Helper Application Guide Introduction For those of you that don't know me, I'm ido_pieguy, or just Ido. I like helping people; hence this thread was born. I'll walk you through what you should write for certain questions, what the staff are looking for, and how to make your application stand out! By the way, I'll put a TL;DR after all of my very long paragraphs. (TL;DR is a summary of what I wrote) Some Tips Yay, the first step! Helper applications are just rolling out and there are already lots of responses. However, many of them are being removed, edited, or taken down per requests because of the massive hate on simple things like grammar or spelling. So here is a few tips for making your app grammatically perfect and visually appealing. 1. Spell-Check and a Dictionary are your best friend! There are many people applying for whom English is not their first language, or they are simply just not at the academical perfectionist level yet. Remember, that's perfectly fine! If applications were based on good grammar, tons of good people would be rejected. That being said, good writing skills are a benefactor to a good application because they show maturity and precision. TL;DR: Grammar is not the most important thing, but it won't hurt to have it be good. There are loads of online sources where you can just copy-paste entire paragraphs, and the program will spell-check, point out revision errors, and give suggestions. Even Microsoft Word or Google Docs will do that for you (though Word is more accurate). Grammar is the easiest thing to change, and it will make your application seem professional and Helper-worthy. TL;DR: Use Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or other online sources to instantly make your writing professional 2. Quality over Quantity! This is a very widely used expression, but its meaning is simple: small amounts of something good is better than large amounts of something bad. Similarly, writing large paragraphs that simply restate the same thing or have poor word choice, purposeful extension, or bad writing in general is not looked for in applications. TL;DR: Write something good! Take your time and make it meaningful. It is a very common illusion that "if you write more, they'll just think it's good and move on", but that is so wrong. First off, they won't just move on. This is a professional business (more or less ) and the staff will choose carefully who to put in a position of power. Writing a lot will make you seem like a monotonous person, and sometimes writing too much is a good enough reason to not accept you! The staff have lots of applications to get through, and they can't if they spend 20 minutes reading each one. TL;DR: Long applications are a bore to read and usually aren't better than short, good ones 3. Be Truthful and Be True to Yourself Don't feel like you have to lie on your application. Firstly, it's immoral and you won't feel good about it. Second, if you get caught, your chance of becoming Helper drops to 0. Besides, being truthful will build a sense of trust because you seem like an open person who everybody feels safe around. Keeping secrets or going on a "don't ask, don't tell" policy on staff applications is generally just not a good idea. TL;DR: Lying is immoral and dangerous, while being truthful builds trust Let's say you did something like grief an entire roleplay that took days to make, and you got banned for it. Your initial though on an application is to say, "No, I wasn't banned ever". However, that's a bad idea, very bad. As I said above, it's immoral and you will get caught. Plus, you're missing a great opportunity. Use your previous punishments to illustrate stories about your personal growth in maturity, responsibility, and decision-making. For example, you can get testimonies from people saying how you've changed. People tend to trust people who can change, because it shows that they're not stuck in certain states of mind, and that they're not biased. TL;DR: Use your previous punishments like bans or mutes to say how you've grown in character and why you are well-suited for staff (refer to above TL;DR) 4. Stand Out! The most fun part of the application is the designing. The beauty is that you can make your application stand out with pictures, fonts, and colors however you want. The only things you have to keep in mind are the template and a consistent professionalism. Other than that, do whatever makes your application indirectly describe you. For ideas, check out other users' applications. Just make sure not to copy them entirely. TL;DR: Your application should indirectly describe you; be creative! While you get to do whatever you want, don't go overboard. For example, don't make every word a different color/font, and don't put a picture after every paragraph. Make your add-ons relevant to your writing. Also, make sure to diversify somewhat so that your application isn't a giant block of text. That format is both visually straining and simply unattractive, and makes you seem lazy. TL;DR: Make your application both fun and easy to read (put spaces, different colors/fonts/sizes, and just diversify) If you want an owner's outlook on what they look for in players, refer to @CypriotMerks' post on Mineverse: http://www.mineverse.com/threads/supporting-applications-how-to-judge-an-applicant.8047/ Special thanks to @Robotican for the link What the Staff