Fall 2018 Mentored Contributor Positions on Designing Sound

It’s that photo again, which means we’re opening up our next round of recruitment for mentored volunteers, known as Junior Contributors, to start in December (2018).

Mentoring will consist of one-on-one career development with Jack and Shaun, as you contribute to the site and expand your professional network. Please note that the mentoring is NOT focused on technical skills or portfolio development. It is instead based on cultivating the skills that will help you continue to expand your knowledge and skill set throughout your career, and help you engage with other professionals.

The Designing sound team is comprised of volunteers who contribute their time to enrich the sound design community and promote the sharing of knowledge. The site itself continues to be an ad-free source of valuable information and insight on the topic of sound and does not generate any revenue. That’s a core value that makes the site unique within our community. Understand that none of the staff writers are paid, but volunteering with the site brings it own unique set of benefits.

The team is a supportive close-knit group of extremely well connected professionals and alumni contributors who work in some of the highest levels of sound. We look out for one another and many DS volunteers, past and present, owe their current standing to opportunities that came out of their generous contributions to the site. And as a representative of a highly respected community site, you’ll be endowed with special powers enabling you to approach generous industry luminaries or hither-to undiscovered talents to share their knowledge and words of wisdom with the greater community.

Junior Contributor positions are open to those in the final two years of their academic programs, or recently graduated. You will report to the chief editors (Jack Menhorn and Shaun Farley), and transition through roles within the site that will help you embed within the community and expand your personal professional network. You will begin as a news editor, aggregating content from the community and helping to increase its visibility. The focus is not on industry news, but finding sources of substantive content that benefits all. We’re not the only source of information. When more people share knowledge and techniques, the entire community benefits. Helping highlight those generous souls is one important function of the site.

After a period of time, you will transition into content creation under the supervision of the editors. Assignments will be based on your interests and developmental goals as a sound professional. You will conduct interviews, author original pieces and may occasionally conduct reviews of software and plug-ins.

We expect a one year commitment from contributors, and our hope is that you find value and opportunity in your work for the site and community. Essentially, the role is open-ended should you prove to be a good fit with the rest of the team.

Requirements:

• Availability – This role does involve effort. Expect to spend at least 10 hours per month on content for the site.
• Reliability – The editors will work with you to set reasonable deadlines for your contributions, as we strive for a consistent level of content in our service to the community.
• Motivation – Tasks will be assigned with your personal development in mind. It’s up to you to make use of the opportunity. The mentors will not put in effort that you yourself aren’t.
• English fluency
• Access to a DAW – This may seem limiting, but just a quick reminder that a non-commercial license of Reaper is available for $60.

To apply, please e-mail volunteer[at]designingsound.org with the subject “Contributor Application” by October 8th with the following application materials:

• Cover letter  – Your background, professional goals, current involvement in the sound community (if any, local or broader scope) and what you hope to gain from working with the site.
• Resume or CV – We are not necessarily looking for a full history of work unrelated to sound. Completed course work/studies and related extracurricular activities are acceptable. However, at least one position of responsibility and its details should be provided (whether sound related or not). Please include your graduation, or expected graduation, date and place of study.
• Writing Sample – Work on the site involves a lot of writing. Please include a sample of your own authoring; max of 500 words (excerpts are fine).
• Two Personal References – Contact information only. We will reach out to them. One of these references should be from a sound professional with enough knowledge of your abilities to evaluate them (academic instructor or professors are perfectly acceptable); this reference CAN NOT be from a client.

We look forward to hearing from you!