How do you get hired as a content moderator?

Content moderation is a growing field as social media platforms and other online communities seek to maintain safe, appropriate environments for their users. Moderators review user-generated content to determine if it violates community guidelines or terms of service. It’s an important job, but how do you get hired?

What are the requirements to become a content moderator?

There are a few basic requirements to qualify for a content moderator role:

At least a high school diploma or equivalent

Strong communication skills
Detail-oriented and able to follow policies and procedures
Able to handle viewing potentially objectionable material

Basic computer literacy

Content moderators may need to review violent, offensive or otherwise distressing content. Having emotional maturity and self-awareness is crucial. Moderators often have to make quick judgment calls on whether content violates policies.

Fluency in English is typically required since most online content is in English. Knowledge of other languages like Spanish, Arabic or Chinese is helpful for moderating international platforms. Cultural awareness and sensitivity is also important.

What skills and qualities make a good content moderator?

In addition to the basic requirements, here are some key skills and qualities of effective content moderators:

Detail-oriented – Able to carefully analyze content and make consistent judgment calls based on policies.
Critical thinking – Assess the context and nuances of questionable content.

Thick skin – Handle offensive, disturbing material professionally and objectively.
Team player – Work collaboratively with other moderators and escalate difficult cases.
Fast learner – Quickly master platforms’ policies and new trends.

Patient and calm – Level-headed and rational when dealing with upsetting content.
Discreet – Maintain user privacy and confidentiality.

Moderators need to be able to turn off their emotions and make unbiased decisions based on company policies, laws, and cultural norms. They must also be empathetic enough to understand how content affects others.

What training and education do content moderators receive?

Here is some of the training and education provided to new moderators:

Classroom training – Covers the company’s moderation policies, community guidelines, and how to use moderation tools.
Shadowing – New moderators observe experienced team members moderating real content.

Test content reviewing – Practice moderating simulated or historical content and receive feedback.
Ongoing coaching – Supervisors provide regular guidance to help improve accuracy.
Policy updates – Stay up-to-date on changes to platform policies and emerging issues.

Wellness resources – Many companies offer counseling to help moderators cope with stress.

Proper training sets clear expectations and reduces mistakes. However, hands-on experience is where moderators build expertise. Moderators receive constant human oversight, coaching and quality audits to refine their skills.

What is the work environment like?

Here are some common aspects of the content moderation work environment:

Mostly work in office settings, either on-site or remotely.
May have their internet activity and social media restricted due to confidentiality.
Required to take regular breaks from reviewing content to reduce fatigue.

Often employed full-time and work standard daytime business hours.
Major platforms like Facebook employ thousands of moderators worldwide.
Smaller teams service individual message boards or websites.

Usually divided into specialist teams focusing on specific content types.

The work itself is performed on computers and proprietary moderation platforms. Moderators analyze content, check it against policies, take enforcement actions like deleting posts, and document their reviews. It’s largely an office-based desk job, although some moderation may be crowdsourced to contract workers.

What career paths are available for content moderators?

Here are some potential career development opportunities in content moderation:

Senior Moderator – Take on more complex moderation cases and coach junior moderators.
Policy Specialist – Help shape and document moderation policies.
Auditor – Evaluate the accuracy of moderation decisions and provide feedback.

Team Lead – Manage a team of frontline moderators.
Training Manager – Develop and deliver training programs.
Operations Manager – Responsible for moderation workflows, tools, and headcount.

Trust and Safety Leader – Strategic executive overseeing all moderation operations.

With experience, moderators may move into supervisory, training, policy, or operational leadership roles. Their inside knowledge makes them well-suited to help improve moderation processes and platforms.

What are some examples of content moderator interview questions?

Here are some common content moderator interview questions to prepare for:

How do you handle viewing distressing/offensive material?
Have you ever had to enforce policies you personally disagreed with? How did you handle it?
How do you make fair judgment calls on subjective content?

A user posted violent threats against a celebrity. What do you do?
You notice a coworker approved content that clearly violates the rules. What would you do?
Why is maintaining user privacy important as a moderator?

How do you stay unbiased when moderating content?

Come prepared to demonstrate you have the maturity, critical thinking ability, and communication skills to succeed as a moderator. Give specific examples of how you would apply policies fairly and objectively.

What salary can you expect as a content moderator?

According to Glassdoor, average content moderator salaries in the United States are:

Company	Average Base Pay
Facebook	$18/hour
YouTube	$16/hour
TikTok	$16/hour

With bonuses and equity compensation, total pay can exceed $50,000/year for moderators at top tech companies. Overall compensation varies based on your experience level, content specialty, and location.

What are some common content moderator pros and cons?

Pros:

Essential role in building positive online communities.

Entry-level position with advancement opportunities.
Gain knowledge of diverse cultures and viewpoints.
Flexible work-from-home opportunities at some companies.

Feel satisfaction upholding community values.

Cons:

Frequent exposure to disturbing/offensive content.

Fast-paced and stressful dealing with rule violations.
Low autonomy with set guidelines to enforce.
Repetitive tasks reviewing similar content types.

Minimal public recognition for behind-the-scenes work.

Moderation provides the opportunity to gain experience in community management and online trust and safety. But it also comes with the tradeoff of viewing undesirable content that takes an emotional toll over time.

What are some content moderation alternatives?

If you are interested in online community roles but reluctant to become a moderator, here are a few alternative jobs to consider:

Community manager – Engage users, gather feedback, promote platform values.
User researcher – Study behaviors and needs of customer groups.
Customer support agent – Assist users with platform issues and questions.

Social media manager – Develop brand messaging and growth strategies on social channels.
Public relations specialist – Manage communications and media relations.
Technical program manager – Coordinate engineering teams building online products and features.

These jobs allow you to shape online communities in other ways beyond content moderation. Look for roles that align with your interests but avoid any emotionally taxing parts of moderation.

Conclusion

Content moderators serve a vital role in maintaining positive communities online. While the work can be challenging, it’s an accessible entry point into technology companies with room for career growth. Before pursuing moderation jobs, assess your ability to handle difficult content professionally and objectively. With the right mindset and training, content moderation can be a rewarding way to help define acceptable online discourse.