Recruitment Ambassadors/About

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Role Description Recruitment Ambassadors are crucial leaders in the Wikipedia Ambassador program, and represent a huge step in efforts to transition more and more of the central leadership roles in the program from Wikimedia Foundation staff to Ambassadors. We have divided the U.S. into six "hubs" based on current resources and potential for growth. More details about the Recruitment Ambassador role are below, but in a nutshell – Recruitment Ambassadors will be in charge of coordinating professor and Campus Ambassador outreach. We are currently accepting applications for people located in or very near the following areas: San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Washington, D.C.; Ann Arbor, MI; Bloomington, IN. This is a leadership role with great opportunities for developing inter-personal, communication and public outreach skills. It also provides participants with significant professional-networking opportunities, especially in the education open-source communities. The time commitment for this role will be much higher before the start of each term than during the semester. We strongly encourage all Ambassadors to apply. Responsibilities Note: focus and priorities will differ across regions, depending on how much Ambassador/classroom activity is already in your region. Recruit and coordinate with professors in your region interested in using Wikipedia as a teaching tool in upcoming academic terms Recruit and coordinate with Campus Ambassador candidates in your region Coordinate the screening and selection of new Campus Ambassadors in your region for the following academic term Please note that this position will demand a high level of phone calls, emails and in-person meetings. More specifically, applicants should have very strong communication skills. Time Commitment & Term Period As stated above, the estimated time commitment for this role will vary throughout the term. For the month or two preceding the start of classes, outreach efforts will be require approximately 8-10 hours a week. Throughout the rest of the semester, recruitment efforts may be decreased to an average of only 3 hours a week. Recruitment Ambassadors should expect to serve for one calendar year: the few months before one term through that time a year later. The term of the first generation of Recruitment Ambassadors, for example, will be December 2011-December 2012. The Wikipedia Ambassador Steering Committee has the authority to recall and remove a Recruitment Ambassador at any time, so long as they have sufficient cause for doing so. What Recruitment Ambassadors Get (Benefits) Here are what we see as the two biggest benefits to being a Recruitment Ambassador: Customized leadership and management coaching - We will provide close, personal guidance and mentorship throughout the entire Recruitment Ambassador term to help develop and practice your leadership and community-organizing skills. Significant resume boost - you will be the very first generation of Recruitment Ambassadors, an important leadership role that is likely to translate very well into leadership and outreach roles in other organizations you may apply to in the future. In addition, we'd be more than happy to provide letters of recommendation to good Recruitment Ambassadors down the line. Qualifications Commitment to the Wikipedia Ambassador program and belief in the value of using Wikipedia as a teaching tool Ability to motivate and excite others Experience working in a coordinator/facilitator role Strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; comfortable speaking in front of groups Ability to develop solid relationships with Wikimedia staff, Wikimedia Community volunteers, and university staff, students, and faculty Ability to travel to different schools near the hub is desirable, but not required At least half a semester of experience as a Campus Ambassador or Online Ambassador is highly beneficial though not required. NOTE: This set of pages is still under construction, so expect some changes in the coming months.