I applied for the Aira agent position back in June 2019. I received an email from them a few days later saying I was not eligible. They emailed me again in September 2019 saying that I was not qualified previously because my internet speed was too slow, but that I had done well on their tests. They wanted to know if my internet speed had changed and if I was still interested.
I replied yes, and they then sent an email with very detailed instructions for the interview, including to watch an informative video, send them my resume before the interview in a specific format, use a headset for the interview, and have google maps open and ready before it began.
I was interviewed by one person, their hiring manager who seemed fake nice. He asked me exactly 5 minutes of standard interview questions, including what my favorite ice cream flavor was and how that described me as a person. I figured there was no way to answer that question wrong, but he didn't seem to like my description of myself as a sorbet. Oh well. We then proceeded to the exam.
The exam consisted of several questions based on a series of photos. I was asked to use google maps and the photos provided to orient a client to a hypothetical destination. Nothing too crazy there. I found the questions very difficult without prior instruction or training. One question asked me to describe an intersection that I was provided a photo of. I described the intersection in detail, including the height of the curb and traffic signals that I thought would be useful to a visually impaired person. The hiring manager's expression and response (that there were "tactile patterns" in the crosswalk and what the material the sidewalk was of) made it clear that I had answered incorrectly. I was confused, specifically because the instructional hiring video I was asked to watch said it was not necessary to know anything about the blind or visually impaired for the interview, since all that information would be provided during training.
It was a pretty unpleasant interview. At one point I asked if we would be asked to help guide clients while they are crossing the street, since he had previously explained that Aira agents can be asked to do just about everything, including paying bills and helping someone cook. He made a face and said "No, we don't help our explorers cross the street." As if it was the dumbest question ever. I felt that the questions on the test were pretty difficult without prior training, but more than anything it seemed to me during the process that Aira had a very perfectionist attitude for what is a part-time, independent contractor position with no guaranteed hours.