If there is one thing I learned from my six years in the Brony Fandom, it is that volunteering at a fan convention is perhaps the best first step towards gaining employment. Just the idea of being around people that have the same keen interest as you may seem like the ideal job.
But volunteering at a fan convention is more than just living the dream and getting to experience the convention either for free or at half price. Volunteering is meant to teach you the importance of teamwork, responsibility and overall self-confidence.
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Now, even though I never did any volunteering at fan conventions or brony conventions, I will say that as an attendee I experienced people running around trying to bring something to life. Many thoughts went through my mind as I took in what I was seeing. These people were dedicated to their craft, even though they weren’t being paid for it. They were showing pride in a convention in the same manner as an employee for a business or company.
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To this end, I’ve been recently thinking of something that could greatly boost someone’s chances of being employed, especially if they are neurodiverse.
We all hear the idea of gaining experience at our own pace, but what if that we could gain experience in an environment that not only we could thrive in successfully, but socially too. Many fan conventions are conventions that have been around forever and has gotten to a point like they are the Brigadoon of businesses.
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The problem is that a lot of job coaches/advisors and vocational centers do not see fan conventions as a great place for work experience. While I will say that it is true as there are some types of fan conventions that are questionable to say the least, there are some that are very well run and very family friendly.
Volunteering at a fan convention can often be viewed as a great way to start building a resume. Many employers who are in entertainment industries will often benefit from people who volunteer as it is a field that they are built for.
Another area that volunteering at a fan convention could benefit towards is customer service industries. Retail, restaurant and transportation companies that require customer service will often look for candidates that have had experience in interacting with the public.
Some of the areas of interaction at fan conventions include registration, help desk or warm up acts for certain panels.
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Now, the thing to keep in mind about fan conventions is that they can be a neurodiverse/disabled person’s first exposure to sensory overloads and issues (if they aren’t self-aware of themselves yet).
If you are a job coach/advisor and are thinking of maybe starting your client off at volunteering at a fan convention, it’s always a good idea to maybe teach individuals the best ways to cope with the environment. Some individuals can even be bothered by those who are cosplaying based on any visual or even vocal stimulations. I will say that being a con goer does come with being subjected to a kind of stimulation.
It helps that if your client is just starting to get the exposure needed to start their journey towards employment that includes volunteering at a fan convention, perhaps start maybe by doing 4 to 6 hours and then for the next fan convention in cities or towns with multiple conventions that suit the individual’s needs, maybe bump up to 6 to 8 hours.
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One last thing to keep in mind is that fan conventions should NEVER be viewed as just work and no play, the individual is entitled to enjoy the atmosphere that comes with fan conventions which includes interacting with fellow attendees and perhaps even develop friendships. Yes, while the individual is there to learn job skills, they are also learning social skills at the same time.
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Catch you all later!!
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