All about Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador program.
Published: 2021-08-14 04:31:05

Have you ever embarked on a journey of learning something new and wondered if it would be much more fun with some company? 

It seems easier together because they push you when you lose hope and you help them when they need it. That's what companionship is about. 

When you are passionate about something, it feels more than good to meet and collaborate with people who have similar interests. A community gives you a sense of belonging and provides you with an opportunity to connect, learn and grow together. 

The MLSA program serves that exact purpose. It's a platform that gives students an opportunity to meet people in the tech field from all around the world. You could help fellow students to build upon their coding skills, collaborate for projects and hackathons, solve real world problems or learn new tech stacks. It's all up to you. 

##What do ambassadors do?
There is a roadmap that student ambassadors can follow throughout the program which involves different milestones like Alpha, Beta and Gold.

####Alpha
After becoming a student ambassador, students complete a learning path on MS Learn. There are various options to learn from: Web Development for beginners, Azure Fundamentals,  Building chatbot using Azure Bot Services to name a few.
Once a learning path is completed, you reach the alpha milestone.
One can also get involved in monthly league events and get opportunities to network and learn.

####Beta
After crossing the alpha milestone, Student Ambassadors conduct an event to spread knowledge about technical topics and developments. The focus is to share information about different Microsoft technologies that enable us to do our work with ease.

After reaching the Beta milestone, you'll receive swags. Pretty cool right! 

####Gold
If the ambassadors continue contributing to the community, learning skills and hosting informational events, they might get considered for Gold nomination. 

After Gold nomination, you'll gain access to special events and the Gold MLSA Swag Kit. You may also be invited to become a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP).

*All in all, it is an amazing journey for learning and giving back to the community.*

###Let's discuss the perks!

Students receive some great free subscriptions and resources after joining the program.

You get free Access to:
 - Microsoft 365
 - Plus TechSmith Snagit
 - Camtasia screen capture and recording software
 - Visual Studio Enterprise subscription
 - $150 monthly Azure Credits
 - Exam certification vouchers
 - LinkedIn Learning
 - Name.com domain name
 - Engagement with Cloud Advocates and Microsoft MVPs
 - Student Ambassador Milestone Badges that you can use to 
   highlight program accomplishments on your LinkedIn profile


###What skills can you hone?

####Networking and Collaboration
Throughout the program we ambassadors are posed with multiple opportunities to host events and collaborate with many people to make great things happen. Each time we get a chance to learn how to collaborate and make it work as a team. 
 
####Leadership 
When you have the responsibility to host an event, the task of leading everything and everybody in it comes along. Leadership sets you on a path of self discovery. You realize your weaknesses and strengths. You learn how to react in panicky situations when somethings might go wrong. You also learn to empathize with every team mate and yet figure out a way around roadblocks. 

####Problem Solving
When you conduct events, meet new people and learn new things, it's highly probable that you might need to solve many problems every now and then. This again is a highly valued skill in today's world. 

####Explore
To explore new domains and keep discovering new technologies is a skill we tend to undermine most of the time. The world of tech is fast paced and ever changing. It becomes increasingly important to stay up to date about new developments. This program is a great opportunity for you to hone this skill.

###How to apply?
- Head over to this <a href="https://studentambassadors.microsoft.com/">**Website**</a>. 
- Check for the eligibility criteria and make sure you meet all the requirements.
- After that, you can fill in basic information about yourself and your academics. 
- After all of this, you can answer the application questions. They include different sections named **Inspire, Teach and Promote**. 
Here's a screenshot of those questions. 
![Screenshot (1730)](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ocau7wi0pfc8w5u6ovd4.png)

- It is mandatory to answer two questions in the form of a written essay(under 2000 characters) and 1 question with a video(under 2 minutes of length).

###How to answer these questions?
Feel free to refer to videos posted by selected candidates on YouTube. Although my opinion would be for you to introspect and write honest answers rather than borrow someone else's ideas. If your application seems similar to someone else's, your chances of getting selected might decrease. 

####Inspire
This might take time to think about, but the effort is worth it. You might even gain some clarity about why you are so passionate about your field of choice.
If you write with honesty, your original thoughts and ideas are more likely to impress the recruiters and get your application accepted. 

####Teach 
In this one, I would advice you to bring as much clarity about the concept as possible. Break it down into simpler concepts. Make sure to let a friend or family member read it and actually assess if they understood the concept.
As to what concept should you choose, it could be any technical topic. If you are new to coding, you can also explain a concept as simple as the "For loop". 
Remember, they are trying to assess how good you can explain, not how much knowledge you possess.

####Promote
For this one you could outline a step by step detailed process of getting word around campus, share new innovative ways of creating awareness or even address issues in the conventional methods of publicity and solve them.

If you need to refer to my answers, you can read <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a8tm4NYM_ip9xMoEcbTmhs98uXZS_kkut5brJsR2JjQ/edit?usp=sharing">**this**</a>. 

That's all. You are good to go! Don't overanalyze if you are good enough. Just apply. It's going to be an  experience you'll never regret.

If you have any more questions, feel free to put it in the comment section below.