I was let go today!!!!

Hey Everyone,

Well I landed a entry level Tech support jobs after months and months of applying. It involved taking phone calls an typing messages in a ticketing system. It was through a Staffing firm so the pay was bad but I didn't t care it was experience. It lasted 2 weeks they liked me and said I had the knowledge but I couldn't type fast enough

I average about 20- 25 words a minute and even slower when someone is watching me. Yes I know its horrible but I am having a god awful time memorizing the keys. I am close with in a key or so of where they are but its wrecks my typing speed. I am trying free on-line programs but its going so slow. PLEASE!!! any techniques that may help? I landed a phone interview with a bank in 2 days and am praying it goes through. This kinda of killed my confidence in what i am doing. I am CCNA and CCNP bound I am hoping but I don't know now...........

Regards,

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Comments

kohr-ah

Z-Type

This will make it fun. Play this over and over and over

Ravenclaw

Well thanks everyone for the input, I think I will make this my highest priority. I guess it is understandable that it would affect productivity. Most of the certifications and exams I would take I just looked at the keyboard or use the mouse. I appreciate all the advice, I think I will just have to keep at it. I think my sticky point is fluid the conversion of words to letters on the keyboard. I will try the typing games, it may speed the process. 150 wpm geeez.. thats unreal!!!

Thanks all

redz

kohr-ah wrote: »

Z-Type

Apparently I type 36 words per minute.

It's as good a time as any to switch to DVORAK, I guess.

cyberguypr

When i read this all I could think was:

Priston

Don't forget

541300-mavis-beacon-teaches-typing-dos-screenshot-arcade-racing-ega.png

N2IT

69.6 gross score according to that test. No missed no extra letters. I am usually very fast in our office at typing and like Everyone mentioned when not copying something I can type A LOT faster. Back to the original OP 25 WPM can easily be improved if you work at it. @ Zar it really must be a generational thing, because I would put my daughter texting against any middle age IT employee. The way she hits those letters is insanity I can't comprehend how she does it.

Tremie24

RouteMyPacket wrote: »

How is it possible you can only type 20-25 words per minute? Are you new to computers?

I see you have a BS in Information Systems, something doesn't seem right.

I just had an interview today for a helpdesk position and both interviewers asked how fast I can type. I don't know if that was going to be a factor for the job, but they did ask, and that's the first time I've been asked. I did have to take a typing test for a different IT help desk position.

hell911

ratbuddy wrote: »

Dang, that sucks, sorry to hear it.

I gained my typing skills and speed from playing games. Old Sierra graphic adventures, mostly, where if you didn't type fast enough, you got eaten by an Orat or worse. You might give those a try, or if you want something more modern, The Typing of the Dead is rather entertaining. You slay zombies with your keyboard. Yeah. Playing MUDs would also help. Anything where you type rather than click stuff. Hang out in IRC, that sort of thing.

Same here. First ever online game I played was Ragnarok Online (started on year 2003), chatting ingame was so simple (UI) yet powerful. I learned how to type fast.

Typing of the dead is also great.

My fastest was just at 79 words per minute at 99% accuracy in online typing quiz.

@OP
Try some online typing quizzes. At first it is okay to practice while looking at keys.

tprice5

Everyone wrote: »

Depends on the keyboard I'm using too. Fastest on my ergonomic keyboard, slowest on my laptop keyboard. Definitely a skill you need to have when doing any type of data entry. Answering calls and transcribing them into a ticketing system would be considered a form of data entry. The faster and more accurately you can type, the quicker you can get through calls. That type of position is all about metrics.

I'm at 80 on my desktop. I don't even want to try on a laptop. Some of these at work that have different spacing just make it unbearable.

OP, you definitely need to get your chops up. Just find some online chat site to something your interested in and kill time typing away. It'll build muscle strength as well as muscle memory.

jibbajabba

To me it sounds like an excuse to get rid of you to be honest. Unless typing speed was a requirement (which they should have tested before you got hired), I don't see this being an issue ... Unless you said you type 150wp in your CV

NovaHax

Sorry to hear that man. That's a stupid reason to be fired. I'd say like half the people I've met in IT can't type proficiently.

jibbajabba

I actually learned to type when I was young and typed up machine code from magazines on my Commodore

If you do really want to learn, the quickest way, like anything in IT - is jumping into the deep end.

In this case, get a keyboard which MAKES you learn to type.

Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate | Das Keyboard

It's like learning a language, once you know the vocabulary - or in this case the location of the keys, the rest comes easier and by itself

Good luck - and do NOT let it take you down - you WILL get let go, you won't get work, you will get the wrong work, not enough money and so on - its just life .. The most important thing is not to give up ..

ptilsen

THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED

dave330i

ptilsen wrote: »

THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED

Nice. Been meaning to learn to type using DAS.

goldenlight

I learned how to type using a software program called typing tutor to learn the basics of the keyboard.

then moved on to online games like Quake.

Then typing research papers in college.

instant000

To the OP:

Any skill can be improved with practice.

I took typing in 10th grade, and it was on a real typewriter, complete with ribbon and all. If you made any mistakes, no matter how good you were with the whiteout, it could be easily detected.

When the class first started, there was this girl in class who already knew how to type, and she was doing 70 WPM on day one. My goal in that class was to be the best, and I didn't even know the home row keys going in.

By the end of the course, I could hit 90 to 100 wpm consistently, with no errors (no errors are critical when you aren't allowed to backspace to correct on a mechanical typewriter). She only improved to about 75 WPM.

When you're first starting out, try saying the letters, spaces, shifts, and punctuation to yourself. Once you get fast enough, you'll just start flowing across the keys.

I'm not telling you to go out and buy a typewriter.

I am telling you to practice.

If you put in just one hour a day of dedicated practice, you'll see substantial improvements in your typing speed. Just get comfortable, get a good position, get your shoulders relaxed, don't tense up (this was a big problem for me, starting out, tense shoulders), and just let it flow.

When first starting out, make sure you concentrate on getting in a proper position, because you will wind up typing (A LOT) for many IT jobs, especially something like helpdesk.

I would recommend typing for taking notes. I know that I prefer to type notes, only because it is so much faster than trying to write it down.

Some people will be blown away if you type fast without looking at the keys?! (Isn't that what you're supposed to be doing?)

Also, I don't subscribe to the number pad, it is just a slow-down. The way some get irritated by slow typists, I get irritated by those who shift their hand over to the number pad, when there are some numbers at the top row that they could use both hands to hit ... oh well, that's just me. To you number pad users: how do you type hexadecimal?

gorebrush

I bought a replacement set of keys for my Filco Majestouch. They are blank. Now that helps a lot. I've found my accuracy has increased somewhat. However, when I've been off work for a few weeks - the first day back I managed to lock out 4 domain accounts