I went over to the Temp Agency yesterday and filled out the info, and they gave me a link to their website with an ID number...I filled out the info and uploaded my resume, then called them...she looked over my resume, saw all my computer skills and that I had a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and she said that it looks like I'm qualified for a Clerical job. They sent me a link to a 7 part assessment test, including a part on spelling/grammar/punctuation/alphabetical-numerical order, a part on Excel, a part on Word, Outlook, typing test, and another part that has 100+ questions. I've completed all but the Outlook and 100+ questions. I struggled some with the Excel portion...my Excel skills are rusty, plus the fact that it didn't help that anytime you clicked a button, it would ask if you wanted to return and try again or go to the next question...if you wanted to try again, you'd have to start from the beginning of that question with finding everything..took me about 90 minutes to do that portion! The Word portion only took me 45 minutes. Before starting the Outlook portion, I wanted to install 2007 (even though it's Outlook 2003), and get a 'feel' for the program since I've never really used it before. But I did notice that it's not that hard to use.



I go in Monday for an interview with them at 1:15...they said to expect to be there 2-3 hours, so my father is going to come over and take me out to dinner on Monday.

Valerie

Good luck. This sounds like a good deal.

Thanks, Linda. The Outlook portion wasn't too bad, but the portion that has 100+ questions might have gotten me...although 3/4 of the questions you answered with "Strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, strongly disagree", the last set of questions included answering questions from a chart, math questions, and figuring out sequence questions (from letters, not only numbers). The chart questions, I think I misread the top line wrong and I probably got several of those questions wrong, the math questions you couldn't use a calculator for (who in this day and age *doesn't* have access to a calculator where you'd have to figure out everything manually???! *L*)...I think I got most of the math questions right..then the sequence portion, I was totally thrown on one of the questions with the letters, so I just took a guess. There was another sequence question that I think I wound up guessing at because I had no clue how to figure it out...everything I tried, nothing was working. One question I was able to figure out that they were multiples of 2, 4, 6, 8, etc...so in a sequence of 1, 2, 8, 48 384, ___ then that answer would be 3840. Or I should say that I at least *hope* I got that question right! It seemed like the logical answer.

I just can't believe that they said that the interview can last up to 3 hours...unless they do something else with you while you're there, and it's not just an actual interview.

Went for the interview today...it was more of an orientation/interview/paperwork sort of thing, rather than a regular interview, although they do ask strengths, weaknesses, availability, etc. After you sign up with them, they send an Assessment Test that has like 7 portions, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Typing and Data Entry. She gave me my results today while I was there...I type 37 wpm, Advanced at Word and Excel, and Intermediate with Outlook...I had never really used Outlook before, so when I saw that portion on the Assessment test, I installed Outlook and went and took a look around...used the e-mail portion for a few minutes but didn't really do anything else with it, I basically wanted to see what it looked like and I managed to score Intermediate with it. So I'm not officially an employee of theirs. The company name is Spherion...don't know if any of you have ever heard of them, but when I was filling out the paperwork I noticed that they're corporate headquarters are in Ft. Lauderdale! The local company office is very handy for me, also...it's almost right across the street from the Church we go to, and since they require time cards to be in by 10am Monday mornings, I can just drop off the time-card either before or after Church on Sundays.

I have to check in with them at least once a week to see if there's anything for me, and she said I can start calling tomorrow. I'll call sometime tomorrow afternoon since I just talked to my mom and they're coming down tomorrow morning to get their flu shots.

Good news Valerie. Good luck to you.

Thanks, Anna. When they asked me what my pay should be, I said $7 an hour since I don't have any experience. It might not cover my total expenses, but it'll help, at least! Plus I've cut back on buying food, so that also helps. Sometime in January my father is going to move in, and he'll pay half the mortgage and either the electric or gas bill, whichever is higher (which in the winter will be the gas). Then come Spring, my water bill should go down to around $30 from around $50 right now, because until they get a winter average for sewer, they charge a set price.

I called the company again today, and they said they do have something...it's for a water company in billing and customer service. They're sending my resume out. They said to keep calling back at least twice a week or more, so I'll call back on Friday again, then a few times next week.

Good luck to you, Val. I think you will enjoy working and getting out of the house for a while. I loved working - - - - but I LOVE retirement more~!

Cathy,Given a choice,I'd take retirement ? Only working out of the love of food !!!!

Oh Anna ~ if you could see my 'butt', you would know that even though I'm retired, I am finding a 'way' to eat!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!

I do love retirement! AND, I am so glad that I am retired, especially with what just happened in Galveston! I thank the good LORD that I am not having to drive into that mess everyday like my litle sister is having to do. Yes, Galveston is STILL a huge mess, and will be for quite some time!

Well guys, I got a call at about 9:45 this morning for one day job answering phones. The employees had an annual meeting in Killeen that they had to go to and needed someone to answer the phones. The person originally scheduled for the job didn't show up, so they called me to be there at 10:30. Not much time for sure, but I made it! The office did call the company and told them to expect me by 10:45 because it was such short notice, but I did make it there by 10:30. At first I parked outside the company, which was 2 hour parking, and I went in to ask where I could park, and she told me across the street...to go in where it says "Do Not Enter"...she said they do it all the time, so that's what I did. The job was only until 2, and in the time I spent more time reading than anything! The phone rang twice...once was an actual call and I took a message. The other was the Yellow Pages wanting to verify information. I told them that I was there for just the day and I didn't know the phone number or the address. I also signed for some signs....that was it.

When I finished and got in my car, I checked my phone and I had a message from the Temp company for another job starting Monday. This one is for 2 months...answering phones and secretarial. I have to be there at 8 Monday morning. I went to find the company this afternoon after I stopped by the Temp office to get the assignment info and give them my time card and voided check. They called me around 12:00 to make sure I got there ok and to ask if I had my time card, which I forgot because I was in such a rush this morning, so she faxed me a copy.

Good going, Val! This is a good start!

Thanks, Cathy! Also, once you're with Spherion for 31 days, you get Medical Benefits.

Congrats on the jobs Sounds like a great company offering benefits for a temp job!

Thanks, Pam! The medical benefits will be nice because right now I don't have any type of medical insurance. Apparently this company is a pretty big company with it's headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale. My mom told me about the company and said my sister used them in the past. They don't offer anything like a 401K, but right now with the stock market as volatile as it is, I don't know if I'd even want to invest in a 401K, but at my bank, the last time I talked to them (I asked about a Money Market account, but didn't have enough in the bank to qualify), they told me that if I do find a job and my financial situation changes, to talk to their Financial Advisor. I think I'll just wait awhile before I do that. Maybe after my father moves in and he's paying half the bills I'll consider going over to the bank and talk to the Financial Advisor.

Val,That's wonderful.Glad you found some work.

Thanks, Cathy!