Actually, there is a Steem Curator team for newcomers since month and for even longer newcomers are guided and given advice.
Many opinions are shared about this fact and it is discussed which are the most loyal Steemians or if you like 'thebdie hards'.
Unfortunately these are not the Steemians who received high upvotes as a newcomer and been helped. They took the money and ran withoutbglreturninf the support. Literally everyone being longer and known figured it out alone and most did it without a single vote during the first period from one month up to years.
So question is: why did they join? How come they did not understand PoB, what made them believe others would find their post among thousands of others?
Dit they read the Steemit FAQ? If yes, did they understand they are on their own and there's no one to help them out?

This might sound bitter but is the truth. Only by connection to others, commenting and asking the way it is possible to know the answers to the questions.
That is how I figured it out and sooner or later I always someone willing to explain.

As a newcomer you also have a commitment to the other members and you cannot expect those being longer around the pull the entire carriage one handed. They also started at zero.

If it comes to the prizes if contests I noticed the same. A good reason for me to no longer join. In my case because the winners were always selected among the own country fellows.

Everything you bring up here if it comes to newcomers has been discussed since years and the worst that happened was bringing in new members with false promises like: you post and earn a fat upvote.