STAFF OPENINGS.
Thank you for taking an interest in being a part of our wonderful Anthro New England con staff! Our team is committed to giving our attendees the best experience possible. As such, we hold our staff to a very high standard.
All staff roles are unpaid volunteer positions, but there are rewards for being staff – read on to see what staffing a con entails as well as what benefits come along with the positions.
Please review the below information in full before submitting an application – it’s important you understand the full extent of what your role entails!
STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES.
- Anthro New England staffers are held to a standard of behavior above our attendees. You must have a good attitude, be willing to work as part of a team, and be able to communicate!
- Anthro New England staffers are expected to work for a significant part of each day at the convention. Generally a minimum of eight hours per day is typical. Exceptions include those roles that put in similar hours before the convention.
- Prospective staff members should have a general idea of what position they feel they would fit in, even if that position is “general support person.”
- Prospective staff members should be prepared to attend online meetings ahead of the convention; we do not require that you attend every meeting, and meetings are not very frequent, but these are helpful to keep all staffers informed.
Being a staffer is a commitment and is not for everyone! Volunteer positions are always available if you still want to pitch in but would prefer a lower-commitment role. If you are interested, however, please peruse our open positions below!
HOW DO I JOIN?
As our convention grows, we are constantly in need of more hands to run the show!
Please read our open staff positions, listed here.
There are two tiers of staff: seasonal and core.
- Core roles are either specialized roles that need a specific set of skills (eg. Safety, A/V) or roles that require a degree of leadership. In these roles you are expected to put in 21+ hours over the course of the year, whether at-con or leading up in preparation. As a thank-you for your work, you will be provided a space in a compensated staff hotel room or early access to the hotel room block if you would like a private room, free registration, a free staff t-shirt, staff break-room with snacks, early access to the dealer’s den and main events, priority access for the Westin elevators, and a staff pin.
- Seasonal roles are great for those who want to give back to Anthro New England, but still want to enjoy the majority of the convention! In these roles you are expected to put in 12-20 hours over the course of the convention (and in limited cases, leading up in preparation.) As a thank you for your work, you will be provided free registration, a staff t-shirt, staff break-room with snacks, priority access for the Westin elevators, and a staff pin.
Our Video Team Staff play a crucial role in capturing and preserving the memorable moments of Anthro New England. You will work closely with the Video Team Lead and operate professional video equipment to record key convention events, and help us capture fantastic footage to be posted on the convention YouTube after the event has concluded.
Qualifications:
- Proven experience in video production, including camera operation and basic editing techniques.
- Experience operating video cameras on tri-pods
- Proficiency in framing and panning cameras after a target
- Proficiency in using Sony PXW-70 or similar camcorder devices.
- Strong technical skills and ability to troubleshoot equipment issues.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
- Creative and detail-oriented mindset.
- Passion for storytelling and capturing memorable moments.
Volunteer Department staff responsibilities cover communication and coordination of at-con volunteers. This involves reviewing volunteer requests, creating a schedule, and then adapting to changes in the volunteer schedule at con. Good communication skills, customer service skills, and the ability to adapt to a shifting situation are important for this position, and familiarity with excel or google sheets is a plus!
As an event support staffer, you are expected to assist up to two major events in various roles, including assisting fursuiters with prep for dance events, assisting with moving various gear, getting water to performers or participants, etc. A major element is being a runner for various tasks needed throughout the event. This role is seasonal.
Operations is responsible for making sure every other department has what they need to make ANE successful. Our staff are generalists who understand how all the pieces of a convention fit together, and problem solvers whose first reaction to any issue is to ask, “how can I help?”. Depending upon experience and desired commitment, you may be called upon to:
- Staff the Operations Desk, where we maintain a presence to respond to requests and distribute supplies to other staff
- Assist the specific areas within the Operations portfolio (e.g. Logistics needs another set of hands to move things in, or the volunteer coordinator needs a break)
In a pinch, assist anywhere else in the convention - Create procedures to help everything run smoothly, take note of what works and what doesn’t work, listen to feedback from staff and attendees, and think about how to make ANE even better!
If you are looking to join in the planning work before the convention, this is a Core position. If you’d rather stick to at-con duties, this is Seasonal. A commitment of about 20 hours during the convention is expected from both, depending on what’s needed.
Convention safety staff are one of the major faces of Anthro New England, and are primarily considered a customer service role. Safety staff will be expected to familiarize themselves with Anthro New England policies and procedures, venue layout, schedule, etc; and be expected to answer attendee questions as they arise. Additionally, safety staff will have responsibilities for crowd management such as badge checking, line management, elevator management, etc. Most safety staff will be on scheduled routine patrols throughout the convention function space, and will be expected to respond to various incidents as they arise, and either handle them, or escalate them to their shift lead as appropriate.
Safety staff will be expected to be able to take and log comprehensive incident reports digitally, manage sensitive information, manage the Anthro New England lost and found, etc.
Qualifications:
Developed problem solving skills
Relaxed and friendly attitude
Understanding of incident escalation
Basic understanding of google drive suite of products
Ability to act and prioritize incidents in stressful, high pressure situations
Ability to react to new issues on the fly
Ability to be forceful but polite with attendees and general public for crowd control
Medical team staff are responsible for the physical health and wellbeing of all Anthro New England attendees and team members. Medical staff must have a professional background in, and/or training in the medical field. Primarily medical staff will be responsible for managing and maintaining the infirmary during convention hours under the guidance and direction of a medical technician, however may be expected to fill the role of general safety staff as well if necessary.
Qualifications:
Background and/or formal training in the medical field or emergency response (Lifeguard, Emergency Medical Responder, NREMT Certification, etc.)
Current CPR certification required.
Familiarity with crowd control preferred.
Relaxed and friendly attitude
Ability to act and prioritize incidents in stressful, high pressure situations
Understanding of attendee privacy
Ability to exhibit discretion around potentially sensitive medical issues
Comfortable interfacing with first responders (City of Boston EMS, Fire, Police, etc.)
Staff photographs by Zashi, PoisonedShutter and Dash.