So.... is it too late?

[Lawliet]

I don't completely understand.... so if I want to be a staff I need to be part of a department.... or I can just drop by the front desk and ask to be a volunteer? Help please XD

[SuperKawaiiNeko]

Its not too late to be staff OR a volunteer. Which are you interested in doing?

[Dagger-6]

Is there a section of the site with more details on volunteering?

Most of the information in this section is a bit old, so a section on the main sight may be beneficial to people.

Hm...I think I'll go ahead and just repost this in the suggestions section.

[Eri]

I already posted in your suggestions post, and hopefully, Tony will update the website with volunteer information.

Usually, you become a volunteer (or vol for short) by signing up at the convention with Vol HQ. You'll need a member badge first, though.

As for staffing, we still need staffers. So, go ahead and sign up for the staff site and check off which departments you're interested in. The department head should contact you after that point.. The staffing will close before the con, so sign up now if you're interested..

[Lawliet]

I signed up weeks ago and I checked almost all of 'em, but no response so far.... Which staff?

Well umm...

These are the ones that I'm uber interested in:

Autograph Area
MusicFest
Asian Film

These are these are ones I'd enjoy working in:

Dealers
E-Gaming
Facilities
Guest Relations
Karaoke
Cosplay/Masquerade
Arcade

These are ones I wouldn't have problems being part of:

Rovers
Swapmeet
Tabletop Gaming
Volunteers
Artist Colony
Charity Auction
Game Show
Dance
AMV
Artist Gallery
Panels
Stage Zero
Programming Ops
Fashion Show
E-Gaming

[The-O]

always happy to see a new rover  :lol:

[astroboy]

I signed up weeks ago and I checked almost all of 'em, but no response so far.... Which staff?
...

I've been staffing since 2001 and guess what? I haven't signed up to become staff yet this year yet. I usually like to wait 2 months before the con because that's when things start to pick up. BTW we have a tradition at Fanime where all staffers get "fired" after the con so everybody must re-apply. So technically I'm not staff.

Don't worry, sit back and relax. We're 3 months out so there's still a lot of time. If it's 1 month before con-time and you haven't been signed on board yet then yes you need to worry. I lost count how many times I've staffed for anime cons and the first time it seems very haphazard, but after awhile you get used to how the system works. :D

[Pimpstress Rei]

Don't worry, sit back and relax. We're 3 months out so there's still a lot of time. If it's 1 month before con-time and you haven't been signed on board yet then yes you need to worry. I lost count how many times I've staffed for anime cons and the first time it seems very haphazard, but after awhile you get used to how the system works. :D

^^;

We're trying to encourage them to sign up now so we have an idea of how many people are in each department. So if you're interested please contact those departments and see which one extends you an invitation. But please note that you can only staff for one department, so choose wisely.

...You just like to be a rebel, don't you Emanuel?

[Krnchichiri]

Ooh, thank goodness. I was thinking that maybe I wasn't optimal... but of course, my age might have something to do with it.

[Ugh, if only I was born 5 months earlier. ]

[Pimpstress Rei]

Ooh, thank goodness. I was thinking that maybe I wasn't optimal... but of course, my age might have something to do with it.

[Ugh, if only I was born 5 months earlier. ]

It could be your age or your skills that get you passed over. Some departments have age minimums, others may require previous experience and certain skills sets that you may not have.

Don't worry, you'll eventually get paired up with a good department, it just takes time. =)

[astroboy]

...You just like to be a rebel, don't you Emanuel?

Who me? Do I look like a rebel.  :D

Back to signing up for staffing. Officially you sign up to become staff through the website. However that doesn't necessarily mean we run FanimeCon like a machine.

There is of course a "people" aspect to it.

It doesn't hurt to also email or PM the manager of the department you're interested in. And of course potential staff are also welcomed to attend the staff meetings. A LOT of managers like that. It shows that you spent effort. Sometimes there is no technological replacement for a real life human conversation. A potential staffer who does that would probably get "more hits" then simply pushing a dirty dozen buttons on a website. good luck ^_^

[Pimpstress Rei]

Not fair, you got better legs than me.

And yes, managers would like to meet their potential staff members face-to-face. It would be a little awkward to meet for the first time at con.

[MonkeyRikku]

Damn, the only volenteer experiance i have is in hospitality and serving Staff members breakfast...why do you have no breakfast makers?!

I'm good at that sort of thing.

[SuperKawaiiNeko]

Volunteering is pretty easy if you want it to be. There are jobs of all skill levels for vols...if you dont have any skills, dont worry! We'll find you something to do ^_^

[M]

Damn, the only volenteer experiance i have is in hospitality and serving Staff members breakfast...why do you have no breakfast makers?!

I'm good at that sort of thing.

I'll give you a free badge if you make my staff members breakfast throughout the convention. :P

[Edit: Didn't mean to send it the first time]

But seriously, there's always a staff out there for you... It's just up to what you want to do. No experience? That's fine. :)

[Pimpstress Rei]

But seriously, there's always a staff out there for you... It's just up to what you want to do. No experience? That's fine. :)

And how! My first year staffing was as a department manager position. I didn't know anything about my department, but I think I did ok. It just takes hard work, determination and common sense.

I would also like to add that staffing and being a member are totally different things. I like being staff because I like the fact that I'm helping to put on a convention that is being enjoyed by thousands of people. I get to meet other staffers and become friends with them when normally I would never get a chance to meet all of them. You really get a unique experience once you staff and see things behind the scenes. Even though it's a lot of hard work, I think it's worth it in the end. Speaking for myself, who else can say that they got to compile a pretty nice, full-color program guide for 10,000 attendees, including international guests? I think that's a pretty cool thing to be able to brag about.

[Lawliet]

Sweetness....

Sorry to keep asking for stuff, but where would I find contact info on heads of the departments?

Pretty much anything on the first two lists would be fantastic.

[SuperKawaiiNeko]

www.fanime.com

There is both a "Staff" section and a "Contact" section.

[Lawliet]

Great, thanks a bunch!

But how would I get a hold of the people that aren't listed?

Like the person in charge of cinima and such?

[SuperKawaiiNeko]

Um...Im looking at the list here and theres one near the bottom marked "Video Programming" of which I am pretty sure Asian Cinema is a part of.

Also: Did you sign up for the staff portion of the website and explore that and follow all of the directions?