Career Videos

Video Transcript

For everything from screening college applicants, to gathering patients’ medical history, to polling citizens about government plans, professional Interviewers gather information from the public. Interviewers ask prepared questions and carefully record the responses. They ask for demographic details about the people they interview, and about preferences, spending habits, or political interests. Many work for healthcare facilities to gain accurate information about patients' medical history and health coverage. Interviewers need to be pleasant and tactful, even after hours of sitting or standing. They need to be good listeners, and be careful not to influence answers one way or another. Detail orientation, analytical thinking, and organizational skills are all important for work like coding, compiling and sorting the data they collect. Schedules vary based on the project, but most employers require a high school diploma, or its equivalent to enter the field. Fluency in a second language is a plus. Interviewers help ensure that many important decisions affecting the public are based on complete and accurate information.