I am wondering what other people on the boards here do besides mystery shop. Everyone is very articulate, so I was wondering if we had writers, or the like.

I am a lawyer, but no longer practice. I now teach math and physics and my husband is also a teacher.

What about the rest of you?

I think there are some writers in here. I have always been a reader, so I suppose that's why I don't mind writing. I learned how to read when I was 4 and by the time I was 8 I was checking out 6 books a week at the library. Naturally I excelled in English classes in school and did well in all schoolwork because my of reading and comprehension skills.

I have been an editor for two different MSCs in the past and I have been a mystery shopper for about 17 years.

I also do merchandising and product demonstration work. The first doesn't require much in the way of reading, but there is a lot of studying involved learning about products in order to do the demos. Oh, and I also once was a singer and musician in a band, so I have no problem talking to a crowd and being entertaining.

I am an economist (3 degrees) with a second career in residential real estate. Took early Social Security due to some health issues that limited my energy, and also manage my home, where there is a rented basement apartment plus a second housemate who has one of the 2 master bedrooms. Also a big reader and was reading at age 8 what my 14 year old brother brought home from the library. Once I turned 9 I was allowed to take 2 buses into the city to go to the library on my own! What heaven !

Teacher here......English Language Learners.

Pre retirement my first job was with Southern Pacific Railroad in San Francisco working on the first IBM computer. Married life saw us owning our business, Real Estate Service including commercial Apprasing, many hotels here in CA and Vegas, which my ex did and, building homes for 12 years, my ex had to close the business last year due to ill health, it was open and running for 50 years. I didn't wok (for pay) while married, but found the land for my ex to build homes, mostly done in Calabasas and caring for three of our rentals.
Retirement brought a part time job at Thomas Kinkaid Art Gallery, then MSing for the past 12 years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2018 09:01PM by Irene_L.A..

I work with my husband in the very early mornings (all-time fave job) and at other times I conduct interviews and perform assorted merchandising tasks,audits, and mystery shops. We laugh at ourselves because we do not use our degrees. Why did we get them?

After 20 years of IT work I switched to being a software engineer about 4 years ago. So basically a computer geek.

I’m an investigator for a large logistics company. Pretty much I work with a team to figure out where stuff is when it goes missing. Then we write reports and put together cases for the court systems.

Other than that, I work out every day, cook every day and hang out with family and friends.

Semi-retired, part time IT gig'er (though my body says NO MORE), internet forager of opportunities like with APPEN, eBay, and online focus groups, mystery shopping etc. I'm also on a 3 yr seasonal term w/. Dept of Ed. I like to mix things up!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2018 01:25AM by Monk-N-Nut.

I have my masters degree in Criminal Justice.. worked in a correctional facility for several years, investigator for children’s services and now work full time at Job and Family services as an eligibility worker processing food assistance and Medicaid.. I’ve enjoyed moving around every 5-10 years... love doing this part time to change things up!

For the last 17 years, I've been nothing more than a "mommy." But I have had stints of PT/temp work over those years.

I have four kids: 17, 16, 13, and 6. I home educate them and develop my own curriculum for them...and other kids who join or get tutoring. Several people have told me I should sell the curriculum, but I'm not so sure about that.

I have my master's degree in education. Before having kids, I worked SEVERAL JOBS, the primary being in the District Attorney's Office as a vic advocate and a juvenile diversion officer. I've been thinking about getting into a group dealing with sex traffic issues, but haven't yet. I also worked as a night auditor at a ski resort on Fri/Sat nights so I could ski for free; and taught at the community college: GED classes and American Citizenship classes. I also worked as a CNA, part time/fill in. (<----All at the same time!! I had so much energy in those days!!!)

I purchased my first two houses before getting married. Sold them to cover my loss of income when I stopped working after kids were born. Since then, we've been trying to obtain more rental properties. We currently have 5, along with a room mate/tenant in the basement of the primary residence. I manage all of that sort of thing.

I mystery shop, tutor, babysit.... need to get back to work a "real job" one of these days, as husband wants to retire. Not sure what to do now since I've been out of the work force for so long...

I am an Industrial Hygienist with NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. Prior to that, I was an Operations Engineer with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Prior to that, I was an Environmental Engineer for big manufacturing around the country.

I got into mystery shopping as a way to learn my way around a new city.

Your backgrounds are so varied, and so fascinating!

I am with Niner, I love this, and could read it all day. And to the "Mommy", yea please. You have the toughest job on this list and are trying to play if off the way you wrote it!

I teach people how to be music teachers...yup, Professor of Music. I'm also a church organist at a large church. I travel a lot and mystery shopping while traveling covers meals (and sometimes lodging). I haven't really paid for groceries for two years now.

Love mystery shopping!

What a well-educated group of mystery shoppers we have here!!. MSCs should be glad to have ya'll. Definitely not the group I ran into at a gathering in the local airport for a MSC last year. Most looked like they needed a bath and a hairbrush. Anyway, I am a retired Physical Education teacher. I sub once in a while to keep my hands in it and visit the kiddies and co-workers. I mystery shop as much as I am able to to add to my fixed income.

