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Testing was just awful, but recruiter post is right.

Posted By: omt on 2005-08-28
In Reply to: I hate testing - test

When I tested, I thought the recruiters would laugh at me.  I had well over 15 years of MT experience and I was lost in cyberspace with the testing.


If I couldn't understand what "Dr. Marble Mouth" was saying, I didn't "fudge it".  As much as I hate to leave blanks, I left them.  And I left quite a few.  The speed could not be turned down and all four reports I got were not only out of my area of expertise, but horrid dictators that never stopped to take a breath.


I said to myself, "well, at least I tried."  With all those blanks, I figured I was doomed.  Much to my surprise, I passed the testing with 98%.  It became obvious to me at that point that the recruiters do look for your overall knowledge and not your ability to understand horrible dictators. 




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I think we could all stand to learn from the Amish and how they are handling this awful, awful sm

tragedy. I read on a website 2 seperate stories of how the Amish are dealing with this. Yes, they are sad, but they believe that they will (and I do too) see their children again and that they are in a much better place. They have reached out to the gunman's family, visiting the killer's wife and children and offering them forgiveness. I also read that they want to "help" the gunman's family monetarily through a Mennonite fund if they need help! The article contrasted the Amish to other school tragedies where lawsuits were filed and death threats were made against the family members of the ones who committed the murders!


They are such graceful, loving people. Different, yet. Weird? In a way. But you have to admit that without electricity or vehicles to get them around, they obviously live a faith that most of us could only wish we had inside of us. I am a Christian. If a madman entered my children's school and killed them, could I offer forgiveness to their family? I doubt it. Could I weep in peace and silence knowing that I would someday see my children again? Maybe. But I would be a wretched mess and everyone around me would KNOW my suffering.


 


I am learning a great deal about the Amish through this. I used to live near PA where seeing the Amish was a regular occurrence. I thought they were so crazy and weird.....But, it was my own ignorance that made those judgments. They are wonderful, Godly people. I admire them more and more as I continue to read how they are dealing with this awful event!


Regarding testing. I have given in-depth testing but I have come to find that sm

no matter what a company wants, be it ESL specialist, etc., the best test to give ANY applicant is one that is not planned, one given right on the spot, verbal, one that has not been scheduled so the person has had no time to get nervous, but throw about 15-20 questions at them, general knowledge for their level of skill, and it can tell you wonders about their knowledge that is retained!! I actually find that the retention rate of folks hired this way is actually higher than intense testing given by some of these larger national companies.  We all know that it takes sometimes a couple of weeks for even the best MTs to understand (I am speaking of the ESLs or bad dictators).  There are some companies that give these as tests and what does that tell?  Tells nothing and means nothing!  Some of these that do well on these actually cannot do the work.  How do we know that these folks have not actually had someone else do the test for them?


I find the best way is to pull a pop test on the spot in the middle of the interview and it works!  Don't ever give the same questions to two separate applicants.  Have a database of questions to pull from.  Score from the ones you ask and move on from there.  If the person cannot do the work, you know it in a day. 


I believe it was the old EDiX that used to give over the phone questions, but they still scheduled this and people had time to get nervous.  This way there is no time and well, you would be surprised at what folks actually do know...and in some cases...what folks actually do not know when given multiple choice, but to me this is an excellent way of testing, takes very little time, which I personally consider to be too valuable to waste 3-4 hours on a test, which someone who is experienced and has worked for 10 to 15 years in the field should not be required to do anyhow, should not be asked to do.  When you have worked 12 hours during that day for a company (and some have), why should they have to take 4 hours to do a test?!


Think about it!!


I have recently spoken to other recruiters from other companies and they have agreed with me on this and I hope it catches on because it certainly is less time consuming and tells you all you need to know without giving them the actual work to do.


 



 


 


 


now this right here has recruiter

that was only from one recruiter - sm
She was really great to talk to. I have been with five companies over the past four years and it was good to have her ask me what I liked and what I didn't. And she seemed genuine, and she had told me some of her experiences as well. So maybe they do listen, or maybe some companies are trying to "revamp" their old ways ... keep our fingers crossed.
recruiter?

Could you please let everyone know the name of this recruitment company?  First off, it would be a great service to all of us here who frequent this board -- better we should be warned first.  If they are soliciting, it hopefully should be no big secret who they are ... usually these people LIKE the names of their companies in the spotlight.  And third, how totally and completely IGNORANT this recruiting firm must be to make the comment to you that they would be "curious" as to how you "knew" this information ..... isn't it THEIR business to know this stuff?  What a joke of a recruiting company!    Kind of like asking a billing company to go recruiting for oceanographers.  Ha!


