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Career Advice on How to Become A Mystery Shopper “Like, oh my god, do you like shopping? Like, oh my god, me too! If only there was a way I could like get paid and stuff for shopping. Like, oh my god, I would kill someone for a job like that! Oh my god!” Have you ever overheard a conversation of this kind? It wouldn’t be any great surprise if you had. The idea of being paid to shop is much like the idea of being paid to play video games. It sure sounds good on paper. So if Mystery Shopper is on your job search agenda, we totally understand. After all, we love shopping too. |
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Career Facts:
Mystery shoppers have a pretty straightforward job; they visit stores, act like regular customers, ask questions, interact with store staff and then file reports. Mystery shopping might sound like a new idea, but it’s been around since the 1940s and was developed as a way to see what employees were naughty and which ones were nice.
Mystery shoppers are most often used in retail stores, fast food restaurants and movie theaters. However, they can, in fact, turn up in almost any establishment. It is not uncommon for mystery shoppers to visit such operations as banks and health clubs as well. As a mystery shopper, you might be called on to evaluate everything from how long it took the staff to help you and how friendly they were, to the quality of the store in general.
Career Opportunities and Job Outlook-Good:
The size of the mystery shopping industry is a bit shocking. It is estimated that mystery shopping is a $600 million dollar a year business. Additionally, this business seems to be growing.
A Day in The Life:
Your average mystery shopper can end up in almost any establishment. Once at that establishment, he or she can be evaluating almost any factor under the sun. However, staff helpfulness is usually the most important factor.
The job of mystery shopper has a few things going for it, such as a degree of freedom. For example, one does not have a “boss” who is looking over one’s shoulder. So if one of your career planning goals is achieving autonomy, becoming a Mystery Shopper could be something to consider.
Average Salary:
Don’t expect to get rich at this job. You won’t be able to do much real shopping with the money you make with this career.
Career Training and Qualifications:
If you know how to shop and can fill out basic, simple reports, you have a good shot at this job.