Not really, I only contribute to Joomla Project, and while we prepare for GSoC every year I give my contribution during that time.
Are you involved in the Joomla community, apart from in your official position (for example JUGS, events, etc)
Apart from Joomla GSoC Team, I am not part of any local community.
How did Joomla change your life?
I remember when I had my first Job interview back in April 2018, some questions were around Joomla. And when I joined the organization I came to know that the Company’s Internal website was built on Joomla CMS. So Yes, I believe Joomla has contributed to pushing my career growth.
What did you learn and/or gain personally from being a J! Volunteer?
I personally have learned a lot from being a Joomla Volunteer. Got a chance to interact with really great people. Learned about their culture. Growing Professionally with Joomla is an amazing experience.
Do you have a memorable Joomla-moment?
Joomla World Conference 2017, Rome was a memorable moment for me. I got a chance to meet Sandra Decoux, Peter Martin, Puneet Kala, and other key members of the community in person over there. It was a great event I had a session to talk about the project that I did during my GSoC Period.
