How Do I Become a Membership Representative?

A membership representative serves as a point of contact for current and prospective members of an organization. This person may have a range of duties to perform, including accepting and processing applications, answering questions, interviewing candidates, and opening and closing accounts. In most cases, you will need only a high school diploma to become a membership representative — a college degree isn't typically mandatory for this type of job. You will likely need good communication and interpersonal skills, however, as well as the ability to pay attention to detail and stay organized. Customer service experience, a pleasant personality, the ability to multitask, and computer skills may also prove important.

With many membership representative jobs, possession of a college degree isn't critical for hire. Most jobs in this field require a high school diploma or an equivalent credential. If you choose to earn a college degree, however, selecting a business-related major may prove helpful. A college degree might encourage prospective employers to pay more attention to your application, and it may even improve your chances of earning a promotion down the line.

Though you may not need a degree to become a membership representative, customer service work experience can prove critical for this job. Employers will want to know you have good communication skills and experience talking with customers and meeting their needs. Customer service positions often require a significant amount of problem-solving, and this type of experience may help you land a membership representative job and excel in your career.

Organizational skills and attention to detail may also prove important when you want to become a membership representative. Your job will likely require you to keep membership documents organized and catch errors that could cause problems with membership processes. Likewise, you may need the ability to multitask and might be required to take care of more than one membership-related matter at a time.

In many cases, you will also need experience with using computers and business software to become a membership representative. You may have to use a computer to input membership information and retrieve account details, for instance. Many jobs in this category require the use of databases, spreadsheets, word processing programs, and email programs.

Sometimes membership representative jobs call for the processing of confidential information and the handling of money. As such, employers may seek people who are considered trustworthy and who have good references. In some cases, a background check may prove necessary as well.