Has anybody here ever been a recruiter?
I am curious what are some requirements of becoming a recruiter.  I think that might be an interesting job to have, but there are possibly some things I'm not considering.  Does anyone know how to find information on this?  I would think that it is probably competative, so I don't want to ask another recruiter
I am a recruiter.
I came into this position without a background in recruiting. If you know transcription, can do a bit of QA (to score tests), and like talking to people about the same thing over and over and over and over again, don't let inexperience stop you.

Good luck!
How does one get a recruiter job?
I think my mom would be perfect for this type of position, but I've never seen them posted on the job boards.  How would she go about applying for this type of position?
RECRUITER
MY take is it sounds like they don't want you despite your situation just because of the working nights issue as it IS hard to get people to work nights.  Once he found out (I'm taking it that you couldn't work nights) that you didn't want to work nights, he probably threw your resume in the trash can.  I don't mean to sound brutal ....... really....... just trying to keep it truthful.  Let's face it, MTs are a dime a dozen now.  For every MT that gets hired, there are probably 100 disappointed MTs that DIID NOT get hired.  I just think it's supply versus demand.  They have hundreds of MTs to choose from, plus it does not sound like a company I would want to work for that would treat you like that before you were even hired.  Just think how you might get treated if you WERE hired.  I really feel God is looking out for you on this one.  I may be wrong, but i don't think so.  Silence can translate to hundreds of words, or one word ....... NO (they don't need you as much as you need them, and they know that).
Their recruiter
I've heard about her ... a real fly brain.
Are you a recruiter?

A recruiter's POV

This probably doesn't apply to you, or many people out there, but it has happened a time or two when I was a recruiter. An MT applies, recruiter A talks with them. All looks good. Then, recruiter B notices the application, and has worked with the MT before. Turns out it was very difficult experience, either the MT's quality scores, or attitude/ethics, MT disappeared, who knows? It's not an easy situation to handle, and it might be that recruiter A decides to simply not follow up with the potential MT. We eventually shared our list of MTs we didn't feel would suit the company and it never happened again.


Again, not saying this is the situation, or that if it is that the situation was handled correctly, but sometimes we all might choose to take the easy way out in difficult situations. It's not easy to tell someone that their reputation as a substandard MT has all of a sudden come to light through someone else.


I hope that somehow this situation works out for you, or that a better one comes along.


Not a recruiter...
...but I always make my current employer 'confidential' and in my cover letter say it will be disclosed 'upon mutual interest.'  I give the dates and all other pertinent information, just not the name of the company.  No point in having that information out there when the recipient has no intention of even contacting you.  If/when they do, then I consider getting specific.  I've been hired several times from resumes with this information.  You just never know which recruiters know one another.  'Sally, did you know Tilly Typist at your company is shopping her resume around?" 
Not Recruiter, Just Excited
Not a recruiter, never have been, wouldn't want to be.  Seeking honest answers for something someone with no experience things may be too good to be true.  Thank you for your opinion, though.
The recruiter at Spheris.... sm
really missed her calling.  She should have been a used car salesman (salesperson :)  She told me that everything depended on the account I would be assigned to, but with my experience I should expect at least 8.5 cpl as well as production incentives and weekend incentives, and on and on.  And no, I didn't get it in writing.  I had no reason to think she was fast talking me.  I did question the $7.00 an hour training rate which I thought was way off base.  She told me my training would only be one week and then I would start getting paid production.  I think everyone will agree with me.. that was a straight out lie.!  I trained on HITS for a week and then I found out the two accounts I had been assigned didn't use HITS.  So now I had to train on two other accounts, both with different platforms.  I swear, if I had stayed I'd probably still be training.  I don't know if the situation is the same with all accounts, but I was told to leave my email on at all times and answer every one immediately as it may be an important notice from my team leader or supervisor.  I had to stop working to read emails every 2 minutes.  And none of them were of any importance.  Someone wishing someone else a Happy Birthday, someone complaining that someone else was cherry-picking.  The worst was their on line collaberation procedure.  One person has trouble with a word and 50 MTs are supposed to stop working?  Listen, I'm more than willing to help out a fellow MT, but every 5 minutes?  It was just insanity.  Many of you sound like you're happy there, so maybe I just couldn't adapt to the constant interruptions as well as all the broken promises.  So that was my experience with a national.  Never again.
I got this same e-mail from the recruiter. nm
nm
B and E and have never had a recruiter ask for CMT credentials ever! nm
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has anyone ever had a recruiter talk down to them - sm

I cannot believe the way this woman spoke to me in such a condescending manner.  She made herself sound so high and mighty, and yet all through the industry I had only heard good things about her.  I applied for a position, was contacted by phone, and she told me that my EXTENSIVE 14 years experience, along with 3 years QA experience was not enough for their company.  But it was the tone that she used!  I am not a sensitive person in any way, but she made me feel like I was inadequate and had no business applying for a job with their company.  When I told her what I made (which I said I could prove on my taxes and pay slips) she balked (?sp) as if I was making it up. 


