Welcome to the JobSlinger Frequently Asked Questions page! Click on the links below to take you to different categories, where you will find answers to common JobSlinger questions.

JobSlinger is a FREE job website for mystery shoppers, demonstrators and merchandisers. As a JobSlinger member, you get:

• All the job listings you want in one place! JobSlinger accepts listings from hundreds of companies through our partnership with Volition.com, the Mystery Shopping Providers' Association, DemoZilla and SASSIE. Many new jobs every day!
• NO FEES TO SHOP! JobSlinger doesn't charge you to join our site or search our listings.
• Legitimate listings! Some job sites get their listings by copying or stealing listings from other sources -- not JobSlinger! All our listings are provided by partner companies, so with JobSlinger, you never have to worry that you're looking at stale listings of jobs that were filled last week.
• Excellent site content! The JobSlinger Learning Center is the place to go for helpful articles on mystery shopping plus links to useful mystery shopping resources.

Thousands of new jobs are posted to JobSlinger every day, every one legit. Check it out, and if you like what you see, sign up for a free JobSlinger account!

JobSlinger is a job board, not a mystery shopping company, a demonstration company, or a merchandising company. The jobs on our website are posted via one of our partners (SASSIE, the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, Volition.com and DemoZilla) from hundreds of different companies -- thousands of new jobs every day! And, yes, they're legit -- you don't get bogus jobs on JobSlinger. While we can't absolutely guarantee that no one could ever abuse one of our partner sites to post bogus jobs, we have a zero-tolerance policy towards any such abuse of our site and members.

You'll be working for the company that posted the job, and they'll be the ones who pay you. You get paid for JobSlinger jobs using whatever method is specified by the company that posted the job. PayPal is probably the most popular method, but it isn't the only one. The payment method is listed somewhere on that company's website, where you go when you click on the JobSlinger job title. You'll also find contact information there for the scheduler, and you can always direct your questions about payments to the scheduler if you don't find the information you need.

Nothing. We do not charge for membership or for searching our listings, and our partners and member companies do not charge you to apply for jobs – EVER. If you ever believe that someone from JobSlinger or one of its partners has charged you to view listings or apply for jobs, we'd like to know about it so we can put a stop to it.

JobSlinger is not an "https" site -- that is, it does not use SSL to encrypt data that is sent back and forth between your computer and JobSlinger. This is because we don't ever ask for or store highly confidential information such as your social security number.

To sign up for your FREE JobSlinger account, click here. You'll be asked to fill out a simple registration form. The JobSlinger website will then send you a validation email (this is to prevent spambots from trying to create accounts on our system). Once you receive this email, follow the easy instructions to validate your account. At that point, you'll be ready to log into JobSlinger and start searching for jobs!

At the JobSlinger Learning Center. We've got lots of great articles from pros in the mystery shopping field, plus links to other sites where you can learn more about mystery shopping.

The reason why you can't see it is probably because you have your system privacy/security settings set too high. To check change this (assuming you are using a Windows system):

1. Go to Start -> Control Panel, then select Internet Options.
2. In the Internet Properties window, click on the Security tab.
3. Click on the Trusted Sites icon and then on the Sites button.
4. Uncheck the "Require server verification" checkbox, then enter http://*.jobslinger.com in the "Add this web site to the zone" box and click . Then enter to the "Add this web site to the zone" box and click Add again.
5. Click OK to return to the Internet Properties window and OK to exit.

After completing these steps, you should be able to see the letters and numbers and create your new account.

When creating your account, you must enter your birthdate in the form MM/DD/YYYY. For example, if your birthdate were May 12th, 1960, you would enter it as 5/12/1960.

Validation is something that we do at JobSlinger to protect our site (and you!) from spambots -- specialized programs that create bogus accounts for spamming purposes. Whenever an account is created on JobSlinger, we send a validation email to the email address that was entered for the account. If there's a real live person at the other end, they can click on the link and validate their email. If there's a spambot at the other end -- too bad!

Unfortunately, sometimes your email software thinks that our validation emails are spam -- maybe because your privacy settings are high, maybe because our email address isn't already in your address book, or for some other reason. If this happens, your email software will place our validation email in your Junk folder, and you won't ever see it and be able to validate your account.

