Answers to a Questionnaire

In November of 2021, I was the target of an attempted scam. The would-be perpetrators used a version of the "remote work" gimmick. As part of the process, they sent me a questionnaire to fill out. I present it here, along with the answers that I provided. Would you want to hire a person like me?

1. What is your typing speed?

Around twenty words per minute. This may be less if my arthritis is flaring up. To be brutally honest, I have never been an extremely fast typist.

2. Who is the most challenging person you have dealt with in your previous jobs, and how did you deal with that person?

During the later part of my work at Maxon’s Jewelers (a small retail store), the new owner decided on a large technology upgrade. I saw significant problems with the plans that were being made, and I attempted to communicate with the owner about the specific issues that I observed. He refused to listen, and I was eventually dismissed from the position.

3. Do you have the ability to concentrate on repetitive tasks for extended periods? In previous situations, where have you found yourself to demonstrate this ability?

I performed extended periods of repetitive tasks in a number of places, including during my service as a weather observer in the US Navy, in my time doing information processing for the Morningland Dairy, and in my work at Maxon’s Jewelers.

4. Which application programs are you familiar with?

I have experience with successive versions of Microsoft Office extending back into the 1990s. My deepest knowledge is with Word; I’ve also used Excel and Powerpoint.

5. How do you handle sensitive information?

While I was in the US Navy, I held a Secret level security clearance. When I was a computer lab supervisor and technical support person at Bolivar Primary School, I handled significant amounts of sensitive information related to students ages five through eight.

6. Have you ever worked in data entry before?

I have done data entry in the Navy, at Morningland Dairy, at Maxon’s Jewelers, and at Bolivar Primary School, as well as during some parts of my freelance work as a technology consultant.

7. Why should we hire you for this job?

My greatest relevant strength is my broad experience with using technology in a wide variety of environments, dating back to the late 1970s. It is difficult to surprise me.

8. Give me an example of a challenging situation you’ve encountered in your past data entry work.

While in the Navy, I served at sea aboard two aircraft carriers. On numerous occasions, I had to enter significant amounts of detailed meteorological information, with very little margin for error, under tight deadlines, during bad weather, with the vessel rocking, and with other physical hazards present.

9. How would you handle a missed deadline?

It would depend upon the details of the individual situation; however, I would maintain the closest possible communication with my supervisor, and I would adhere to company policies as closely as circumstances would permit.

10. What would you do if you didn’t understand the data you’ve been asked to handle or input?

The answer to this is similar to the answer to question 9. Communication and policies are key.

11. Can you describe a past job challenge and how you handled it?

When I was running the computer lab at Bolivar Primary School, I had to deal with a wide variety of students, including those with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and other special needs. The essential idea in these situations: Never try to handle these things alone; work as closely with administrators, counselors, &c as possible.

12. Tell me about a time you identified an error or problem that had escaped others’ attention.

When I was at Maxon’s, part of my job was working closely with our accounting firm to make sure that the company taxes got paid on time. On one occasion, as I was going over the relevant materials, I noticed that I was seeing the wrong year on several different documents. When I contacted the accountants, I found that I was the first person to have caught this. The accountants and I collaborated on correcting the issues.

13. How do you prioritize the documents that must be digitized?

As with questions 9 and 10, this is an issue of individual situations, communication, and policies.

14. Tell us about a time you received positive feedback on your work.

When I was in the Navy, my unit received a commendation for efficiency during some operations. During the early part of my work at Maxon’s, I organized some financial information into a spreadsheet, improving its readability and efficiency over its previous manual form. This contributed to me receiving a raise shortly afterwards.