Different types of professional interviewer jobs run the gamut from journalist and investigator jobs to marketing and human resource jobs. These jobs are available to people pursuing careers in media, entertainment or law, as well as in business or health care. Interviewer jobs are positions where a professional seeks to gather facts and opinions from everyday people or experts for the purpose of informing, entertaining or solving mysteries and problems. Persons seeking employment as interviewers often have to be comfortable and bold enough to approach and converse with strangers of any age and background in any setting.
For a career as a media interviewer, one can consider a job as a newspaper reporter, magazine writer, radio host or television reporter. These professionals report on breaking news or pop culture by interviewing citizens, government officials and often celebrities. Interviewer jobs of this kind often require a degree in journalism or communications; however, many have broken into such media jobs by networking and starting grassroots blogs, online radio programs or public access television shows.
Law enforcement personnel and attorneys hold investigative interviewer jobs. Attorneys interview litigants in a court case during a special question-and-answer session known as a deposition. They also interview or cross-examine witnesses during court cases to draw out information that will help a judge of jury determine who is at fault. Police detectives and patrol officers regularly interview witnesses, suspects, and crime experts as part of their daily jobs.
The most common interviewer job is that of human resource (HR) manager or specialist. Responsible for hiring the workforce in any profession, HR representatives interview people to assess if their skills and personality make them suitable matches for any job openings. Unlike media and investigative interviews, which might be ultra-formal, the HR job interviewer often seeks to strike a comfortable, informal rapport. These interviews may be conducted in an office or at lunch.
In marketing, executives may arrange focus groups where a person hired for a market research interviewer job questions consumers on their buying and shopping habits to determine how much they use certain products and whether a viable customer base exists for any new or improved products. Marketing interviewer jobs require the employee to gather details on customer behavior so that a company can pitch a product to the right demographic or make changes that would ensure that a service or product is more appealing. Health care interviewer jobs, such as intake specialists or caseworkers, require professionals to interview patients to gather medical history, family background, socio-economic conditions, and other personal details. Such interviewers might be used not just for assessment and treatment, but also for research. At universities and research hospitals, medical interviewers gather the building blocks for documentaries, projects, and health studies.