US Government Jobs, Census

The Department of Homeland Security

has added a new mission. The 2010 Census is starting now. One son took an obscure 29 question, one and one half hour management test months ago and was recently contacted asking if he wanted a job. He liked the sound of it in comparison to his work at a paint store. His college business degree and experience in management, will again be put to use.

The new Department of Homeland Security office building was being built near the paint store, and he watched as steel plates and bullet proof glass were being installed. Homeland Security must suspect something that we mortals know nothing about?

If these following jobs sound too laid back for you, here is another Justice System

you may want to apply with.

For now, Census takers, the 'Basic Skills' tests are being given by the thousands, all over the USA, several days a week. You can see and take a sample test at www.2010censusjobs.gov

follow the links 'documents' to 'Sample Test'. Take the 28 question test until you can ace it in less than 30 minutes. After you feel comfortable, enroll in the program either online or by phone, and take the 'real' test that is timed and monitored, in a location near your community.

This Blogengeezer confidently decided to take the test being administered on Thursday the 22nd of Jan, at National American University

located on Indian School NE in albuquerque NM. I listened as the man doing the testing, explained the procedure in a crowded room. I unwittingly tried testing before looking at the sample test on the website, and got a most likely less than marginal score on the first try (lots of fast guessing). I knew that with a little practice I could do a better job.

At another location, On my second test day Friday at the Albuquerque Indian Center

105 Texas SE in Albuquerque NM, I tried again 'after' doing the online sample. Many people were in the test room that 2nd day, with an intelligent friendly young woman administering the tests, and grading our test papers very efficently as they were turned in to her. A 90 showed up on my test, as my wife (went along for fun) turned in an easy 92.

Now I was challenged and went back for a third try this morning with the same young woman administering the tests. She remembered that my wife had outscored me on Friday. The beautiful new chairs and tables, that had been ordered for quite some time, were being set up in the main room. Management of the center was obviously very proud. Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, has done a great job using his lifelong business influence in getting private enterprise to 'revenue match' federal funding for US Interior projects. Twice as much 'bang for the buck' is also great for US Parks and Services Infrastructure as well as taxpayers.

I was our test administrator's only student on that day in the 9 AM session. We talked about Alaska where her daughter lives while we waited for others to show up. After about 20 minutes, she asked if I wanted to go ahead and test alone. After the 30 minutes test, she graded my paper using a template to find the black dots in their proper places, 95 score was showing improvement.

One errand to run, then came back to the Albuquerque Indian Center and the same nice young woman for another try at 11 AM. My last test score came out at 98 (one question wrong). Friday is another series of tests so maybe I should try again for the 100? Not sure what I would change on my answers though. I was fairly confident that I answered just as a government employee would. :>)

Everyone that is a Citizen of the US, with a social Security card and one other form of ID, (or passport only) can take this little Basic Skills test just to see what their basic skills are in relationship to the rest of the population. The hundreds of thousands of temporary employees are being given the job of documenting each and every person and house or apartment in the USA. This is also being touted as an economic stimulus plan by the federal government. The cost was estimated at 14 Billion dollars in 2006. Veterans carrying full documentation, have access to a 'Ten Point' system of preferential hiring.

The term Enumerator

has come up often. The little Hand Held Computers

(HHC's) have a fingerprint (you must be fingerprinted) reader to identify the person designated as an 'Enumerator'. As that person signs in with their fingerprint, the day begins.

The Enumerator walks up to the address indicated and stands near the doorstep while pressing the GPS finder button. That address is recorded exactly in the system for that particular home number. The 'Enumerators' will have supervisors that enjoy keeping this information flowing.

500,000 HHC's costing a total of over $600 million dollars, running 'windows 5.0 mobil' operating systems, from High Tech Computer Corp (Taiwan), will have a 10 hr battery life to cover each working day. Data will be entered by a stylus, then will be either manually transmitted or automatically at intervals.

Cellular Data will go out over Sprint Nextel and each HHC will also have a phone port. No flash memory chips. No voice transmission. HHC's will also receive Data if the addressee's information is already in the system so it can be skipped. Other company's associated with this project, are Accenture, Unisys, Dell, Oracle, and Fairfax Va based Headstrong. This previous information was on computerworld.com April 5th of 2006.


For all practical purposes, this years system is paperless,.. well sort of, the Government just can not seem to leave the paper out of the equation. The common manila folders used by many, are all in the hands of the Census Operation for now.

This operation is starting to 'recycle' (erase and reuse) folders until more are available. The filing system is kept in backup to the data entered. Needless to say, this is one of the largest workforce's temporarily assembled each ten years.

Of course not nearly the magnitude of the WPA

or the CCC

of many years back. Their legacy of fantasitic hard work, Architectural and Engineering expertice, exists today in almost all of the State and National Park Infrastructures of The entire USA.

The last time the ten year Census was taken was in 2000. It determines Congressional Representation as well as many other things including migration patterns and demographics. Some would term it as, You can run but you can't hide

This ten year documentation project has the least questions than on any previous census. Apparently 1950 and 60 had the most Questions, at least according to one test question?

Hundreds of thousands of 'Enumerators' and support staff to assist them, will soon (april 2009) be on the streets and in the country. I have no idea what job I will be chosen to fill, 'if any'. The office jobs are regular hourly scheduled work. The other jobs are flexible scheduled, according to information on the website. Most of the workforce for 2010, is needed when people to be accounted for, are home. If called three times and a job is offered but you decline, after the third 'NO' your name will be removed from the list.

Enjoy counting the over 300 million Citizens of the Greatest Nation ever known, The UNITED STATES of AMERICA, One Nation under GOD.