The Owlfred Chronicles

OpenStudy has been pretty busy for the past few months, and promises to continue to be so over the next few! As Marketing Manager, I’ve been doing a variety of tasks, from community management to passing out candy at local colleges. But one of my favorite responsibilities by far is managing OpenStudy’s Ambassador program. Launched at the end of January, OpenStudy’s Ambassadors are responsible for engaging with new users onsite and helping them learn OpenStudy’s quirks and behaviors.

What makes a good Ambassador? Our chosen Ambassadors represent our best users and examples of the kind of users we love seeing. Each Ambassador must apply for the job and then goes through an interview with me.  They are polite, helpful, friendly, warm, outgoing, and ethical. They abide by our Code of Conduct, and are flexible when the Code of Conduct changes. They are willing to adjust their behaviors on site based on instructions, and even come up with ideas for us to implement. They are our Welcome Wagons and tour guides.

Ambassadors reach out to new users in chat, their first questions, and via private messages to welcome them to the site. They explain the norms of our community, introduce the moderators and the administrators, and act as a support for new users. Each website has its own culture, and OpenStudy is no different. Ambassadors help ease that awkward transition from knowing no one at the party to making friends. They explain where the chat is, and point them towards users they might find helpful.

Ambassadors also act as a great barometer of the site for us administrators. They let us know where problems take place, give feedback on new features, and a few of them are also Global Interns. What’s even more amazing is that they do it solely to benefit OpenStudy, and for no other reward. I love getting feedback from other users, moderators, and staff about my Ambassadors.

How do you become an Ambassador? Well, you start off by filling out this application (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BD3GW7T ). Then I will read through your application and let you know if you have been chosen for an interview or not. After your interview, you’ll hear back about my decision within a few days. Factors that go into my decision include your current level of activity on the site, your history on the site (yes, this means abuse reports), your interview, and what the rest of the staff has to say about you.

An important about being an Ambassador:

We require a scanned photo ID, so if you don’t have one, please don’t apply. A photo ID can be a school ID, driver’s license, or even a library card, as long as it has your photo and name on it. This usually means that our chosen Ambassadors are over 15.

If you’re still interested, I’d LOVE to have you on board. Fill out the application, and we’ll talk soon!

Happy Studying!

Laura*