starting the day
“I think about what goal I am going to set for myself for the day. I try to be realistic and not defeat myself. I think about how I’ll work my cluster, about being persistent. Most times I reach my goal, sometimes I don’t. How many outs did Babe Ruth have before he hit all those home runs?”

what your week is like
“You are always talking to your Coordinator first. He or she tells you where you’ll be. I’m organized, so we work well together, but you also have to be flexible and be ready to ‘plan for the unplanned.’ I start my week looking at my itinerary and then speaking with my travel agent (the company assigns one to you and you end up developing a relationship with that person). I talk to her about where I’m going and what availability there is for hotels, flights, rental cars, etcetera. You usually end up staying in a place for ten to twelve days so there’s some planning you have to think about. Thinking about company costs comes into play, too.”

first tasks/job duties
“I make sure my timesheet and call record reports, these are peoples’ responses to our questionnaires, are edited and ready to go out via FedEx.”

lunchtime
“Once you’re in your area and working, sometimes lunch is a surprise. I always make sure I have water and a snack my car, because once you start knocking, you go! If I’m busy, I work through lunch. When I do have time, I may go to a museum nearby with my snack and enjoy both. I like to be back knocking on doors by 3pm—before kids get home from school and respondents may be distracted.”

afternoon activity
“I stay in my cluster ‘til I feel I’ve reached my goal or that it’s too late to make any more progress. If I’m waiting for people to come home or have some free time, I see what’s in the area. I see so many new things and places in this job. I see things I wouldn’t normally see.”

personality characteristics that aid your success
“I’m positive, upbeat, persistent and self-motivated. In this job, you have to think, ‘I’m going to get an interview at this house.’”

what you’re thinking as you end the day
“If I’ve reached my goal, I’m like, ‘YES!’ I try to reward myself now and then—I’ll get a manicure or pedicure. I usually shoot for a 70% goal. I’m happy if I reach that, but I’m the kind of person who always tries to push it even further.”

greatest thing about being a Field Interviewer
“A wonderful part of this job is I can mark out days I need for myself and work around them. If I want to see my granddaughter or need to be somewhere, I can take those days and work my interviews around my plans.”

background/experience
“I worked with the University of Chicago on a social science study for 13 years. I’ve also supervised for the Census—learning how to read a map and reading directions is important and really helped me when I came to AICS. I’ve been here for 20 years because I just love the company.”

favorite part of the day
“When I’ve completed an interview and the respondent has enjoyed it!”