As I’m working on developing my business, I’m also looking for related jobs for the employment department.  Several of the classes I’ve taken through the OED have been very helpful in teaching me about social networking.  I’m old enough to remember the days when you’d walk from store to store with a stack of resumes and ask if they had any openings, or check the classifieds in the newspaper.  Even when I got my last job, it was from checking job postings on an internet job board.

Another thing I learned when I took the orientation at the employment department was that companies are seeing gaps in 3 important skills in those applying for jobs: reading for information, applied mathematics, and finding information.  The employment office now offers a free test called the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).  Each of the 3 parts of the test are timed at 55 minutes.  You can take them all at once or space them out.

I decided I would space my tests out over several weeks and start with my strongest area: reading for information.  This isn’t the type of reading I hope to do in my editing career.  It tests ones ability to comprehend technical and industry jargon.  Blech!  You have to get at least 80% to pass, and the employment department goes up to level 6 in scoring.

• 3 = bronze
• 4 = silver
• 5 = gold
• 6 = platinum

Anything from 3 or below they allow you to do over.

Why am I telling you this?  Because a couple weeks ago I took the reading for information test and I scored a 6!  It was a difficult test and I wasn’t sure till I got my score how I’d done.  I was elated!

However, this Thursday, I am scheduled to take the applied mathematics test.  I’ve been studying for it, but let’s just say I’m not expecting to reach that level of perfection.  I do fine with basic math.  I can figure my tithe at church, stay within my budget, count calories, and measure for recipes.  What I’m not so great with is radius’s, circumferences, converting fractions to percentages, remembering formulas, and finding the value of N.

So if you are considering hiring me for an editing job, I could possibly edit something that uses jargon, but don’t even think about hiring me to check any fancy schmancy math.  The every day stuff is my speed.