U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration https://www.onetonline.org 12m 3,085 #insights
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Interview persons by telephone, mail, in person, or by other means for the purpose of completing forms, applications, or questionnaires. Ask specific questions, record answers, and assist persons with completing form. May sort, classify, and file forms.
Sample of reported job titles:
Admissions Clerk, Admissions Representative, Admitting Representative, Data Collection Assistant, Interviewer, Market Research Interviewer, Registration Clerk, Research Interviewer, Survey Interviewer, Telephone Interviewer
Tasks
Ask questions in accordance with instructions to obtain various specified information, such as person’s name, address, age, religious preference, or state of residency.
Identify and report problems in obtaining valid data.
Ensure payment for services by verifying benefits with the person’s insurance provider or working out financing options.
Perform office duties, such as telemarketing or customer service inquiries, maintaining staff records, billing patients, or receiving payments.
Review data obtained from interview for completeness and accuracy.
Compile, record, and code results or data from interview or survey, using computer or specified form.
Perform patient services, such as answering the telephone or assisting patients with financial or medical questions.
Assist individuals in filling out applications or questionnaires.
Identify and resolve inconsistencies in interviewees’ responses by means of appropriate questioning or explanation.
Supervise or train other staff members.
Prepare reports to provide answers in response to specific problems.
Meet with supervisor daily to submit completed assignments and discuss progress.
Locate and list addresses and households.
Contact individuals to be interviewed at home, place of business, or field location, by telephone, mail, or in person.
Collect and analyze data, such as studying old records, tallying the number of outpatients entering each day or week, or participating in federal, state, or local population surveys as a Census Enumerator.
Explain survey objectives and procedures to interviewees and interpret survey questions to help interviewees’ comprehension.
Recruit participants for focus groups.
Technology Skills
Hot Technologies are requirements frequently included in employer job postings.
Work Activities
Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Staffing Organizational Units — Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
Monitoring and Controlling Resources — Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Detailed Work Activities
Interview employees, customers, or others to collect information.
Negotiate financial arrangements.
Resolve operational performance problems.
Verify accuracy of financial or transactional data.
Obtain personal or financial information about customers or applicants.
Collect deposits, payments or fees.
Check data for recording errors.
Compile data or documentation.
Code data or other information.
Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
Assist individuals with paperwork.
Supervise clerical or administrative personnel.
Analyze operational or research data.
Prepare research or technical reports.
Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
Confer with coworkers to coordinate work activities.
Select staff, team members, or performers.
Work Context
Contact With Others — 100% responded “Constant contact with others.”
Electronic Mail — 96% responded “Every day.”
Work With Work Group or Team — 96% responded “Extremely important.”
Face-to-Face Discussions — 82% responded “Every day.”
Telephone — 85% responded “Every day.”
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 68% responded “Extremely important.”
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 81% responded “Extremely important.”
Spend Time Sitting — 75% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
Deal With External Customers — 66% responded “Extremely important.”
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 74% responded “Every day.”
Time Pressure — 68% responded “Every day.”
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 57% responded “Important results.”
Physical Proximity — 50% responded “Moderately close (at arm’s length).”
Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 75% responded “Every day.”
Frequency of Decision Making — 52% responded “Every day.”
Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — 28% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 48% responded “More than half the time.”
Coordinate or Lead Others — 36% responded “Very important.”
Frequency of Conflict Situations — 17% responded “Never.”
Freedom to Make Decisions — 45% responded “A lot of freedom.”
Structured versus Unstructured Work — 48% responded “A lot of freedom.”
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 44% responded “High responsibility.”
Responsible for Others’ Health and Safety — 32% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
Exposed to Disease or Infections — 46% responded “Every day.”
Duration of Typical Work Week — 60% responded “40 hours.”
Letters and Memos — 37% responded “Every day.”
Level of Competition — 38% responded “Highly competitive.”
Job Zone
- Title
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate’s degree.
- Related Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Job Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
- Job Zone Examples
- These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
- SVP Range
- 1-2 years of preparation (6.0 to < 7.0)
Training & Credentials
- State training
- Local training
- Certifications
- Apprenticeships
- Have a career path or location in mind? Visit Apprenticeship.gov
to find apprenticeship opportunities near you.
Skills
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management — Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation — Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Knowledge
Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Administrative — Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
Abilities
Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Interests
Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Work Values
Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Work Styles
Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others’ needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Independence — Job requires developing one’s own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Wages & Employment Trends
- Median wages (2021)
- $17.89 hourly, $37,220 annual
- State wages
- Local wages
- Employment (2020)
- 180,200 employees
- Projected growth (2020-2030)
-
Decline (-1% or lower) - Projected job openings (2020-2030)
- 20,100
- State trends
- Top industries (2020)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 wage data
and 2020-2030 employment projections.
“Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2020-2030). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Job Openings on the Web
- State job openings
- Local job openings
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer:
Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries.
Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
Actively assisted with the O*NET data collection, helping to identify occupational experts who can be surveyed about their work in the occupation.
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