Meet SMA News Today’s newest forum moderator!
How previous volunteer experience prepared me for my new role
At the time I applied to be a columnist for SMA News Today, I knew just one piece of career advice: what you do in your personal life matters — especially if you’re a volunteer for anything.
I was 19 when I received that advice. I had no formal education, thanks to SMA’s laborious effects on my health as a child. Unlike my brother, I wasn’t a Red Cross volunteer or a waiter. But I’d spent so much time sharing about life with a disability in a Facebook singles group that I was eventually asked to advise the moderators on how to be more inclusive, and later, to become a moderator myself.
It was during a moderator meeting that I learned that one piece of career advice, actually. We were all sharing about our week, and one of the group’s founders said he had a job interview in which he mentioned the group. The rest of us asked why. He explained that many employers look into your volunteer activities to see where you might have relevant experience beyond your previous jobs.
In hindsight, his advice was quite obviously true. My brother is applying for university presently, and each school looks at its candidates as whole people, rather than a set of grades and scholarships. But to someone like me? Someone who was exempted from the national education system, in large part because her parents thought no one would hire an SMA patient? That information was novel and vital.
Who would’ve thought that, seven years later, I’d be hired as a moderator for the SMA News Today Forums?
A blast from the past
If I told my 19-year-old self about my career path, she’d think I was making stuff up to calm her anxiety about her future. I desperately wanted to have a job and earn my own money. But I didn’t know how that could happen without me earning a degree. And when I brought up the idea of reentering the education system, from the primary levels onward, my family and healthcare team expressed hesitance because I clearly possessed more knowledge than a child.
I didn’t realize that, as a volunteer moderator, I was learning fundamental skills I’d be using in every job I’ve taken on since I was 19.
Advocating for more inclusivity taught me to propose ideas and speak up boldly if I needed to with my seniors. Handling conflicts between group members helped me to communicate with a level head and become less conflict-avoidant. Thinking of content to post made me figure out how to get others to engage in discussions. My perception of what defines “inclusivity” broadened as it was challenged as we crafted guidelines and goals for the group.
I’m pretty sure my writing wouldn’t flow as well as it does if I hadn’t gotten a feel for how to convey the right tone, either.
You could also say befriending my fellow columnist Brianna Albers was networking; after all, she was the one who recommended that I join the SMA News Today team.
And looking back? Managing more than a thousand adults at 19, albeit with a few others, was seriously impressive. Most of our members were in their 30s and 40s, for reference.
Coming full circle
Funnily, I eventually quit that moderating position and told myself I’d never be a moderator again. I was essentially providing customer service without pay for over 10 hours a day, so I burned out at age 20.
But after taking a break for several months, I volunteered to help another group of moderators build a Discord server dedicated to fans of the “Dragon Age” video games. I’d missed the feeling of helping and talking to people with shared interests. Those are the same reasons I enjoy working in advocacy!
Thankfully, the server only grew to host about 200 members, most of whom preferred to read posts rather than actively participate. It was a much more manageable experience.
And now, I’m the newest moderator for the SMA News Today Forums.
It’s a little surreal to now be doing the first moderator “job” I ever had with pay. The environment may be different, as well as the team, but the responsibilities are more or less the same.
A major difference, though, is how quiet the forums are compared with the other groups I’ve moderated. So if you have a chance, I do hope you’ll come by and say hi.
While Bionews — SMA News Today’s parent company — is technically my employer, I’m there to be of service to you.
Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.
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