Has anyone else ever been through this?? I do not want to say the name of this person or the company because I do not think it is relevant. 


The recruiter said it was management, not MT.
It is my guess it paid well, but who knows.
I have talked to their recruiter and liked her a lot. sm

I would like more information though as the archives give me a very mixed impression.  My email is above.  I just do not want to make a move without knowing that it will be better, not the same or worse.  Right now, I am with MQ.


Thank you.


Recruiter is really out on a limb. nm
xxx
That is silly and obviously that recruiter is not an MT or sm
she would know the benefit of hiring someone that has acquired some speed. The formula for speed though is knowledge. The less you have to look up things, the faster you can go--no stopping to look up--and there is a point where you can do that for the majority of your work. Unfortunately, many in the workforce today are newbies and they have not gotten there yet...but the day could come where they will. Speed means a lot, but bottom line is knowledge, accuracy and speed. Put them all together, know the account, and you are set to go.
The recruiter specifically said 8-4:30 Sun through Fri.
This has been mentioned in conference calls.

"You are not to work outside of your schedule. If we need you to work outside of your schedule, we will call you. Do not work off the clock. No where in the U.S. do people work off the clock. It is not legal to work off the clock. Do not work OT without prior authorization."

These are a few of the statements made by management regarding when to work.

I don't play bingo. I do have a mtg, a car payment and would like to live a modest middle America lifestyle which I cannot do I there is a feeding frenzy for the work load because some people make their own rules.

If my company would have said, "have at it" with regard to when to work, I'd be the first one and here is what I'd do.

I'd leave my computer on 24 hours a day and simply check on the work load every 30 minutes, sit down and type away when there was work to do and get up and do other things when there is not.

However, I signed a contract that said I understood the terms and until I am told otherwise, I will follow them.


Recruiter question
Do the recruiters get some type of bonus or compensation every time they sign on a MT?  The last few I have applied to, there were two different people who replied, wanting different things and wanting me to contact them.  Do I go with the first one responding or does it matter?
If she was a recruiter, she would be telling--sm
where she works and plastering the name everywhere. Obviously she has not done that.

There are too many other *unhappy* ones trying to jump on her bandwagon. I wouldn't tell anyone else either, if I were her. I wish her all the best.
As a tester/recruiter
I never had anyone who graduated from there pass the test on mttest.com.  I had many grads tell me they were never trained on ESL dictators or anything. I would save my money and go with a more reputable company.
Recruiter told me this - they would (sm)

rather see blanks that someone "guessing" at the blanks.  I think guessing and putting something down just so you don’t have blanks is really a "red flag."


What goes thru the recruiter's mind:
"For goodness' sake. Another MT who wants to get paid what s/he's worth. What a PITA."

& your resume goes to the bottom of the inbox.
I absolutely agree with the recruiter above - sm
I worked with a woman who claimed to be a medical transcription instructor, 20 years experience, so on and so on. Get this - she could not understand a simple line of "the lungs are clear to auscultation." I AM NOT LYING ON THIS!!

I cannot tell you THE COUNTLESS NUMBER of transcriptionists that get an attitude about needing to take a transcription test when they have X-number of years experience, but you know what?? I would say a little less than half of the "prima donnas" that had this attitude, could not transcribe for beans!! I worked with a company that had travelers that sent out transcriptionists that had the prima donna attitudes, and again, their transcription could KILL A PATIENT!!! They didn't care. They were doing it for the line count to make the money. One woman if made up crap just to get extra lines.


Future-step recruiter
I too spoke with this woman, only she told me she was recruiting for Medquist because they no longer wanted to outsource and wanted to bring all the work back to the States and that this is why they're on their hiring binge!
The recruiter I spoke with was a transcriptionist - sm
and I know for a fact that I make much more than her, and she supposedly has all this experience and knowledge. When it came down to it, my experience was almost on the same level as hers, just in less years.

All I know is that I will never interview again with a national service. I feel that my experience and my knowledge and my background definitely made me a candidate for the position posted. I truly believe it was my salary that "threatened" this recruiter (for lack of a better word). I think she felt it necessary to be condescending. I will just stick with the job I have. It's not a bad job, but I just wanted a change and a chance to grow even more.
As a recruiter, if I see someone who feels compelled....
...to tell me how fast they can type, their resume goes to the bottom of the stack. Then again, in another life I was a QA manager, and felt that quality was more important than how fast you could race through a report.
I'm an MT, not a recruiter. Scouts honor! nm
 