If you have not received a validation email from JobSlinger, try the following steps:

1. Make sure you're checking email on the account that you used when you signed up for your JobSlinger account. If you signed up for a JobSlinger account and gave jsmith@att.net as your email address, that's where we'll send the validation email.
2. Check the Junk folder to see if the validation email is there. If your email software thought our validation email was spam, that's where it will be.
3. If you still can't find the validation email, click here to contact JobSlinger Support and we'll validate your account for you.

To log onto JobSlinger, go through the following steps:

1. Open your web browser and go to http://www.jobslinger.com.
2. At the top of the screen, enter your email address in the Email box. This is the email address that you used when you registered for a JobSlinger account (the one that this message was sent to).
3. Enter your password in the Password box. If you forgot your password, click here for help.
4. Enter the characters shown in the red box in the "Enter characters" box.
5. Click the Login button.

Once you have completed these steps, you should be logged in to the JobSlinger website. If this doesn't work for you, click here to get help. Please let us know at what step of the login procedure you had a problem with, and include the exact text of any error messages that you got from JobSlinger.

The reason why you can't see it is probably because you have your system privacy/security settings set too high. To check change this (assuming you are using a Windows system):

1. Go to Start -> Control Panel, then select Internet Options.
2. In the Internet Properties window, click on the Security tab.
3. Click on the Trusted Sites icon and then on the Sites button.
4. Uncheck the "Require server verification" checkbox, then enter http://*.jobslinger.com in the "Add this web site to the zone" box and click . Then enter to the "Add this web site to the zone" box and click Add again.
5. Click OK to return to the Internet Properties window and OK to exit.

After completing these steps, you should be able to see the image and log on.

If you have forgotten your password, click here to go to the password retrieval page. Enter the email address that you used when you registered your account and click the send my password. An email containing your password will be sent to the email address of your account.

JobSlinger is a job board -- we don't email lists of jobs to our members. Instead, our members can use our search tools to immediately access jobs on our website.

There are three different ways that you can find jobs in JobSlinger:

• The Quick Job Search, which is at the top of the JobSlinger page. Type in the zip code where you want to search, click the Search button, and you will see all jobs located within 30 miles of the zip code. You can sort the search results by clicking on the column headers –- so, for example, to sort by city, click on City in the red bar at the top of the listings. Clicking twice sorts results in reverse order.
• The Advanced Search, which you can get to from the Advanced Search link in the upper-right-hand corner of the screen. The Advanced Search gives you more options, so you can search an entire state's listings, change the distance for the search, restrict the search to certain dates, view only the most recent job postings, etc. To perform an Advanced Search, click the Advanced Search link, enter the search criteria, and then click the Search button.
• MyTarget. This is an advanced search that you have saved for easy access. To create a MyTarget, go to the Advanced Search page, enter the search criteria, and then click the Save as Target button. Then, to use MyTarget in the future, all you have to do is check the checkbox next to MyTarget at the top of the screen (next to the Quick Search) and click the Search button.

The first column of the search results shows a small icon that indicates which partner site the job was posted from. They are:

• Volition (a yellow smiley face...no, that's not Wal-Mart!)
• MSPA (a navy blue square with the letters MSPA in white)
• DemoZilla (a pale green dragon)
• SASSIE (a little orangeish ball with a blue band around it)
• Apollo (a dark-and-light blue thing that looks sort of like a suitcase)
• Insite (a pale blue and white Insite logo)
• Apex (the word "Apex")

The other columns are as follows:

• Cls -- this is the job class: MS for mystery shopping, DS for demonstration, MC for merchandising. Those are the three most common ones -- you can see the full list by clicking on Advanced Search and looking at the Class drop-down menu.
• Cat -- this is the job category. There are many different categories, but for whatever reason schedulers mostly choose "Other" (probably because it's the default).
• City and State
• Title -- this is just the title of the job. If you're logged in, hovering your cursor over the title gives a short description of the job.
• Post date -- the date the job was posted to JobSlinger
• Due date -- the date the job must be completed by.
• Pay -- the pay for the job. Note that this does not include reimbursements -- it's just the pay for the job itself.
• Dist -- if you did a zip-based search, the distance from the zip code.

