Openings for Interviewers at the Polling Institute
The Institute is hiring students to work as telephone interviewers for our surveys. After completing training, students work four-hour shifts in the Institute's call center in Churchill 303. These are paid positions, and students can also earn course credit for working as an interviewer.
Frequently Asked Questions for Interviewers
Q. Do I need to have work-study funding to work at the Polling Institute?
A. You do not need to have work-study funding. All students at Western New England University are eligible to work at the Institute.
Q. I’ve never worked as a telephone interviewer before. Can I still apply?
A. No previous experience is necessary. We will train you.
Q. What are the days and hours for polling?
A. We poll in four-hour shifts, typically from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weeknights.
Q. Do I have to sign up for every shift during a survey?
A. Work as many or as few shifts as you would like.
Q. How do I schedule my training and shifts for a survey?
A. The Polling Institute handles schedules for training and interviewing using a Kodiak classroom created for interviewers. If you are not enrolled in the Polling Institute's Kodiak classroom, contact Dr. Vercellotti at polling@wne.edu and he will enroll you. Log on to Kodiak, follow the link for the Polling Institute classroom, and look under News for the latest information on schedules for training and interviewing. Use the Kodiak e-mail system to send your scheduling requests to Dr. Vercellotti, and watch for responses in your Western New England University e-mail account.
Q. Whom are we interviewing for the surveys?
A. We conduct statewide surveys of adults in Massachusetts, as well as local surveys in cities and towns in western Massachusetts and regional surveys in New England.
Q. Where do we get the telephone numbers for the surveys?
A. We typically reach households using a computer-generated sample of landline telephone numbers that are distributed in proportion to the population based on area code and telephone exchange, with random combinations of the final four digits for each telephone number. This allows us to reach unlisted numbers and new listings, increasing our probability of drawing a representative sample of the population. We also dial cell phone numbers in statewide and regional surveys to ensure that we draw a representative sample of the population that we are studying.
Further questions? Contact Dr. Tim Vercellotti, director of the Polling Institute, at polling@wne.edu, or by calling 413-782-1724.