LAKE COUNTY — I haven't taken a real test of any kind in almost a year, the last time being during my senior year of college.

I haven't been completely unprepared for a test in even longer, so when U.S. Census Bureau recruiter Etta Moore invited me to take a practice test that mimics the exam all potential census workers take, my first reaction was to say no. Tests and I do not get along, much less a timed test that includes math problems. When I realized that my embarrassment on my score would be mine alone, I relented and sat in and took my practice test while the other four potential census workers took the real thing. In the end, I scored 25 out of 28 questions; one I didn't get to until time expired, and the other two were in the six-question section titled “number skills” (of course). The test is fairly straight forward, and has five different sections: clerical skills, reading, number skills, evaluating alternatives and organizational skills.

I took the test during a Census Job Fair on Jan. 20, at the KwaTaqNuk in Polson. The eight-hour fair gave potential employees the opportunity to learn more about available positions, as well as fill out an application and take the required test. The test, according to Moore, is available to someone to take as many times as they'd like. A background check is also conducted on the applicant, and they must bring two different forms of identification.

This fair was one of many being held in the area as census recruiters aim to hire more than 300 people in Lake County. The census project is set to begin on March 22 and continues until the end of May. But Moore hopes to have the right number of employees hired as soon as possible. Paid training runs from Feb. 15 to March 2, and the area needs lots of workers because the Tribal Council voted to have the area's census done face-to-face rather than using mail-in ballots, according to Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes communication director Rob McDonald.

“There is a historic undercount in Indian country,” McDonald said. “There are a large number of job fairs in the area because they want familiar faces to show up at people's doors.”

Both McDonald and Moore agree this is an extremely important census count for the reservation and the state.

She said that statewide, the 2000 census undercounted nearly 32 percent, and 21 percent on the reservation. The low statewide count led to Montana's loss of a Congressman in 2000. Counts on the reservation help determine the amount of federal funding the Tribes get so “this is a major, major thing,” Moore said.

Positions available include enumerator (someone that goes door to door to take the count) enumerator assistants, crew leaders and couriers. Pay starts at $11 an hour, and workers are reimbursed for gas at a rate of 50 cents a mile.

“You don't get mileage reimbursement if you ride your horse,” Moore said, but she noted that a worker could use any vehicle to complete the job.

High unemployment rates are helping the amount of applications, but McDonald said that some of the people that could most use the money are hesitant to apply because they fear the income will affect their benefits. He said people should double check, but that in most cases, money earned working for the census will not affect their benefits.

Most applicants say they could use the extra money. Shayla Cote, an 18-year-old from Polson, came to the job fair because she was recently laid off.

“I want to get involved in the community,” Cote said. “I don't want to work behind a desk.”

Recruiting assistants that work at the various job fairs around the county felt similarly, and hoped to help get enumerators on the reservation.

“The last census didn't get a good native count, so that's one of the reasons is that we want a good count,” Naida Lefthand said. “I'm supposed to be retired but I can't just sit home.”

The economy was another reason, as was the flexibility of the job.

“I normally do drywall with my husband but drywall's been pretty slow lately,” Maxine Sorrell said. “We work our own hours, and wherever we need to be, we're there.”

Prospective applicants must be at least 18 years old, have two forms of identification, pass a background check and the short multiple-choice test. For more information call 406-214-3174 or visit www.2010censusjobs.gov. The following are the remaining Lake County job fairs:

Friday, January 29

Ronan Community Center

Noon - 8 p.m.

Friday, February 12

Salish Kootenai College

Joe McDonald Gym

Noon - 8 p.m.

Thursday, February 18

KwaTaqNuk Resort

Noon - 8 p.m.