KEYBOARD SPECIALIST JOBS OPEN AT $24G

KEYBOARD SPECIALIST JOBS OPEN AT $24G

Have Hundreds Of Vacancies In City and Upstate; Typing Skills Needed But No Education, Work Minimums

The state Department of Civil Service is accepting applications for an exam leading to entry-level Keyboard Specialist I jobs.

The starting salary is $24,414. Appointees assigned to work in the five boroughs or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester counties will receive an additional $1,302 annual downstate adjustment.

728 Openings

There are 728 vacancies in the city and upstate, said state Civil Service Department spokeswoman Erin Barlow.

Applications must be submitted by Sept. 10 for the Oct. 13 exam. Applications postmarked after that deadline will be scheduled for the next test date, according to the exam notice. There is no education or work-related requirement. There is a $30 filing fee.

Candidates must pass a multiple-choice test and a performance exam. The multiple-choice test will cover name- and number-checking, spelling, proper language usage, and grammar, punctuation, and proofreading.

The typing performance test uses a standard keyboard, and no prior knowledge of software is required. The exam is five minutes long and is preceded by a three-minute practice session. Individuals must enter as much of a set passage as they can during the allotted time.

Score for Accuracy

Candidates need to type the specific text at a rate of at least 35 words per minute, with at least 96-percent accuracy. For example, if a candidate enters the text at 35 words per minute, the maximum allowable number of errors is seven. All in-between speeds are rounded in the candidate's favor, according to the exam notice. Candidates will be allowed to take the exam a maximum of four times in a row.

The list resulting from the exam will also be used to fill Data Entry Machine Operator Trainee jobs and Law Department Document Specialist Trainee I positions, which pay $23,119 and $24,414, respectively.

Keyboard Specialists work as receptionists at various agencies throughout the state. They type correspondence, documents, records, and other written material from drafts, marked copy, and recordings. They also review work to ensure correct layout, spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Further information and copies of the exam notice can be obtained on-line at www.cs.state.ny.us, or by calling 212-961-4326.