KEYBOARD SPECIALIST I JOBS OPEN WITH STATE

Pays $24G to Start; No Experience Or Education Required; File by Oct. 14 to Take Test; Expect Hundreds To Be Hired Off List

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. Effective April 1, 2009, the starting salary will be $25,000 to $26,677.

Hire Hundreds Annually

The state hired several hundred Keyboard Specialists last year, according to a state Civil Service Department spokesman. There is a $20 filing fee.

Applications must be submitted by Oct. 14 for the Nov. 15 exam. 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.

Most state departments and agencies employ Keyboard Specialists. The jobs are available in many agencies at various locations throughout the state.

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.

Weigh Speed Against 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 $24,527 and $25,900, 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.