Volunteer Program

Does the English on our website sound STRANGE to you? Would you like to help us put some better English on our website?
Are you interested in China, its history, culture, and people?
Shanghai Spring Tours is seeking online volunteers to assist us in improving our website.
Read on for more information on why this is a great opportunity for you to learn about China and to expand your horizons!
   * Why volunteer with us?
   * What will we want you to do?
   * Your commitment and our requirements.
   * Copyright Agreement
   * In-office volunteers
   * Application for online volunteers.

Why volunteer with us?
Shanghai Spring Tours is the leading travel agency in China. We are constantly searching for ways to improve our services and products and to find more innovative methods to give our customers an even more amazing China experience. Our volunteer program opens the door to many new and exciting opportunities and gives you the wonderful chance to know more about China and about what makes it great while helping out others who are interested in traveling to China. It is also a way to get out of your comfort zone, make new friends, and redefine what you know about travel. Best of all, you can set your own schedule and time commitments.
We will hold infrequent volunteer group meetings where interesting ideas for inbound travel tours will be discussed. You will also get the opportunity to travel to many places to consider new tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and other travel services we currently provide. If you like to travel, this is a great opportunity for you because for every full month you volunteer, we will pay for a trip to a place of your choice!

What Are Your Responsibilities?
We offer volunteer work in the following three categories out of which you can choose to focus on one or more:

Information
The main responsibility of our volunteers is to ensure that the English used on our website is not only correct but readable and easy to understand. You will also assist with improving the English skills of our sales people.
See below for details:
A. Proofreading of articles and web pages focusing on maintaining
1. Correct English (grammar, spelling, vocabulary)
2. Appropriate usage of English (language, sentence structure, expression, colloquialisms)
3. Content (article content, marketing elements, cultural aspects, suggest changes or additional content)

B. Supervise our evaluation project
1. Check if English is properly/correctly used in the articles. Check if expressions are current and understandable
2. Check for appropriate English (marketing elements, cultural aspects, expression)
3. Evaluate articles for the website
4. Provide suggestions on all elements of the website including color, photos, layout, etc.

C. Assist our travel advisors on the online network
1. Login to our online community regularly to share your travel experiences and help others understand China and Chinaspringtour.
2. Help spread the world about our travel services and our online community.

D. Collect interesting travel tips regarding China. Suggest information about China which would arouse curiosity and interest among foreign travelers.

E. Collect any copyrighted photos taken in China that may be of interest to perspective travelers.

Product evaluation
Assist us in improving our travel products and services by proposing suggestions on our products from a customer viewpoint regarding:
1. Our tour itineraries and listed attractions
2. Hotels used in our tours.
3. The food and entertainment programs offered in our tours
4. Any other services in our tours

IT Technology
1. Assist us in developing and testing computer programs and systems. If you are familiar with W3C, javascript writing, or general webpage design, this would be a great area where you can share your skills.
2. Give us valuable advice on our website. Suggest how we can improve our website from the following aspects:

1. Is it well laid out and easy to navigate? Is it aesthetically pleasing?
2. Is the information relevant and interesting to potential travelers to China?
3. Do you find the organization and content of our website (categories, classifications, labels) logical and easy to navigate?
4. Any other suggestions to improve our website.

Our Requirements
We are looking for people who are interested in China and/or love traveling, and would like to share their travel experiences and help others become interested in traveling to China.

Basic Skills:
1. Our volunteers should possess excellent writing skills and enjoy writing.
2. Pay attention to details when editing
3. Be willing to commit a sufficient amount of time for the timely completion of a project
4. Have access to a computer with Microsoft Word and internet access
5. Basic computer and internet navigation skills

Products evaluation
Should possess a good grasp and understanding of what Western travelers want.

Computer Technology
A. Good computer skills are essential.
B. Have experience in webpage planning/design or other relevant areas.
C. Have some understanding of popular webpage design software such as Dreamweaver, Photoshop, etc.
D. Familiarity with W3C, HTML, or javascipt is a valuable plus

*If you meet the requirements for one or more categories listed above, we would love for you to come on board as a volunteer. All you have to do is complete the form below and we will promptly get in touch with you to discuss how you can get involved. Thanks for your interest!

Copyright Agreement:
This agreement is a contract between Chinaspringtour and Chinaspringtour Volunteers.
Both parties will hereby agree to the following terms and conditions:
The work(s) created or to be created by Chinaspringtour volunteers - including proofreading, marketing, product evaluation, IT technology, or other will become the property of Chinaspringtour and Chinaspringtour will be the sole owner of all rights to copyright such work(s). To the extent the work(s) does/do not qualify as "work for hire" the volunteer does hereby transfer to Chinaspringtour all the rights and titles related to the copyright of the work(s) and any registrations and copyright applications relating thereto and any renewals and extensions thereof, and in and to all works based upon, derived from, or incorporating the work, and in and to all income, royalties, damages, claims, and payments now or hereafter due or payable with respect thereto, and in and to all causes of action.
Volunteers warrant and present to Chinaspringtour that he/she is the author or a contributing author of the work(s) and that the work(s) is/are original and has/have not been published before in any form and that it does not infringe upon any copyright of any other person and that he/she is the exclusive owner of the right herein conveyed to Chinaspringtour.
The term "work(s) to be assigned" includes: studies, writings, articles, or other materials identified above and any other materials or work products submitted for inclusion in the work(s), where such relevant materials are created as a result of the referred work or activities, reports, plans, designs, and suggestions.
Having accepted a position at Chinaspringtour, the volunteer acknowledges that he/she has read, understood and accepted the above copyright agreement.

In-Office Volunteer
Shanghai Spring Tours has a limited number of spots available in our Shanghai office for short-term volunteers with specific skills. In the past, we have accepted people for two-month periods to complete specific projects. Volunteers usually work part time at our office 20 hrs per week.
Our young, warm, and inviting team is always happy to include our volunteers in company and social events.
We believe a volunteer experience with Chinaspringtour should be fulfilling for both parties and we will do our best to uphold our end of the relationship. We want to make sure that the time you spend with us is a worthwhile experience.
We would be happy to help put you in touch with one of our former volunteers so you can hear about their experience.
Those who have expertise in the following areas and are interested in joining the team should contact Peter.w@chinaspringtour.com

A. Internet marketing
B. Webpage design
C. Search engine optimization
D. Online sales and marketing
E. Phone sales skills
F. Personnel development training: time management, communication training, change management and other areas that will improve the efficiency of our staff.