Look For in Answers The Minetime Helper applications are special in that there is a template. It can help you answer questions easily and it lets the staff compare similar candidates easily through their answers. I'm going to share some of the things that the staff look for in your answers and what would make you stand out. Your in-game name: This is basic. Stand out by listing past usernames as well. What timezone are you in? Again, pretty basic question. To check what timezone you're in, use http://www.timeanddate.com/time/map/ and put in your city name to find your timezone. What country do you live in? Just write the truth. What languages do you speak? English is basic. I would like to stress, however, that learning languages in school only counts if you're fluent. Learning it as a school subject doesn't count, and it won't make your application more impressive. Do you have 2FA enabled? Yes/No Just say Yes or No, not something like "No, but I can on request". Remember to be concise. Do you have the necessary means of capturing evidence? (i.e. recording software, screenshots, etc) Most computers have screenshot capabilities built in, and even if not, Minecraft has it's owner screenshotting system. Just press F2 (the key) to take a screenshot. To see how to access them, look it up for your specific operating system. For screen recording, most Macs have Quicktime Player. PC users can download a 3rd party software (make sure it's trusted). Also, Windows 8/10 users can use the built-in gaming recorder with Windows + G. Why do you think you should become a helper? This is the hardest question on here by far. Many people get confused about this, and there is no right way to answer it. Basically, just write your reasoning. To help in your thinking, try pretending you're the owner. What would you look for in a staff member, and which of those traits do you exhibit? Many members like listing their traits by section (i.e. Why I'm Dedicated ~ blah blah blah, Why I'm Needed ~ blah, blah, blah). However, everybody has their own method. Remember to be concise. This is an open answer question, but that doesn't mean you should write everything about you (like a life story). On the other hand, don't write so little that there's barely any reasoning. Try to provide proof of your qualifications and achievements through links and photos (but don't overdo it). Also, remember that it's perfectly OK to brag about yourself. Showing humility is respectful, but it is not required on an application. Remember to also include real-life achievements like relevant hobbies, school performance, and stories about how dedicated you are to things. Keep a consistent pace about your writing and be concise. How long can you be active on the server everyday? It's OK to say you can only be active for 2 hours. Just don't be that guy who says they can be active all day and just never be online. It also helps if you make a schedule of certain days and what hours you can be on. How long have you been playing Minetime? This is another question which people often get confused about. If you don't remember when you joined, don't make up a date, because chances are, you won't be believed. This question is not nearly as important as the others, so don't sweat it if you've only been a member for a few months. One of my friends who I had introduced to the server became a Helper after a few weeks of playing. Just goes to show quality over quantity. Have you ever been banned in the past? (Forums & In-game) For this question, I'd like to state what I said above: don't lie. If you have been banned before, say it! There are many really qualified and kind people who have been banned. Besides, lying will not help your application. If anything, be honest, because honesty builds trust. Also, use your ban experience to show how much you've grown in character and maturity since your ban. This growth will let people know you're a good person because of your experience. Do you have any past experience as a moderator/helper? This question is another one that isn't as important if you say No. There are plenty of very qualified applicants who have never been staff once. Just a helpful tip: being moderator on your friend's server that was up for a month and had 20 people on it does not count as experience. Just saying. Overall, your actual application should not be the reason you get in. The reason you get in should be your qualification. An application is just a mirror of your accomplishments and a summary of your experience. That being said, it doesn't hurt to have a nice application, just for the sake of standing out professionally. A Final Word Not many people get accepted to staff. The last time there were applications, only 34 out of the 511 applicants were accepted (7% or 1/14 people). Don't sweat it if you don't make it. If you are truly a good and qualified person, you will make it in independently (sometimes the owners promote outstanding members even if applications aren't open). I just have a few words for the applicants: 1) Don't rage if you didn't get in (that's just immature and decreases future chances) 2) Don't be mad at all at the system (the owners know what they're doing) 3) Learn from this experience (if you didn't get in, find out why and learn from it) All in all, I hope this guide helps out with your application, and I wish the best of luck to all applicants!