Sticky Staff Application Guide

WELCOME PROSPECTIVE APPLICANT!
Thank you for showing interest in joining our staff team.
This thread is a list of guidelines and tips that'll help you in your application process.
Reading and following the guidelines here will greatly increase your chances.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION AND STAFF QUALITIES
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APPLICATION STAGES
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GOOD APPLICATION EXAMPLES
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Introduction
Some things you should be aware of before you Apply:

• Not everyone can be staff.
• You will be up against all of other applicants.
• Spots on the staff team can be limited, at times.
• Do not make fake/meme applications. You may be warned for doing so.

The Staff Team of SGM
Staff represent the entire SGM Community; both in-game and on its other platforms. The staff team of SGM is composed of several hierarchical tiers: Moderators, Administrators, Lead Admins, and Owners. When applying, you will be considered to the rank of a Moderator; the backbone of the staff team. For more information about the structure of the staff team and the different ranks, refer to this post. As a Moderator, your objective is to enforce SGM rules and assist players. You will be given a variety of tools to help you complete your objective.

SGM Staff Ethos
The characteristic spirit of the staff team. Built on some of the following characteristics:

Professionalism
Professional players always show respect to whomever they are dealing with, no matter their personal opinion or standing with them.

Activity
Active players maintain high availability and activity in the SGM community at all times. The SGM community is composed of many different services - GMod, SGM forums, Discord - all of them require constant supervision and staffing. Remaining active on all platforms shows community members who you are and it gives them someone upon which they can rely.

Commitment
Committed players hold take their responsibilities to another level. Being committed to the SGM staff team can be demanding and stressful at times. Dedicating time to the SGM community and being a part of "something bigger" is the foundation of the staff team.

Minimum Requirements
All of these requirements must be met BEFORE you make your application. Applicants that do not meet those requirements will be automatically rejected.

Able to adequately communicate in English
Staff are required to properly communicate to our community and English is the primary language of communication. Knowing another language can also be a benefit your application.

15 hours of Gameplay bi-weekly (within two weeks)
You cannot apply with less than 15 hours in the last two weeks.

50 total hours of gameplay on SGM Servers
Be well knowledgeable in how our servers work and in the rules that apply to them. Placed to ensure candidates have took some time to get familiar with the servers and the community.

Linked Steam Account
For tracking purposes, as our systems use your SteamID to track your performance and stats.
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Linked Discord Account
- Discord is used to communicate as a team and make announcements.
- Staff members are also required to moderate our Discord and ensure the chat is clean from troublemakers.

Two-Factor Authentication Enabled
For security purposes.

Self-Evaluation
Now that you know what we require from our candidates, it's time evaluate whether or not you should give it a go. To help you with this, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you meet the minimum requirements mentioned above?

• What is your goal with applying to the team? What are you hoping to achieve through that?

• What skills and knowledge do you have that can contribute to the team and the community?

• How much can you commit yourself to the role? Can you see yourself as a staff member in the long run? Months? Years?

• Can you handle the different situations you'll be required to handle in a mature way?

• How well do you handle social interactions? How well can you interact with others? How well can you handle disputes with others?

• How well do you handle pressure? Can you keep a levelled head even during pressuring, frustrating or discouraging times?

• Are you knowledgeable enough in our game rules and community rules?

• How much time can you dedicate to your staffing duties? Can you staff daily? Will your daily schedule (school/work) allow you to remain active in the long run?

• Do you have a clean record in our servers, or have you been banned/otherwise punished a lot? Will your history stand against you when you apply? Can you convince us you have changed your ways?

• How is your reputation in the community? Are you familiar with the players and the staff? Are there any reputable players/staff that can recommend you?

 

Creating the Application
To create an application, use the following link and fill in the form:
https://www.seriousgmod.com/forms/moderator-application.2/respond

Writing Tips:

• All the fields in the form are required.
• Read the description for each field carefully.
• Be as specific as possible with your playtime. Type !stats while in-game to your exact playtime.
• Select either the day team, the peak team, or the night team. You must comply with the appropriate times for your team choice; Day(8AM-8PM PST); Night(12AM-12PM PST);Peak(4PM-4AM PST). 11 hours must be in the shift for which you are applying.
• Add in your timezone offset to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Use sites like https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/ to find it.
• Previous staff experience: Only include experience that is relevant. Examples: Staff member on another GMod community, running your own community, or moderating online forums; add how long you spent in those positions. If the experience comes from another community, write only the community name.
• Previously been a staff member in SGM: What led you to leave/stop? Explain what happened and why would things be different this time.

