Hackathon guide: LinkedIn, training, first year, applying, SIH and leaving early

Hackathons reward preparation as much as talent, and small details, from how you apply to how you list results on LinkedIn, make a difference. I won first prizes at Changethon 2025 at IIT Roorkee, Product Genesis at Vividhotsava 2025 and BYTEBATTLE, and placed in the top three at an IIT Kanpur hackathon, so this page covers LinkedIn, capitalisation, training, joining as a beginner, first-year participation, applying, the Smart India Hackathon, leaving early and Adobe's format.

Where should you put a hackathon on LinkedIn?

Add wins under Honors and Awards with the event, result and date; add the project under Projects with a link to code or a demo; and add participation certificates under Licenses and Certifications. Long programmes can go under Experience.

Also asked as: where to put hackathon on linkedin

Write a short post about what you built, what you learned and who you built it with, tagging teammates and organisers, which reaches recruiters and peers. Include a screenshot or demo video. In descriptions, state the problem, your role, the technologies and the outcome. Keep your profile focused: list significant hackathons in detail and summarise smaller ones, so recruiters see your strongest achievements first. Ask teammates to endorse relevant skills afterwards.

Should hackathon be capitalised?

No. Hackathon is a common noun, so write it in lowercase in running text, such as a weekend hackathon. Capitalise it only as part of an event's name, such as Smart India Hackathon, or at the start of a sentence.

Also asked as: should hackathon be capitalized

The same applies to related words such as ideathon, datathon and buildathon. In titles using title case, capitalise it like other major words, but in sentence-case headings keep it lowercase unless it is part of a name. Dictionaries list hackathon as a standard English word, formed from hack and marathon. Consistency matters most, so follow your publication's style guide for resumes, posts and reports.

How do you train for a hackathon?

Practise building small projects quickly: pick a problem, build a working demo in a few hours, deploy it and present it. Repeat with different tools until setup, APIs, deployment and pitching feel routine.

Also asked as: how to train for hackathon

Prepare a starter template with authentication, a database and deployment ready, where rules allow reusable boilerplate. Learn Git collaboration, since merge conflicts waste hours. Practise using AI APIs, maps or payment sandboxes that sponsors often provide. Build a team with complementary skills: frontend, backend, design and presentation. Run a mock hackathon with friends over a weekend, time each practice build to measure progress, then fix what slowed you down before the real event.

How can beginners participate in a hackathon?

Find beginner-friendly events on Devpost, Major League Hacking, Unstop or through your college clubs, register individually or as a team, and attend the opening workshops. Many events have beginner tracks and mentors to help.

Also asked as: how to participate in hackathon for beginners

If you lack a team, use team formation channels or sessions at the event. Choose a simple idea, divide tasks clearly, and focus on finishing one working feature. Ask mentors for help early instead of staying stuck. Submit on time with a short video and README. Bring a charger, water and snacks for long in-person events. Your first hackathon is about learning the rhythm of building under time pressure, so celebrate finishing even without a prize.

Should you participate in a hackathon in first year?

Yes. First-year students gain the most from early hackathons: they learn practical skills, meet seniors and peers, and discover interests long before placements. Many events welcome beginners with workshops and mentors.

Also asked as: should i participate in hackathon in first year

You do not need advanced skills; teams need design, research, presentation and basic coding. Join with seniors if possible, since learning alongside experienced teammates accelerates growth. Balance hackathons with coursework and fundamentals, which first year is meant to build. Even one hackathon in first year builds confidence for later events. At the VSICS induction, I encouraged first-years to start building early, since steady practice over three years adds up to a strong portfolio by graduation.

How do you apply for a hackathon?

Register on the event's platform, such as Devpost, Unstop or the organiser's website, before the deadline. Many hackathons ask for team details, skills and sometimes an idea submission or short questionnaire for screening.

Also asked as: how to apply for hackathon

Read eligibility rules on age, student status, team size and location. For competitive events, write a clear, specific idea or motivation statement and link to your GitHub or past projects. Prepare a short team introduction you can reuse across applications. Confirm registration emails and join the event's communication channels, such as Discord. For in-person events, arrange travel and accommodation early. Mark key dates: idea submission, shortlisting, the event itself and final submission.

How do you apply for the Smart India Hackathon?

Smart India Hackathon applications go through your institute: colleges register a single point of contact, run an internal hackathon, and nominate selected teams, which then submit ideas for chosen problem statements on the SIH portal.

Also asked as: how to apply for smart india hackathon

Rules have required teams of six members including at least one female member, with a faculty mentor, though you should confirm current rules on the official website. Choose problem statements matching your team's skills, and write a clear idea submission with approach, feasibility and impact. Practise your presentation with faculty mentors before evaluations. Shortlisted teams compete in grand finales at nodal centres. Ask your college's SIH coordinator about internal hackathon dates early, since deadlines arrive quickly.

How many times has the Smart India Hackathon been held?

Smart India Hackathon began in 2017 and has been held most years since. The 2024 edition was described as the seventh, and another edition followed in 2025, with both software and hardware tracks.

Also asked as: how many times smart india hackathon held

Editions ran in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, then resumed in 2022 and continued annually. Over time, the scale has grown to tens of thousands of teams across India, with problem statements from ministries, departments and companies. Junior and other variants have also run in some years. Past problem statements on the website help teams prepare. For current numbers, schedules and rules, check the official SIH website, since details change with each edition.

Can you leave a hackathon early?

Usually yes, but check the rules. Many hackathons allow participants to leave, though judging may require at least one team member present for demos, and leaving early can forfeit prizes or certificates.

Tell your teammates and organisers before leaving, so your team can plan the presentation and organisers can track attendance for safety at in-person events. Submit your contribution and push code before you go. If you leave because of illness or emergencies, organisers are generally understanding. For online hackathons, you can step away freely, but ensure submission deadlines are met and teammates can reach you if needed. Courtesy towards organisers keeps doors open for future events.

Is the Adobe hackathon online?

Adobe's hackathons for university students in India have typically run initial rounds online, such as quizzes and coding or project rounds, with finalists invited to an in-person finale. Formats can change, so check the current edition's rules.

Also asked as: is adobe hackathon online

Corporate hackathons like Adobe's often combine online screening with onsite finals at company offices, offering mentorship and recruitment opportunities. Prepare for online rounds by practising problem solving and building quickly, and for finals by polishing presentation skills. Register through the official Adobe careers or event pages and verify links, since fake registration pages sometimes circulate. Read eligibility, which is often limited to students in specific graduation years.

Pranjul Rathour

GenAI Engineer · India

GenAI engineer and AI product builder with 2+ years shipping production-grade AI systems: RAG pipelines, fine-tuned LLMs, hybrid retrieval and multi-modal apps across vision, speech and OCR, architected end to end from ingestion to deployment. Leads engineering for SCULT INDIA's 14-member team, founded the 500+ member TechVerse Enclave community and has mentored 200+ students. Three hackathon first prizes: Changethon 2025 (IIT Roorkee), Product Genesis at Vividhotsava 2025 (CSJMU) and BYTEBATTLE (MeetKats).

Open to GenAI roles, hackathon judging, mentorship sessions and guest talks at colleges. For campus sessions the inviting institution covers the visit end to end: travel (a First AC train ticket for journeys up to five hours, a flight for anything longer), accommodation, meals, and pickup and drop; the honorarium and workshop fees are negotiable on WhatsApp or on the call, and requests are welcome from institutions that can cover the visit this way. Email pranjulrathour41@gmail.com.

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