2 November 2009

So you fancy a job with 63336?

Posted by: Bill Batchelor

And why wouldn’t you? It offers:

• Home-based working
• Completely flexible hours
• A truly diverse working day
• And a fascinating insight into the nation’s psyche

All this, AND you get paid!

But first you have to pass a rigorous selection process, designed to ensure that you can impress, delight and wow our customers.

Are there any vacancies?

Check for vacancies here

If there are no current vacancies then bookmark the page and return periodically to check for updates.

If there are vacancies in your country of residence, follow the instructions on the site. You will then be sent an application form and a short test.

So I just fill in these forms and the job’s mine, right?

WRONG!

These candidates tried that approach:

“I am a very thorogh and detailed worker, putting a lot of effort int attention to detail”*

“I have always been taught the importance of accurancy”*

“I also have the excellent English read and writing skill”*

They didn’t get offered a position.

Oh. How should I tackle them then?

For the test, the most important thing to do is read the instructions before you start. Thoroughly.

You will have 12 diverse questions to answer, via any appropriate means, and you’ll need to adhere to rules about content, spelling, grammar and length. The application form is self-explanatory, but yours will still be scrutinised to ensure you’ve filled it in correctly and demonstrated a good command of the English language.

Sounds simple enough. What can possibly go wrong?

63336 has very high standards – only 1 in 10 applications is successful.

The most common reasons for failing the test are:

Not reading/following the instructions ; Poor spelling, punctuation and grammar ; Answers are too long or too short;  Insufficient research

Q: How many Mister Men characters are there and which is the best?
A: Very interesting question? I will research and let you know*

Q: Which Charles Dickens novel should I read, and why? Not Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Little Dorrit, Christmas Carol or David Copperfield.
A: To be honest, I have no idea as so far I have only read Oliver Twist*

Failure to provide a decision/prediction

Q: Cafe Rouge or Pizza Express?
A: Well that depends on what your in the mood for. Do you want Pizza or do you want something else? The choice is up to you.*

Q: Who will win Wimbledon this year?
A: The person who wins Wimbledon this year in the male section will be the one who wins all his games and the same goes for the female winner.*

Misinterpretation of the question

Q: How many points will I get on my licence for going through a red light?
A: Unfortunately dear, you will not get a point driving through the red light because it is against the driving rules.*

Not answering the question

Q: Explain how the US elections work.
A: The U.S election process is baffling to both voters and candidates alike, it seems to be that you cross your fingers and hope for the best person to win.*

Simply getting it wrong

Q: How many paper planes laid end to end would reach from London to Pluto?
A: It would take 95 paper planes to reach from London to Pluto.*

Understood. Now, where do I find the answers?

The test has a variety of questions, some of which require research and others simply an opinion, a decision, an estimate, advice or just creativity. For fact-based questions the obvious source for answers is the internet, but be aware that not everything online is valid or accurate. Other useful reference sources include dictionaries, thesauruses, newspapers and maps.

Do I have to get them all right?

Not necessarily.

Some questions will have no right or wrong answers. For those that do, the correct answer, though important, is not vital, as long as both the research process and the written English are of the highest quality. That said, you won’t pass the test with several incorrect answers.

Is there a time limit?

No, but if you can’t find an answer within 20 minutes, then move on. Remember it’s the quality of the answer that is key, not the research time.

Anything else I should know?

Yes. 63336 is a human service and, when appropriate, its answers are witty, humorous and elicit a “wow” from customers. When completing the test questions, make your answers stand out by giving consideration to these factors:

Q: Which cartoon character do I resemble?
A: With your big black ears, bulbous nose, fixed staring eyes and red pants, you strongly resemble that most popular of cartoon characters – Mickey Mouse.*

This applicant was offered a position.

Both the following answers are also acceptable, but the latter will not only get the applicant past the test, it will delight customer and recruiter alike. An answer such as that will ensure an incredibly positive relationship with 63336 from the outset.

Q: Is the world run by lizards?
A: No, unfortunately the world is not run by lizards although sometimes the world would be better if it was run by lizards.*
A: Although some refer to world leaders as cold-blooded, they wouldn’t be genetically classed as lizards. However in 1400 BC, dinosaurs did rule the earth.*

OK. I think I’m good to go. Please remind me of the key points.

• Read the instructions carefully
• Make sure you answer the question
• Check the answer length
• Sanity check the answers
• Ensure your grammar, punctuation and spelling are perfect
• Add that wow factor

So, what happens next?

Once you’ve sent off your application pack, it will be scrutinised and you’ll hear our decision within a few days.

If successful, you’ll be sent a conditional job offer and a contract. On receipt of your signed contract, we will contact you to arrange an introductory session. Following this, you’ll have to complete a batch of questions to confirm that your answers are up to 63336’s exacting standards.

And that’s just the beginning.

Your performance will be monitored regularly to ensure that our customers will be consistently delighted with your answers.

And everybody lives happily ever after.

The End

* From real 63336 application forms and tests. (If you think you’ve spotted all the errors, email them with your address to info@63336.com. If you’re right, you’ll get a copy of our latest book, and you should try applying – you’d be in with a good chance of success.)

Comments (27)

  1. 4 November 2009
    MiniMiss said...

    That sounds like a really great job! How old do I need to be to apply?

  2. 5 November 2009
    Bill Batchelor said...

