I started thinking about the 2010 deciannual US Census back while the presidential election was in full swing. There was plenty of talk about which states would stay blue or red or which might swing in November according to the people there. I kept thinking: “well, we don’t really know who’s where.” We can see trends in demographics, but I think that there will be some surprises once the 2010 census numbers are finally published.
So I was looking for information on the 2010 census and how it would take place, when I discovered that I could be a part time census taker. Interested, and maybe a little bored, I called the number and left a message expressing my interest. Someone called back and scheduled a time for me to come in and take the Census Takers test. I went on Tuesday.
The test was held at the Virginia Employment Commission – the same office where people file for unemployment and look for help finding a new job. The place was packed. I had arrived right on time for the test, and my heart sank a little when I saw the Great Big Line of people waiting for…I don’t know, a number or something. I looked around for the signs my appointment setter told me would be there, pointing the way to the testing place, and I couldn’t find them. I found the end of the line though, and overheard a woman saying something about a test. I asked her if it was the census taker test. She said that if I was there to take a test, then I should just go on through and not wait.
I went to the front of the line and asked the man behind the desk: “Census?”
“Around the corner,” was his reply.
I breathed a sigh of relief and found the testing room. Two recruiters were chatting with the other 5 or so people who were. The room slowly filled to about 15 people, and Sandy and Dustin started the session. The first thing they asked us to do was to find where we lived on a big map, then provide the block number. They primarily want people to work in their own communities. The people in the room covered every age, race, gender and (I think), economic background. There were some immigrants, retirees, and a national park ranger. Sandy said that they had been getting a lot of calls from people wanting to apply.
The explained the position (a census taker is called an enumerator), and the pay (in our area, it’s $15/hour for an office clerk and $20/hour for an enumerator), when we might get a job offer (sometime in the next couple of months), term of employment (usually 10 weeks, but sometimes they hire people permanently), and some restrictions (you can’t just apply for office work, you have to be willing to be an enumerator or they won’t consider you for any position). Sandy went over the applications with us and we filled it out per her instructions.
Then out came the tests. Twenty eight multiple choice questions in five sections that I don’t exactly remember. We had 30 minutes to complete the test – I think I took about 20. There was a section that tested clerical skills (alphabetizing and the like), one that tested reading skills (a bit like the SATs), a section that tested simple math that you didn’t really have to do the math for, since the answer was a little obvious according to where the decimal lay. There was a section that included some map reading and one that tested how well you would be able to follow directions to fill out a form.
Sandy had a thick piece of paper (or thin poster board) that she would place over each test so she could quickly and easily grade the tests and tell people if they passed or not. She whispered congratulations to the test takers and gave them a pamphlet called: “What Happens Next…Now that you’ve applied for a 2010 Census job.”
I missed one question. I started to leave and was out the door and in the hall when I turned around, went back in the room, and waited until everyone had left to ask my question:
“Can you tell me which one I missed?” I asked, “it might drive me crazy otherwise.”
They can’t re-open the test booklets once they’ve been closed, but they could tell me that I missed question 10. I can’t even remember what section that questions was in, but since it hasn’t driven me crazy yet, I think it doesn’t matter.
So now I’m waiting for my call from the US Census Bureau. I know how important the census is, and I think this might be an interesting way to meet my fellow Alexandrians.
