What does an interviewer do?
Interviewers collect and verify information in person or by telephone and mail for a variety of purposes such as completing applications, forms, and questionnaires. The questionnaires often include medical histories, Census forms, market research surveys, and college admission applications. They review the documents and ensure they are legible, accurate and complete and then they record the information. They also create files and complete processing tasks. Many interviewers help people with filling out medical documents, opening bank accounts, applying for charge accounts, and other documents. Some interviewers schedule appointments, answer incoming calls, and provide general information. Interviewers often obtain information from customers on the phone. Interviewers work for a variety of organizations such as health-care facilities, financial institutions, the government, and market research companies.
What kind of training does an interviewer need?
Interviewers must have at least a high school diploma or GED. Many interviewers have some type of related work experience in telemarketing or other telephone-related tasks. Many employers prefer applicants with previous customer service experience, a clear speaking voice, strong data entry skills, and basic computer skills. Many interviewers complete courses in word processing to have a valuable advantage in the field. Most employers provide on the job training to new interviewers to enable them to learn the policies and procedures of the company. Interviewers must keep their skills up to date and stay abreast with advancements in their field. They often complete additional training as needed throughout their careers.
What are the prospects for a career as an interviewer?
Employment of interviewers is expected to grow faster than average for all professions, increasing 16% from 2008 to 2018 (1). The rapid increase in the market research and healthcare industries will drive job growth.
Job prospects should be good especially for interviewers with extensive experience and good customer service skills. Many job openings will arise from the need to replace interviewers that retire, transfer, or leave the field for other reasons.
How much do interviewers make?
As of January 2010, the average annual salary for interviewers is $28,000; average annual interviewer salaries vary greatly on location, industry, employer, education, experience, and benefits (2).
A career as an interviewer is a great choice for people with a strong interest in providing interviewing tasks for a variety of positions for their employer. Interviewers must have excellent customer service skills, good listening skills, and strong communication and interpersonal skills. Detail orientation, self-confidence, motivation, accuracy, and good organization skills are necessary characteristics. Interviewers must be comfortable sitting for long periods of time and completing repetitive tasks. They must be able to work effectively independently. They must be able to work under stress and pressure to meet specific deadlines and deal with difficult customers.
