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Auctioneer
What auctioneers do:
Auctioneers check and value merchandise before a sale and arrange it according to type or estimated worth. When the sale begins, items are brought up to the auction block or platform either by assistants or by the auctioneers.
Auctioneers describe each item to the audience and ask for opening bids. Once the first bid is made, other people at the sale may offer higher bids for the item. When it looks as if the highest bid has been made and there are no further bids, auctioneers announce that the item is sold and then go on to the next item. If an item does not attract a bid acceptable to the seller, auctioneers may withdraw it from the sale.
Auctioneers are usually paid on a commission basis, which means they are given a percentage of the selling price of each item; therefore, they try to get the highest possible price for each item. When an item is sold, one of the auctioneer's assistants hands it to the buyer while another acts as cashier and record keeper. Auctioneers usually speak dramatically and very rapidly. They use their own jargon to keep the audience excited and entertained.
Auctioneers are usually responsible for advertising sales in newspapers, on the radio, in trade magazines, via the Internet, and by mailing out circulars and tacking up handbills. Gallery sales are often advertised through catalogs that have descriptions of the objects up for an auction.
If you are interested in becoming an auctioneer, you can enter the field as an auctioneer's assistant by applying directly to auction houses and self-employed auctioneers. Some jobs are advertised on career sites on the Internet and in newspapers that circulate in areas where a large number of auction sales are held.
For more information visit:
http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/639/Auctioneer.html">Auctioneer
Useful Information
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Career Snapshot Auctioneer |
In Demand
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Qualification Required |
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Work Outdoors |
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Maths Required |
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Science Required |
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This is a general guide - it is important to check admission requirements with the various training institutions first because entry requirements may vary.
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