I'm in the company of greatness.

I am a CHA (Certified Hotel Administrator), CHDT (Certified Hospitality Department Trainer), CHS (Certified Hospitality Supervisor) and certified in Revenue Management. Basically, I am highly qualified to run franchised hotels. I've run very successful and award-winning hotels. I've been running hotels for over 20 years.

The beginning of this year, I decided to change my career to retail for a new challenge.

Prior to being in the hotel business, I was a Lab Tech for my city.

My hotels were inspected once to three times a year by LRA and AARP so, I completely understand the need of what we do in this industry. I have a firm understanding of brand standards, compliance, safety, and the need for franchise businesses to send out inspectors & mystery shoppers to ensure these standards are being followed. I also have a firm understanding of what the final inspection report looks like (because I've/my General Managers received MANY of them over the years), the repercussions and/or successes of the final report, and the need to pay close attention to any of the failed areas of such reports.

I got into this industry to become a hotel inspector and ended up finding more than just hotel inspections.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2018 04:13PM by ArkLaMissshopping.

Just a comment about the shoppers at the airport. There are all kinds of situations and shoppers. I work on a University campus with people who are so smart they might scare you and so scraggly they might scare you. But don't be fooled. They are good at what they do. I do not fit in because I finished school many years ago and have not mastered the fine art of being smart and scraggly simultaneously. sigh. My education lacked something...

For many years I sold homes to relocated executive of some very well known companies. While I had to "dress for success" they often went house hunting in very pricey neighborhoods wearing cutoffs, old tees and sandals. Shaving appeared to be optional.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2018 03:53PM by walesmaven.

When I was in my early twenties and living in Florida putting myself through college by working as a server/bartender, I met all kinds of scruffy-looking, shorts and flip-flop wearing individuals who were loaded with money and were very well-educated. You would have never known it by looking at them.

I get it, but we (shoppers at the airport) were meeting with the representatives of the MSCs. You'd think they would want to put their best foot forward. They were not undercover.

This is common, living in a small casual town with hot hot weather, many are found mornings at SB working dressed in jeans, flip flops....but those going into the city to work, dress differently. I like to look nice, family upbringing, but really nowadays, anything goes. Money doesn't always relate to dress.....

I am the executive assistant for a marketing company. Prior to that, I was a project procurement specialist at an IT company. Basically, I looked for solicitations (RFP, RFI, primarily government) to submit Bid proposals. I have a BA in Broadcast Journalism.

I am a Brand Ambassador for Amazon Alexa and Nourish Snacks.

I also do CV and resumes as a side hustle for family/friends.

I don't know which bank is referred to as the Blue bank, chase or citi? Either way, my last bank shop at Citi, the banker did waaaaaaaay more than his job. He essentially solicited me for a date. I should have reported him.

Wow...you folks are incredible! You're so educated and driven; along with high profile jobs outside of mystery shopping! I love reading all of these replies and would love to meet you guys one of these days! I thought about going to the conference in Atlanta in May of 2019 (I've never been to a MS conference of any kind), but I don't think I will make it. My family and I are driving from CO to FL (going through Atlanta) around that time, but we will be just a little bit earlier than the conference time....arriving at Disney World during the time of the conference. Maybe I can jiggle some dates around, idk....

I have often wondered about other mystery shoppers. Sometimes I'm at a store, not shopping, and I spot someone who I think might be a mystery shopper, but then I'm not sure. I'd love to run into a few mystery shoppers...trade stories and watch them as they do their thing I always wonder about how other shoppers handle certain things (this thread is great, but meeting in person/ watching someone work or tagging along would be nice too).

An example: I was in Wilson Leather yesterday doing a shop. And the store was SO busy that it was hard, at first, to determine who was a customer and who was an employee. Then I realized that there were six or seven employees, and many of them were dressed similarly or looked similar. I had to keep looking at them over and over to get my attire straight, since the report asks what they were wearing. So...one guy had short brown spikey hair with a black leather jacket zipped up. He was white, about 5'10". He had on dark jeans.

The other guy was almost identical in looks. His hair was slightly more blonde, but it was short and spikey. He was also about 5'10" and same build. He had on a black leather jacket zipped up. He had on LIGHT blue jeans. Gah!

My point being....they probably thought I was a THIEF, the way I had to keep looking around....hahaha!!

Depending on your age, Jill, they might just have thought you were a cougar, LOL.

haha...good point, JASFLALMT! They were not much older than my son, though, so....cute boys, yes. But boys, nonetheless

Oh for sure, but we read the news about these women teachers and their high school students, OMG...I don't get it at all, I like age appropriate. My husband is 6 years younger than I am but that's not that much of a difference when people are older.

I have a good friend in Florida (guy) who I went to high school with who hasn't figured it out yet. He is in his mid-50s and likes to date women in their 20s and 30s. It never lasts. He doesn't understand why.

And I am completely sorry for derailing the topic and hijacking. Back to our regularly scheduled program.

I am amazed at some of the brains and talent here, what a diverse group of people!

I'm 30 and recently ended a year long fling with a 52 year old. We had a great time!