Once you've done a search, you can click on any column header to sort by that column -- for instance, click on the Dist header, and the results will be sorted by proximity to your zip.

Let me guess: you were using the Advanced Search, weren't you? if you were using the Advanced Search, you're probably looking at some collapsed listings. When JobSlinger encounters a series of identical jobs in different locations, it "collapses" them into a single listing with a link indicating how many different locations there are for the job (so under the City column, instead of a city and state, you'd see something like "12 locations"). Thus, if what you see at the top of your screen is, "250 results found, 123 lines displayed", that means that some of the 123 jobs are identical jobs at different locations, and that they have been "collapsed" into 123 jobs.

If you want to view the individual jobs, there are two ways to do this:

• Click on the "12 locations" link. The listing will be expanded to show each individual listing and location.
• Do an Advanced Search, but uncheck the "Group similar listings together" checkbox at the bottom of the search screen. If you do this, your search results will be shown as individual jobs.

You can learn more about collapsed listings here.

When looking at a page of search results on JobSlinger, you should see a line at the top of the search results that says "90 jobs found" (or however many your search found) followed by the word "Page" and a drop-down menu with the number 1 showing (and a little down-arrow next to it), and then "Show ____ per page" (the default is 50). To get to the next page of results, you can click on the down-arrow and select another page, or you can change the number in the "Show ___ per page" box to a larger number.

The reason you're seeing the "Join Now" is because you're not logged in. We allow anyone to view the list of jobs, but only registered and logged-in JobSlinger members can view the good parts!

You can only see JobSlinger job details if you're logged in. If you see the words "(join now)" under the Post Date/Due Date columns in the search results, that indicates that you're not logged in. Once you log on, you can move your mouse over the job title to view a short description, or click on the job title to go to the posting company's website.

If you remember seeing a job on JobSlinger in the past but can't find it now, it may have been filled. If you think it's still on there, though, here are some tricks and tips that will help you find the job you want in a listing of hundreds of jobs.

• First off, can you remember where the shop was? Click on Advanced Search and use the State/Province drop-down to choose the state, then do the search. Most likely, this will give you many results, so now we're going to sort them to find the one you want.
• At the top of the search results, there is a line that says "300 results found" (or however many your search found) followed by "Show ___ per page". Change the number per page to 99 and hit enter. Now you can see more jobs on a single page.
• If you remember what the job pays, click on the word "Pay" in the header. This sorts all the jobs from highest paying to lowest (if you click it twice, it will sort them from lowest to highest). Scroll down or go to other pages as needed to find the job you want.
• If you remember the title of the job, or the city where it's located, you can use your browser's search function to find it. Hold down the Ctrl key and press F, then enter all or part of the title or city name. If the job is on the current screen, the browser will highlight it.

That website is the website of the company that is offering the job. JobSlinger hosts job postings from literally hundreds of different companies (although, to be sure, the larger companies account for a lot of listings). When you click on a JobSlinger listing, you are taken to the website of the company that posted the job, where you will need to log on if you want to apply for the job -- and to do that, of course, you will need to register for an account. You will also usually be asked fill out a small application form. It is up to the scheduler of that company to approve your application and assign you to the job.

At JobSlinger, we get all kinds of job postings, from very basic mystery shops to jobs that require special equipment and skills. If you're unsure about what a job requires, it never hurts to ask! Just click on the g and look for the scheduler's email address (it should be listed in the job posting) and ask for more details on the job. Schedulers are generally pleased to hear from proactive, self-starting shoppers!

You start the application process for a JobSlinger job by clicking on the job title in the JobSlinger search results (you have to be logged in to your JobSlinger account to do this -- see below for information on searching for jobs). This takes you to the website of the company that posted the job. Here, you can view more information about the job. Every company's application procedure is a little different, but in general, if you haven't worked for the company before, you will need to fill out an application form to give some personal information about yourself and register for an account on the company's website. Usually you can also find the scheduler's contact information if you feel uncomfortable submitting personal information over the web.

If the company decides to hire you, you will be able to log in to their website whenever you click on one of their jobs in the future, and the whole process will go much more quickly. At first, however, you may find that you're filling out a lot of applications as you find attractive jobs on JobSlinger that have been posted by many different companies. Don't be discouraged -- it's a one-time process and will save you effort in the future.

