AHA! I found my spot!
Hi there, I'm Guy, the Volunteer Department Head... Sorry for the delay, I'm getting geared up for NDK 2011!
Here's some data that might help folks... well, I hope anyway.
1) We assign Volunteers on an as-needed basis. We are kinda like Operations in that way, so though you can request to work in a specific area, I can't really promise you'll work there, I wish I could... but the truth is that everyone wants to work Video Gaming. Heck, even
I want to work Video Gaming, but they don't need 100 volunteers.
That also means that Volunteers is a feast or famine sort of job: we have nothing for three hours then suddenly we need 10 people to work in a specific area. So if you show up at Volunteers desk and we don't have anything for you, do come back in an hour or so!
Anyway, that said, what happens is this: You can sign up to Volunteer when you register (I'll take requests here as well, but I'd rather you did it when you register). When you arrive at the convention, and are ready to work, just pop on over to my desk and see if we have something.
I still need folks to sign the waiver thingie before they get to work, so please be ready to fill out a little piece of paper when you get on-site. If you are under 18, make sure you have a parent/guardian handy to sign our little waiver saying they give permission (Yeah, it's not fun, but we kinda have to do it
)
2) I can never promise a position on staff (It's simply not in my power), but people on staff DO ask me about Volunteers and how well they did during the Kon (We want reliable, dedicated people for Staff, of course!
) so we keep an eye on Volunteers to get an idea of what they are willing to do. What are we looking for? Well, folk who:
>Willing to do the jobs that are kinda un-fun: Working the lines during Cosplay for example... it means you are not going to SEE the Cosplay... we know that, and we really respect that. Even if you didn't
want to see the Cosplay, it's still something cool.
>Come back every two or three hours and check in. Like I said, we have a feast or famine sort of thing going here, and the most frustrating part of my job is when we have 10 people ask if there is any work, I have to turn them all away (Because I have nothing), then 5 minutes later I get a call for 10 people and I can't find a soul...
>Nice and courteous even in the face of Oppressive Geekdom. Oh man... if you can diffuse a situation and do it with a smile, you are GOLD to us. The convention can be a horrid clash of conflicting egos. If you can keep yours in check and simply help people without yelling at them, being snippy, etc... oh... that's just way cool
>Can you take care of yourself? We are really not looking for people who kill themselves doing Volunteering. In this job Quality is FAR better than Quantity. The Volunteer who worked only 2 hours but managed to get Gokku and Naruto to stop fighting and have coffee together or kept the people waiting in Reg line happy and smiling is SO much more valuable to us than the guy who worked 48 hours non-stop. Keep yourself hydrated and fed and get enough sleep, and you are way cool.
Some frequently asked questions:
1)
Do I get a cool badg-y thingie? Yep! You get a special, one of a kind Volunteer badge. This has artwork that is unique to Volunteering. But, for those of you that are collectors: You must work at least one job in order to get the badge... We've noticed a lot of people tend to come over, sign up, get the badge, then vanish...
2)
Can I wear my costume while working? Absolutely! But there are a couple of things (Logically) that we ask:
1) Make sure you can see... Um... yeah, doesn't help to do line control if you can't see the line
2) Make sure you are comfortable, if you are wearing a 2-piece bikini and I need line control outside, you might need a jacket. You may also be standing for a long time, those High Heels may not be good after a bit.
3)
I didn't do the Registration volunteer thingie online or here in the forum (or) I didn't register online, can I still Volunteer? Absolutely! Oh PLEASE, please do!
Oh, don't make me beg... It's hard on my old knees... Just pop on over to my desk at any time we are open and I'll happily put you to work.
Remember we still need a guardian's permission if you are under 18 years of age, though!
4)
How long will I need to work to Comp my badge? 16 hours. Yeah, that's like most of the convention... and thus why we comp badges (Strangely enough, that's why we do it: Gee, you missed most of the convention, here: have a badge for next year). Remember, I am an old man, I can't remember my own birthday, much less how many of you did what, so you MUST keep your timesheets up to date! I can't help you if you lost it, forgot it or flushed it down the toilet in a fit of anger.
5)
I worked last year. Do I have a comped badge? Really, we tell you at the Volunteers desk when you reach 16 hours. We actually try to
retire you at 16 hours if we can (Hey, go enjoy the Con!
). So if you reached "Comp" stage, you'll know
That said: sometimes volunteers work to break down the Con on Sunday and I don't see them hit the 16 hour mark. Those people are reported to me later on in the year. If that happens, just fire off an email to
volunteers@NDKDenver.org and tell me who you worked for and I'll see if you are in the database.
6)
I got my 16 hours for my Comped Badge, but how do I get it? They have your badge at the Reg Desk, just head on over to there and tell them you have a Volunteer Comp badge.
7)
I emailed you but you didn't respond! Yeah... about that... *Scratches head nervously* I've had a rather complicated year: I'm a new dad and the company I am working for is struggling to survive, so I'm pulling a
ton of extra hours... Those aren't excuses, simply explanations: I'm usually slow to respond until June/July, but this year has been unusually bad for me. I apologize for that. I have everyone's email messages and I'm going through them, I promise!
Erm... I feel like I should say something in closing... so, on behalf of your Volunteer crew, Myself, Jackson, Emily and Adrianna, I would like to wish you a safe and happy convention and remember that in the event of a water landing, your seat cushions double as a...um... flotation device...
