Volunteers: Category Staff
If you would like to be added to our database of potential category staff volunteers (i.e., the main staffers who deal with applications, troubles, and other forms), please read the following requirements and then fill out the form below. Please keep in mind that there are currently over 100 category staff volunteers listed, so if you are contacted at all, it may not be for a long time. We rarely take on more than one new staffer each month, and sometimes we can go for months without bringing anyone new onto the staff.
If you have applied to be a staffer and want to check your information or edit it, please contact the senior staff.
When it comes to running categories, we're looking for people with the following:
- TFL Experience :: Please, no newbies. Don't fill out the form if you've just built your first website or you've just discovered The Fanlistings Network. We're looking for people who have been a part of the network for a while and who have genuine enthusiasm for it. This can be demonstrated through work as a Trouble Checker, participation on the TFL boards, or just good maintenance of your fanlistings as a fanlisting owner. Any of these factors can reflect how well you'd do on staff.
- A Good Application :: This may be the first and only time that the staff gets to learn about you, so please put effort into your application. Be sure to put some thought into your answers, and include enough information so we can get an idea of who you are. In 'preferred positions' and 'preferred categories' give as many options as you want (writing specific categories, rather than "all").
- Loads of Free Time :: Being a category staffer is a very time-consuming job. Even for small categories, it will cost you several hours a week, so please don't apply to be a category staffer if you don't have plenty of free time! Obviously, larger categories will need longer time commitments, so even if you seem like a great applicant otherwise, if you only want to staff one of the largest categories in the network and only have 2 hours a week to commit, it's unlikely you'll be selected.
- Thick Skin, Maturity, and Politeness :: You will get many annoying, bitchy, rude, and silly e-mails and comments when you're a staff member. You have to be able to deal with people maturely and politely, even if they're rude, even if they make you angry, and even if they pester you. If you're not the kind of person who can deal with angry or irritating visitors without yelling or snapping at them, being a staffer is probably not for you. Equally important is being able to discuss issues with other staffers politely and maturely.
- Trustworthiness :: Obviously, we need to be able to trust you!
- Good English Skills :: A lot of people from non-English speaking countries visit TheFanlistings.org, and we have staff members from all over the world. However, all communication will be done in written English, so your English reading and writing skills must be good to excellent.
- Potential "Meshing" With Staff :: The staff is pretty close, and we have our own forums where we talk, vent, and laugh. How well you'll "mesh" with the staff is an important factor, too. Basically, how do other staffers feel about you? Do they think you'd be a good staffer? Do they think you're likeable and friendly? Do they think they can work with you or talk about issues with you?
- Jobs as they open up :: Once again, we may not take new staffers on for many months. Jobs become available to volunteers as they open up. Positions are first offered to current staffers, and if no one is interested in or able to take on the positions, the Staff Management senior staffer then looks to the volunteer list, keeping in mind the above factors, along with the applicants' preferred categories (so include all the categories you are interested in, and not just "all") and preferred positions.
