How to Become a Cha Cha Guide

Cha Cha is a text messaging service that answers people's questions, big or small, important or silly. People text their questions to 242-242, and before long someone texts you back with the answer. That someone could be you, if you qualify and Cha Cha is in need of new guides. Cha Cha guides can be just about anyone, though there are some restrictions. It's not a job that will make you rich. Still, it can be a good part-time job for stay-at-home moms and dads, college students, or anyone else with Internet searching skills, some extra time, and a desire to make some extra cash.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with at least 512MB of RAM
• Firefox Web browser
• Flash

Instructions

1. Make sure you meet Cha Cha's guide requirements. You must be 18 or older, have a computer with enough RAM (1 GB is preferred), and a high-speed Internet connection. Also, you must be fluent in English.

2. Go to Cha Cha's official website (see Resources). Click "Careers," then "Become a Guide," then "Get Started!" You will be taken to a registration page.

3. Register to become a guide by following the instructions. You will be asked to provide basic information about yourself and submit a W-9.

4. Choose a guide role that best suits you. There are four different guide roles (expeditor, generalist, specialist, transcriber). See Tips for more information on each one.

5. Pass a compatibility test for the Cha Cha guide role you chose.

6. Complete Cha Cha's training and orientation. Once you have passed the compatibility test you will receive an email referring you to this training and orientation.

7. Pass Cha Cha's "Role Readiness Test," to confirm that you are ready and qualified to begin working for Cha Cha. Once you pass this final test, you will be registered as a paid Cha Cha guide.

Tips & Warnings

• Cha Cha is not always in need of guides. Check their website to see if they need guides. Pay is on a "per-transaction" payment. Cha Cha reports that the average pay rate ranges between $3 and $9. The expeditor takes incoming questions and puts them into standard form, finds out whether there is an existing answer already in the system, and, if not, directs it to the proper guide. The generalist takes incoming questions, answering on a wide variety of subject areas. The specialist is like the generalist, but has a specific area of expertise and answers mostly to that area. A transcriber takes questions that have been called in (to 1-800-2ChaCha) and puts them into text format.

Resources

• Cha Cha's official website