Hmm. Might you be a Diskriter recruiter or are you thinking
s
What a recruiter told me they look for on resumes
I was told when a job is posted, they literally get 100 resumes/applications.  When they go through them - they want to see exactly what kind of experience you have.  Not just specialties, neurology for example - but what type of reports, EMGs, EEGs, MRIs, CTs, etc.  What type of op notes?  This should be a little verbose.  Next they want to know what services you have worked for, paid by production, platforms used, and yes even the equipment that you currently have in your possession and ready to use.  This cuts down on the questions they have to ask you.  If you have already answered most of their questions on your resume, you probably go in the contact pile.  If your current and past MT employment is sketchy and verification information/dates is not offered, you probably go in the trash pile if they have enough qualified people to contact.  You can't just say I have been an MT for 10-20 years, a lot of people have.  Think of yourself as the recruiter and the information you would want to know.
I asked some questions of the Transform recruiter before...sm
sending in resume. They didn't answer the questions and sent out a general prefabricated rah-rah message about making the right decision to see if we were both a good fit for each other, etc. In it, it asks you to download some program into your computer that will check out the specifics of your system and email them with the info so they'll know right away if your system is compatible with what they need. What the...!!! No way was I going to do that. And then it asks to you to do the 5 tests and the 6 voice files and submit it with your resume. I declined to do everything. Not my idea of how to do business. 
The recruiter said she worked for Future Step. nm
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I talked to a recruiter yesterday that told me she -
is the "preferred" recruiter for her company.

Oh brother, I wonder if her feet hurt from standing on her soapbox, voice is obviously strained from singing her own praises, and her arm is dislocated from patting herself on the shoulder.


I agree with you. If a recruiter cannot answer your questions and you sm
are not satisfied, then you should move on to the next interview. I try diligently to have all the answers before I advertise for a position because I know what it is like being an MT and looking for work.

One thing I must say though is this, sometimes we try and still it is hard to pinpoint all the issues (and I know I try) . I know in my case there are different departments and while I do ask all the necessary questions, there are conflicts in the answers. I do my best to pull the answers from the managers prior to advertising for a job opening and believe me, if I can't do it, no one can. I understand what you are saying, but all of us are not alike. Some of us work very hard to think of anything you could possibly ask.

Now, if you have a recruiter that has never been an MT, they might not approach things like those of us who have been MTs and QA people in our career.

Just keep your chin up and stay firm in what you want and don't back off on it.
Kudos! I agree with recruiter hopping!

I'll sometimes see the same name pop up at different companies?      Why do they not stay?   LOL


It is so easy to blame the MT that's why!  I also have a list of recruiters I think are the pits! 


My recruiter, hiring coordinator, and production spvsr said it was
the new plan.

After reading all the complaints about not knowing what it was, I thought I would share it but apparently it was a big mistake. I won't ever do that again.

Some of the complaints I read sound pretty credible but most sound like the same thing over and over again without anything more than just general statements.

I guess complainers usually do make more noise though.

AnyWHO, I'm through with this. Try to help and share information and people who are supposed to be professional and supportive turn into some kind of attack sharks.
Ask about working the holidays. Recruiter led me to believe it would be their choice and not mine,
s
Bitter? I think the recruiter/owner had some valid points. nm
x
i asked you directly who hired the MT and do you want to hire the recruiter, tester or
manager who gives you this MT. they OBVIOUSLY aren't doing their job.
Has anyone else had this awful
If so, any comfort care measures you'd be willing to share? I am really struggling today and don't want to take my OTC meds cause they knock me out. Any home remedies would be GREATLY appreciated. 
i think she looks awful
Maybe it's because I never liked her, but she looks unhealthy since her surgery - like a balloon with air sucked out of it.
Isn't it Awful
Where do you live? Here in NY the heat index is 107. It was already sweltering at 8:00 this morning.
It is awful
I am not even sure how to work the speakerphone option because I did not receive a manual. I did press the transcribe button and at first the sound on the headset was very faint, now it is nonexistent. I had to transcribe with the handset up to my ear and neck crinked to the side. Could only work like that about 2 1/2 hours then had to stop, sound wasn't the greatest on the handset trying to use it to transcribe. DH is going to take it apart tomorrow to see if he can rewire it to external speakers...any other advice would be appreciated before he does that...that option scares me too.
Awful

I think it is awful that you were treated this way.  I know how it feels to be treated as if I am no more important than the next best piece of equipment.  The thing is, they did it because they could.  This is a learning experience for all of us; whenever we make any agreements for extra help, then we must have solid written contracts to indicate the limitations.  I wonder if it would also be a good idea to insert a clause into an original contract with the client (or for the next client) that indicates that you require a minimum of work before they go and hire additional help on the accoun?.  Give them the out of "negotiable", but they will have to discuss any changes with you before adding more MTs to the account for which you have a binding contract. 


I am not a lawyer, but this is my 2 cents.


 


thats awful
my sympathies...geez. if things usually come in 3's, then you're probably in for one more o)

but hang in there. when you're at the bottom, the only place to go is up! this'll help you even more appreciate all the good days!!

hope your son does okay...
They are both awful! nm
nm