Why Should We Accept You
Most important part in your application. Fill this section with as much reason as possible.

• List skills and capabilities you can bring to the team.
• List strengths compared to the usual player.
• List experience you can utilize to help.
• Design your text well; don't go overboard. Using proper English can be very beneficial as it helps convey your message.

Next Steps

• Submit your application. The application will only be visible to you and the staff members.
• Staff members will read your application and reply to it with their feedback, questions, and opinions on you being on the staff team.
• Staff members will commonly use +1, -1 or neutral to summarize their opinion. Note: Only meant to act as indicators; numbers themselves mean nothing.
• Address any concerns and feedback posted by staff members.
• Admins will decide whether or not to accept you. This process can take anywhere between a few days and a few weeks. Note: Moderators posting in your application is important; Admins read their feedback and can factor it into their decision.
• Remain patient.

DO NOT

Advertise Your Application
Your application is displayed in private only to yourself and to the staff team; no one else should be able to know of its existence or contents. Do not mention your application or advertise it to ANYONE, including staff members. This is seen as advertising/self promotion, and is frowned upon by our staff team.

• Examples of advertising/self-promotion:
  • Asking staff members to check your application.
  • Mentioning your application for no reason, or to players who should not be aware of it.
  • Asking/begging admins to pick you up, even through subtle hints.
  • Mentioning you "plan to apply soon" or similar claims.

Display Poor Applicant Traits
Your actions and behavior in the community are always being evaluated.

• Examples of Poor applicant traits:
  • Going inactive in the community.
  • Breaking rules.
  • Harassing players.
  • Trolling or generally causing trouble.

Bump Your Application
Bumping is not necessary; applications are always being evaluated.

• When to Bump:
  • A long time has passed (a few weeks).
  • Mentioning changes in the body of the application.
• Excessive bumping can lead to a rejection.

Judgement Options

ACCEPTED

• An Admin has decided to accept you on their team.
  • The Admin will contact you to conduct a personal interview.
    • The admin will explain everything to you once you get there.
  • If you pass the interview, the admin will promote you to a Trial Moderator.
    • This process will be explained by your admin.
    • You will receive daily training by current staff members; teaching you how to use the different staffing tools.
    • Your performance will be evaluated.
  • If you pass your trial, you will be promoted to Moderator.
  • Begin your adventure as a staff member in SGM!

DENIED

• An Admin will explain the reason for the denial and what you should do to improve.
• The admin will give you a date of when you can reapply.
  • Do NOT send another application before this date.
  • Doing so will lead to its rejection and severely harm your future chances.
• Don't be discouraged!
  • Rejection and cooldown periods are to help you better prepare yourself for the next attempt.
  • Take the feedback and apply it to yourself.
    • Doing so will improve your chances of selection the next time.

 

Good Application Examples
The color of each username indicates the highest rank this staff member has reached in SGM.

• Opalium: https://pastebin.com/2t8vD5sJ
• Teroxa: https://pastebin.com/Ywuwvrkj
• wink: https://pastebin.com/n3zq6Pxc
• andrewca79: https://pastebin.com/6U0mMurK
• Destiny Blade: https://pastebin.com/hgvfFDvW
• Pacifist: https://pastebin.com/RTZPEJR2
• Acnologia: https://pastebin.com/bBvx02rf
• Atlas: https://pastebin.com/A3GNPXYU
• ekksdee: https://pastebin.com/LTLfc437

Note: Do NOT copy-paste these apps or parts of them into yours. Doing so will result in immediate rejection.

Returning Applicants

Create a fresh application
DO NOT copy-paste your previous application with minor changes.

Stay Up to Date
Rules and protocols may be different. Policies may have changed. New tools may have been introduced. Refresh your memory, ask staff, and re-read the rules.

Address Previous Issues
You are likely to face some questioning feedback. Answer it with honesty and seriousness. Use your app as a chance to clear the past and start a new page. Do not forget to address past incidents..

Conclusion
Take the application process seriously. We seek the best and highest quality members for our team. That being said, we're not going to be afraid to take risks; everyone can grow and improve. Don't hesitate to apply to the SGM Staff Team!