Jobs For You: Becoming a Market Research Interviewer

Getting into the market research field is remarkably easy. Many newspapers have market research interviewer jobs available and you can often start the same day you were hired.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

• High school education

• Good grasp of the English language

• Ability to talk to the General public with ease

• Able to follow instructions

• Patience and ability to deal with rejection

• Computer literate, with decent keyboarding ability

As long as you meet these basic requirements, and you don't have any outstanding arrest warrants or a criminal record, you can probably get yourself a job.

The other stipulation is that you need to be able to commit to whatever that particular company requires of their employees. Because you are calling the general public, it is easiest to reach them on evenings and weekends. Therefore, many firms state that you must commit to a certain number of weekends, so that they can make sure they have enough staff.

The actual hiring process will be either handing the supervisor your resume, or filling out an application. You will be then be given an interview, which is usually short, making sure you possess the necessary requirements, and that you are available for when they need you. In most cases, the interviewer will let you know that they cannot guarantee any work, but that you will be called when the projects come up. Because they are hiring often, there's a good chance that you will get called soon, and may even start that very evening.

After you've learned the basics of the job, you will soon start to crave some social interaction, and want to get to know your coworkers. Here is some advice on fitting into the market research call centre world.

One thing to remember when working at the centre, is that there are three kinds of people:

1. Students: Finding this an easy way to make some pocket money. May skip shifts, and usually stick together.

    

2. In-betweeners: Are in between jobs and using this as a convenient way to pay the bills until something else comes along. May also be doing another job, or be developing their own business, or freelancing work. This group is easiest to break into, and you can learn about many different fields by socializing with them.

    

   Lifers: These are the ones you need to respect. They might have their own special chair, and will have strong opinions about what is being done. The lifers will also stick together, and will often not bother with the new people. They usually feel pride at what they do, and are usually given preference by the supervisor when it comes to working on more advanced projects. They are the the backbone of the call centre.

During breaks and before your shifts, there is plenty of time to get to know people. There is a good mix, and if you are friendly, it is easy to make some friends. Don't get too attached, though, because these places definitely have a high turnover.

Because the pay is so low, and it tends to get boring, some of the more ambitious interviewers start snooping around for better opportunities. As well, supervisors keep their eyes open for the more talented workers to choose for better assignments.

What kind of advancement is available in the market research field office? Well, there are two main areas to look at: higher level interviewing positions, and supervisory positions. The first area, higher level interviewing positions, involve doing much the same kind of work, with some added challenge, and will offer better pay. Some example of this are:

• Intercept interviews (going out in public and asking people to complete a survey with you).

• Door-to-door interviews (knocking doors and interviewing people in their homes).

• Recruiting (calling people and asking them to come to focus groups)

• Business interviewing (calling business people, and getting their opinion on things related to their business).

The other way to move up in the business is to become a supervisor. This is a busy, fast-paced job where you must constantly monitor what is happening with your interviewers, and keep in close touch with the managers who are wanting the results.To be a supervisor, you have to be able to have people listen to you, keep track of many things at once, and be willing to work until the job is done.

Supervisors may sometimes move into the data side of the business, and learn market research analysis, report-writing and project managers. These jobs are harder to obtain, and it is a good idea to let the supervisor know right away that are interested in going further in the company. You may want to enquire about how they feel about interviewers moving up. Some employers may welcome the show of ambition, while others would rather obtain their professionals from outside sources.

One other way to move up in the field is to work for a more prestigious organization. For example, in Canada, you can work for the government, at Statistics Canada, as an interviewer, where the pay is significantly higher, and benefits are offered.