The best way to get hired is to put your best foot forward. Even if you're just filling out a short application for a simple mystery shop, make an effort to present yourself in a professional manner: always check your application for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.

Some of the best-paying jobs on JobSlinger call for experience, special skills or other qualifications. If you are not experienced, particularly in the world of mystery shopping, you will generally have to establish your reputation first before you'll be awarded the higher-paying jobs. You can do this pretty quickly by performing well on some more basic jobs -- the job may be basic, but you can show that you are reliable, professional, and have good writing skills (your report is where you really get a chance to shine). Our Learning Center has some great articles by mystery shopping executives, outlining the skills and traits that make a shopper really stand out.

If you have experience or special qualifications that are relevant to this job, be sure to emphasize them in your application. If you don't find space to do this on the application form, contact the scheduler (their email should be listed in the job posting) to give them additional information about your qualifications.

You get paid for JobSlinger jobs using whatever method is specified by the company that posted the job. PayPal is probably the most popular method, but it isn't the only one. The payment method is listed somewhere on the company's website, where you go when you click on the JobSlinger job title. You'll also find contact information there for the scheduler, and you can always direct your questions about payments to the scheduler if you don't find it posted.

If you have concerns about a payment due, you should contact the accounts payable department of the hiring company to clarify their policy and find out when you may expect to be paid. If this is a general concern, you can also clarify payment terms with the scheduler prior to taking a job.

Payments are always handled by the company that posted the job, so you would need to update your profile on that company's website in order to change your payment method (this is the website where you go when you click on a job title in JobSlinger). You'll also find contact information there for the scheduler, and you can always direct your questions about payments to the scheduler if you don't find it posted.

Your report should be submitted to the mystery shopping company that posted the job (this is the website that you went to when you clicked on the job title in JobSlinger). The information for how to submit your report should be there, and you can always direct your questions to the scheduler if you don't find the information that you need.

Depending on the requirements of the mystery shopping company that posted the job on JobSlinger, you may need to be certified to apply for jobs. JobSlinger is just a job board, not a mystery shopping company – the mystery shopping companies that post their jobs on JobSlinger each have their own individual requirements for their shoppers. If you are interested in becoming certified, you can get information on Silver and Gold certification from the MSPA website

The JobSlinger Learning Center is a good place to find information to study for the MSPA certification exams. Many of the articles there talk about good mystery shopping practices and the things that a good mystery shopper knows, which is what the certification exams test for. Another good place to look is on Cathy Stucker's website. Cathy helped to create the certification exam and is the author of The Mystery Shopper's Manual, a guide to becoming a successful mystery shopper.

Some mystery shopping companies may allow you to enter your certification status on your profile, but as far as Jobslinger is concerned, there is no need to update your profile, since we do not keep certification codes as part of the JobSlinger profile. Just keep it handy so that you will have it for when a mystery shopping company asks about your certification status.

We created JobSlinger in a way so that schedulers have easy tools to remove old shops once they have been filled. If they originally posted the shops in SASSIE, those shops are automatically removed when they have been filled. Unfortunately, we cannot control whether the schedulers update their listings on the MSPA or Volition, so if they don't update filled shops in a timely manner, the old shops will still be on JobSlinger. If you find that this is a persistent problem with listings from a particular mystery shopping company, you might want to contact them directly.

The distance on our listings is based on what is called a zip-distance search, which calculates the straight-line distance between the geographic centers of the source and destination zip codes. This is not the same as the driving distance between two addresses in those two zip codes -- sometimes it differs significantly. Unfortunately, it's the best we can do. In order to do driving-distance calculations, you need to have (or be able to get) the latitude and longitude coordinates for every street address out there, plus a complete street and route database to calculate driving distance. In short, you need to be Mapquest or Google Maps, and we're not. We've looked into what it would take to use Google Maps' services to calculate driving distances, and (besides the transmission and calculation time that would be added onto each search, which would slow things down dramatically) the cost for the service would be prohibitive (Google isn't interested in providing it for free). The only way we can provide JobSlinger as a free service is by using the public domain zip-distance database that is used by all such services.