It sounds a bit like a bad 1960’s horror flick: “I was a Teenage bingo Caller”. But I did start a bit of part-time Bingo Calling when I was in my late teens. This was at a local Church Hall, where for some reason, the Curate thought that I had a stunning combination of good looks, a resonating speaking voice, and a winning temperament! The occasions were usually church fund-raising activities, and no-one seemed too bothered that it was (and still is) a form of gambling!
How I progressed from those humble beginnings to be a “proper” Bingo Caller is a story for another time, but I came across some adverts for a Bingo Callers on the Internet this week, which I wanted to share with you. There was this one:
Bingo Caller Jobs - Education and Experience
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Experience:Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.
So we’ve gone from Caller to “Teller”?? And do you really need a bachelor’s degree to be a Caller?? How on earth did I make it then?
Other adverts had surprising elements to them. For example, one required that you be “an experienced diplomat, capable of adjudicating disputes between players and or management”, while another said you “should be able to enunciate numbers 1-90 clearly”. Like if you had to go over 90, you’d start mumbling, slurring or making mistakes? Bizarre!
One advert for a Bingo Caller in Newcastle said you needed to be “physically fit”. What sort of Bingo do they play there? Are the Bingo Balls made of lead? Are you regularly required to eject patrons from the Bingo Hall?
It’s a funny thing, but each Bingo Hall had its own sort of vibe, and I think I managed to do well for a number of years in a number of places, because I was able to detect what was required. For example, some Bingo venues, were lively, and appreciated banter, a bit of mickey-taking, and some rudeness, while others wanted a straight serious-minded calling, without frills.
I wonder what the requirements are for online Bingo callers? I certainly don’t think you are required to be physically fit- unless you are going to go round to someone’s home to remonstrate with them for having been cheeky in a chat room!
Good luck to you all!