KEYBOARD SPECIALIST JOBS NOW AVAILABLE

Starting Pay Is $24G; Hundreds Of Openings; Typing Skills Needed But No Education, Work Minimums

The state Department of Civil Service is accepting applications for an exam leading to hundreds of 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.

More Than 700 Vacancies

The state hired 728 Keyboard Specialists last year, said state Civil Service Department spokeswoman Erin Barlow. There is a $20 filing fee.

Applications must be submitted by Aug. 6 for the Sept. 8 exam. Filing was originally scheduled to close in September. Applications postmarked after the current 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.

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.

Job Duties

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.