New job requires basic math ,quick thinking !

NikRik · 2009-02-09 02:28:23

We all know how the job market has become . If you are unemployed and lucky enough to find a new job ,you must do everything it takes to hold onto that job ! Well I was unemployed for going on 1 year from a job of 17 years in the Jewelry Bis which has completely flat lined (forget about getting hired in a Jewelry store retail sales are at a all tme low in this industry ! Anyway my wife works in a cardroom/casino as a chip runner. She sells chips out on the floor to the players refills the dealers racks etc. Well after trying for over six months she finally was able to get me a job working there ! To start out you are on a probation period, and they put me in what is probably the hardest job in the chip counting dept . You must empty these large boxes of chips(they weigh 50lbs or more) and then at what they expect at warp speed fill the chips into racks 20 accross five rows .THe dinominations are $1,2,3,4,5 ,10, 20 and $100 chips once the rcks are filled you must cont the total for that piticular box and enter the total into a computer program designed for this task . Well Iam 51 years old and I as a Sales Manager did not have to do simple mulitiblication ,if I was to break out a calculator I would be laughed at by all the other employees ! Right now the job only pays $10 per hour ,however if I do well the owner and my manager have promised me a position at the window as a cashier servicing the customers and filling the chips girls racks when they come on duty, their bank is $10,000 ! For the most part I know all of the mulitibles ,its the forcing you to keep going at wrap speed that makes you get flustered and lose your count ! I must for my family and two young children succeed at this challenge ! The cashier position with the tip pool pays over $50K a year with full benifits ! HELP ,on of the girl training me she has already told my manager who is very nice,the manager that is ,that Iam slow and not learning fast enough ,they want the position I was promised ,of course . All I have going for me is that my wife has worked there for 25 years and friends with the owner ! Please anynoe who can help me with suggestions of how to become quickly a fast counter I would be forever indebted to you !
Take Care Nikik

Last edited by NikRik (2009-02-09 02:34:54)

Jai Ganesh · 2009-02-09 02:51:58

Dear Nikrik,
Nothing helps as much as practice does.
I guess you got to know the multiples of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, and 100.
Knowing the multiples of 1, and 2 mean you know the multiples of 1, 2, 10, 20, and 100, because the other numbers require only adding the zeros at the end of the number.
Just practice a few minutes a day....1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,........
2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,...........
3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45,48,..........
4,8,12,16,20,24,28,32,36,40,44,48,52,56,60,64,68,72,.....
5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45,50,55,60,......
remember the fundamentals:-
1,3,5 are odd numbers;
2,4,10,20,50,100 are even numbers.
Two odd numbers add up to an even number, two even numbers add up to an even number;
an odd and an even number or an even and an odd number always add up to an odd number.
Start practicing multiplying wiythout a paper and pencil, and without a calculator.
Soon you'd be able to tell what 12 x 9 is, or 14 x 22 is.
Good wishes.

MathsIsFun · 2009-02-09 08:38:11

You may find some of these useful:

Math Trainer - Multiplication (you can choose individual rows/columns)
Reaction Math (the 5x5 would be most of what you need)

Also the "Estimate" games at Mathopolis will help you with quick counting: Mathopolis Game List

I should make a "chip counting" game!

mathsmypassion · 2009-02-09 17:58:59

Work out the multiplications by 20 (you have 20 chips in one row) and 100 first.

Use flash cards as a training tool. Repeat the multiplications as often as possible and practice using flash cards by yourself. You don't need another person to test you. Have these cards handy.

If these multiplications work well step further starting with 2 times table, 3 and so on. Use flash cards. Stop at 9 × 2, 9 ×3 ...

Next step: addition. You have to be able to do 5 × 200 + 5 × 10 +5 ×6
Do these additions on paper first. Write on paper the result only (nothing else). Having them on paper helps you visualise the calculation.
In time you will be able to do them in your head. Good luck!

Last edited by mathsmypassion (2009-02-09 18:15:18)

George,Y · 2009-02-10 12:25:31

I tried to apply for a trader's position in a European arbitrage hedge fund, but failed to meet their standard of arithmetric speed!

mathceleb · 2009-02-18 06:27:13

NikRik,

Here is a color coded multiplication table from 1 to 15 that will help you visualize the intersection of the product of 2 numbers on a table:

Multiplication Tables

Last edited by mathceleb (2009-02-18 06:27:35)

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2009-02-09 02:28:23

New job requires basic math ,quick thinking !

#2 2009-02-09 02:51:58

Re: New job requires basic math ,quick thinking !

#3 2009-02-09 08:38:11

Re: New job requires basic math ,quick thinking !

#4 2009-02-09 17:58:59

Re: New job requires basic math ,quick thinking !

#5 2009-02-10 12:25:31

Re: New job requires basic math ,quick thinking !

#6 2009-02-18 06:27:13

Re: New job requires basic math ,quick thinking !

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