    You need to be 18 or over to work as a researcher for 63336. Other than that there are no restrictions. We also recruit people from abroad and have researchers from as far away as Australia and the United States.

  3. 13 November 2009
    Matt said...

    I would love to work for aqa I feel I could do it :)

  4. 18 November 2009
    Sam said...

    If I don’t apply during this vacancy, how long until there will be more UK vacancies?

  5. 6 January 2010
    alice said...

    I would love this type of job.
    Working from home is extremely appealing to me!
    Please contact me if there are any UK vacancies.

  6. 8 January 2010
    elaine hodgins said...

    Please e mail me when you have some UK vacancies. Thank you
    Kindest regards
    Elaine

  7. 9 January 2010
    TT said...

    Not to sound anal but the lizard answer that is meant to be good…since when did dinosaurs rule the earth 3400 years ago (1400bc) more like 65 million years ago.

  8. 12 January 2010
    Deborah said...

    Hi

    I’ve sent off a couple of emails requesting a job application, but never receive anything. I’m living in Australia and your vacancy page indicates that you need researchers in Australia.

    I’d love to work for 63336. Any suggestions?

    Thanks

  9. 12 January 2010
    Sam said...

    As others have asked above, could you also e-mail me when there are vacancies for the UK? That would be much appreciated, thanks.

  10. 12 January 2010
    Stephen Williams said...

    The job vancancies vary on a regular basis so it is best to keep checking the website. We don’t operate an email alert service. However, you could subscribe to our twitter feed http://twitter.com/the63336 where we do announce when we are recruiting in the UK.

  11. 12 January 2010
    admin said...

    We have to clear a backlog of overseas applications that have built up over Xmas and the new year. I will look into this and hopefully Deborah will get a response shortly.

  12. 12 January 2010
    Deborah said...

    Thank you

  13. 14 January 2010
    John said...

    Sounds great! What is the pay rate?

  14. 15 January 2010
    admin said...

    Researchers get paid 30p for each question they answer. They work from the comfort of their own home and there are no shift patterns dictating when they must or must not work.

    By comparison a similar service in the US run by ChaCha http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/31/chacha-makes-its-crazy-business-model-profitable/#comments pays its researchers somewhere between 3 cents and 10 cents an answer.

  15. 21 January 2010
    Fern said...

    If you had a paper plane that was 3035520000 miles long and were in London today it would reach Pluto, tomorrow it might need to be a bit shorter!

  16. 22 January 2010
    Danielle said...

    ChaCha has cut the pay top 2 cents

  17. 23 January 2010
    Jim said...

    ChaCha’s pay-cut works out to be a 33% pay-cut. To equal the amount of what you would make doing 600 transactions under the old pay, you would have to do 900 transactions under the new pay. That is exactly why I am here.

  18. 23 January 2010
    Jim said...

    Correct me if I’m wrong but the admin said they pay researchers .30p per question. Is that p as in pounds? If so, that would equal to .48348 USD.

  19. 24 January 2010
    Mike said...

    30 pence.

  20. 26 January 2010
    Jeff said...

    How can I apply? I would love to be apart of the team!

  21. 12 February 2010
    sarah said...

    I cannot wait until there are vacancies in the UK! I actually heard about the position from a someone who is currently working for you.

  22. 17 February 2010
    Sue said...

    Jim – just as you put USD for US$, in Europe we put GBP for Great British Pound (£ sterling). With 100 Pence to the Pound, therefore 30p = 30 pence. With 30 GBP written as £30.

    Research is the key? Or general knowledge maybe

  23. 18 February 2010
    Tim said...

    This seems like a very exciting opportunity. Being a student, something like this would be perfect for me. I do hope to meet the standards for entry once I’m granted the initial test.

    I did a practice run with the scenario questions and couldn’t help but smile while thinking of the possible “wow” factors for each appropriate Q&A. I did a bit of general-figure maths for the London to Pluto query, you’d need about 125265ton of refined paper to make enough paper planes! A4, of course. Earth-wide deforestation, tally-ho!

  24. 25 February 2010
    jessicasnow said...

    This is such a scam! They ask you to text them (money to them) to “try out” their services. They then ask for two more numbers in the application. They is people who work for them, probably in a office, but don’t get your hopes up on this. So you know yes I did apply but so did 12 other friends (a mix of people but all with multi degrees as we have heard 63336 is apparently very snooty when it comes to education) and non of us got in. A month later our references started getting marketing txts. As I said if you read these ads just move on.

  25. 2 March 2010
    Lynne Trussed said...

    Dear Jessica Snow,

    Could I gently point out that “They is people who work for them” is more Ali-G than Queen’s English. This may help somewhat in understanding why ‘non of us got in’.

    Check your spelling, dear.

  26. 4 March 2010
    Tim said...

    Hello 63336,
    I’ve been keeping a keen eye on your vacancies page for a while now and
    I’d love to know when you might be recruiting in the UK again?
    I’ve heard a lot about your company from a friend of mine who works for you,
    and I think I’d be really well suited to the job.
    Saw your TV advert last night, nice work!
    Thanks
    Tim

  27. 10 March 2010
    Liz said...

    Hi 63336,
    I would really really love to work for 63336 as it is a witty and informative company! I have used the number to ask some questions about my life and found the replies to be fast and accurate.
    Are ther currently any vacancies in the UK?
    Thanks
    Liz

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