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mcbethers
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« Reply #30 on: February 02, 2001, 02:50:19 pm » |
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I know that the people who do the closed-caption typing for the news are incredibly fast. You may not know this, but the news is on about a 6-10 second delay, and that's all the time they have to type. So having a fast typing speed is still important.
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icebreakerpenguin
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« Reply #31 on: February 02, 2001, 03:58:01 pm » |
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Back to you, girl. I understand, I already chalked it up to the huge amount of e-mail you say you get. We all have such things that we have to deal with. No biggee!
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bethalize
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« Reply #32 on: February 03, 2001, 09:22:18 am » |
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I think that the UK is on six characters, that is five letters per word and a space. I'll have to ask my agency.
I have a copy of Mavis Beacon somewhere. I shall have to have a look at that and see how fast I come out. That's probably US speed.
It's the punctuation that trips me up the most. The common ones are fine, but throw in a % or a * and I'll be there for ten seconds, hunting it down!
I think there is a skill to taking typing tests. I've done so many and they all seem slightly different. If I'm typing and I make an error I go back and correct it, but some tests don't let you go back. Also, on some tests, if you put in an extra character by mistake, you have to notice it and re-adjust your thinking.
I much prefer audio typing. Then I can look at the screen rather than the paper that I'm meant to be copying.
I shall go and practice.
Liz
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lioness70
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« Reply #33 on: February 03, 2001, 06:54:34 pm » |
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Guess I'm in the slower crowd. My speed is just about 60, maybe 65 on a good day. I also don't touch type. Surprisingly, I didn't flunk typing in high school! And, when I entered a county college Office Administration program after I graduated college, I was the ONLY ONE who was allowed to look at my fingers-because I'd been typing that way since high school-8 or 9 years!!! They figured it didn't make sense to try and undo my ingrained style of typing! Maybe if I touch typed in the first place, I'd have a better speed, but you can't teach this 30 year old dog to touch type after 15 years!
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energizer
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« Reply #34 on: February 05, 2001, 10:55:59 am » |
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The last time I was tested was 8 years ago, and my speed then was 72 WPM. Most of what I type now is done for accuracy rather than speed, so I don't really know if my speed has increased or decreased over the years. I suspect that it is about the same.
I've noticed that most want ads in the paper don't even list a typing speed as a requirement anymore. More are interested in multi-tasking capabilities (read: do the work of the 4 or 5 people we "downsized," and I'll pay you for one). The few that do require a certain typing speed really want an entry level (read: low pay) person they can work to death. The real "Admin" jobs are usually found through agencies anyway -- the ones that are advertised in the want ads don't want to pay the agency fees. And if they won't pay to find good people, what makes you think they'll pay well once they get you???
Boy, didn't mean to get on a soapbox there. Sorry about that!
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hupawoman
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« Reply #35 on: February 05, 2001, 12:12:35 pm » |
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I'm at about 75 wpm, with very few errors. I had one heck of a typing teacher in college (I had taught myself in high school on a manual), her goal was NO errors, ever. One time she threw a typewriter across the room because someone had whipped the paper out of the machine without using the release! I heard later that she kept an old typewriter to use for her throwing exercise.
CraftyGirl, I too type without reading. I can carry on conversations, daydream, listen to music etc... while typing. I bet you're the type that can read and watch tv and listen to your kids in the next room right?
Regarding agencies... I recently decided to look for a new job closer to home. I signed up with three agencies, Adecco, Office Team and a smaller privately run shop. Adecco sent me out on bogus interviews several times, and continued to advertise a non-existent jobs on their website and monster. I also posted my resume on Monster and that's where I got all of the best interviews and the job I have now. Office team was the only one that had me tested for application skills. They also gave me a test for legal secretaries and I got a perfect score! I can only explain it by saying I watch court tv sometimes. So they kept trying to talk me into a legal position. It was as if they thought I didn't know what I wanted and when I kept refusing they didn't call about any position. So I'm a little leery about agencies. I always feel like they don't really care about what you may be looking for, only in making their commission.
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craftygirl
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« Reply #36 on: February 05, 2001, 12:15:09 pm » |
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LOL Hupawoman. If I had kids or a TV probably so. ;-)
~cg
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execsec
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« Reply #37 on: February 06, 2001, 05:57:08 pm » |
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Back when I took typing on a manual typewriter, 1971, I was tested at 70 words per minute. Over the years and with computers, I could type much faster than that. I used to have an OPAC testing disk from IAAP and I consistently typed over 100 WPM. Now that I don't do as much typing as I used to, I'm probably closer to the 80-85 WPM range.
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tlc2559
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« Reply #38 on: February 06, 2001, 06:24:20 pm » |
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You can take a typing "test" for a certificate at Brainbench.com....I think it gives you your wpm when you're done.....
Just a suggestion if someone's wondering what their speed might be.
tlc (FINALLY warming up in TN)
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tlc2559
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« Reply #39 on: February 08, 2001, 11:38:32 am » |
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KSmile - good to see you back! Haven't heard from you in awhile!
I took the test at Brainbench and got the certificate....now I'd like to try for the "master" typist, or whatever they call it.....just for my own satisfaction.....it's not really an issue where I work.
It IS kind of fun!
tlc
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bethalize
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« Reply #40 on: February 09, 2001, 08:08:52 am » |
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The poll has been up for a week now, and 64 people voted - which is excellent!
The results were evenly split, with a small minority being below 45wpm and slight more people not knwoing their speed. The other three catagories were almost identical.
This makes me feel a lot better!
Thanks to everyone who took part.
Liz
Off to brainbench.com to get tested!
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kab19
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« Reply #41 on: February 09, 2001, 02:04:28 pm » |
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When I was in admin. school, I believe we used a Cortez-Peters typing book, forgive me if that is the wrong name (check with your local community college bookstore, I'm sure they'll know the right one). They have some awesome drills for concentration typing, accuracy, and speed.
Everyone is right, typing speed doesn't count all that much anymore (but it could eliminate you from another candidate for a job, if that is the only factor that isn't the same), it's where and what you do on a daily basis in your position that is most important. I can't imagine someone getting hung up on this one particular skill! Don't worry too much!
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