Sometimes I like to wander through the #communityrelations group, and I always come across comments from people so willing to become volunteers, (and a lot of comments from `phoenixleo ._.) specifically in the The Community Relations Team journal, where the opening positions are listed.

To those people: take this journal just as a personal opinion coming from a former volunteer, who currently is just a regular deviant (as in: non-admin of any sort) like you, from someone who, like you, love the community and is willing to contribute and give back the way he can:

I think is great that people is so enthusiastic and passionate about volunteering, it's something that shows. People constantly say "I so would love to help!", "I can't wait to be 18 to apply!", "I so want to be on the team!", there are some who list the complete CR roster in their personal profiles, who openly say in their tagline, signatures or devIDs "Hoping to be a CV one day", etc.


I'm not $Moonbeam13 nor $fourteenthstar, and only they know what they look for when selecting new CVs, but if I were them I think I would take that passion people demostrate into account during my selection process . I'm pretty sure they do too.


But along those "I want to be a CV" comments, there are also disappointment demostrations from people who applied for a position but didn't get selected, or when they are below 18 so they can't apply yet, when the positions they are hoping for are not open yet. etc. I don't think those are wrong, I know where they come from, and I'm not here to say it's wrong at all.  But sometimes I wonder if people is not more concentrated on becoming a CV rather than doing what a CV does. I know it sounds like it's the same but it isn't. It's obvious that not everybody can be a CV, but the more people do what a CV does I think this would be a better community.

If you really want to help, to contribute and give back to the community, then you simply do it, because you know you can. You don't need to be a volunteer, not even a senior for that. I know it has been said before but it remains true; You don't need a fancy symbol to do what a CV does. Basically you can do everything a volunteer does with a few obvious exceptions, like choosing DDs or locking forum threads, but what I think are the most important things a CV does remain free for everyone to do: promoting people, sharing resources, educating, mentoring and more. There also comes the point of motivation and I think you should do all that because you enjoy it, not because you just want to get a hat ^

I said enjoy, because I think it's very important, crucial even. You don't get paid for posting an informative journal, or selecting DDs or hosting a contest. The very same word says it; you are a volunteer, you do what you do voluntarily, because you want to, because you enjoy it, otherwise I don't think you would be doing it. When you are on the team, nobody is after you "hey! you haven't selected tomorrow's DD!", "hey! you need to organize a contest!" Everybody is free to do what they want the way they want (of course as long as you adhere to the team's guidelines and the Core Values) for instance, it's not required from a volunteer to select a single DD during their term. I know, shocking huh? But guess what? Volunteers do it anyway, why? Because they choose to, because they want, because they enjoy it.

Are you willing to do what a CV does? to "foster creative genius by encouraging artists to grow, collaborate and participate in a friendly and supportive artistic environment"? because I honestly think all of us can do that already, volunteers or not, so once again, if you want to do all that, then by fella's sake, DO IT! If you want to become a ^ so bad, maybe you should first stop and question yourself why you want it, and make sure you are not more concentrated on just getting a new symbol.

All this is not to say that you shouldn't want to become a CV officially, and is not wrong to feel disappointed when you apply unsuccesfully. (personally, I applied several times before getting selected a few years ago, I know how that is, trust me) This is to encourage you to don't give up and don't feel too disappointed if you don't get selected once, twice or several times. I know some of you already do what a CV should be doing and I'm pretty sure you'll become one oficially one day if you don't give up. Do you enjoy promoting people in your journal? Giving critiques and thoughtful comments? Hosting a community project? Helping new artists with what you know? That's amazing! Let nothing stop you from continue doing that! Not because you don't have a ^ means you shouldn't be doing all that, in fact is all the way around, if you really want to volunteer in an official capacity you are already a step ahead and even if you don't have a ^ right now, you are already making this community a better place So thank you!

Edit
There's something $wreckling added related to this here that I loved, here are some excerpts of what he wrote:

"Rejection happens. This is something that I don't really mention much, simply because it doesn't come to mind all that often, but there are quite a few of us on the team who weren't brought on the first time we applied, or the second. I was brought on after my fifth and sixth applications, respectively....

... If you're not accepted on your first application, that's okay! I look at it this way, if it's something you really, really want, then it gives you a chance to make yourself an active, standout member of the community...

... if it's something you're ready and willing to do the work for, then just keep striving for it, and more often than not, a proper opportunity will come. Don't be afraid of rejection along the way, at worst it'll test your resolve, and at best it'll prepare you for what is to come. :]"