Have you worked for AQA63336?

[Velvetee]

I applied for a job with a company called AQA63336. They provide a service, where the public text in questions, via their mobile phones and receive a textual answer back.

I had to complete a test and feel I followed their criteria exactly, keeping within the limit of characters and using correct punctuation and grammar. However, they turned down my application, without any kind of explanation. They stated in their E Mail, that they cannot provide any feedback, as to why the application failed.

Has anyone else applied for a job with this company and passed the test? Where could I have gone wrong?

[tboo]

Did you have to pay for this text?
Sounds like you've been conned to me.

[weeal]

What a strange company, with an equally strange idea.

Ive never heard of it.

[Velvetee]

No, there was no payment or money exchanged. It appears to be a legitimate company.

I had to complete a regular application form and then a test, consisting of about 10 dummy questions, supposedly from members of the public and answer them using the AQA format.

[Velvetee]

Weeal, if you've seen the recent 118 118 adverts, they are now providing a service, like the one I've described. I guess companies like AQA subcontract their services to them.

[weeal]

This it?

http://metanet.2.forumer.com/a/my-triumph-over -aqa_post18676-15.html

http://www.issuebits.com/events/fieldday07.htm

[figure]

They sound bogus to me. Pay attention to your mails and phone calls. Such scams and similar are out there to collect personal information with intentions of committing fraud and identity theft.

[weeal]

aha, so its like answerbank via your mobile, you pay �1 to ask the question by text from your mobile and guaranteed an answer

soz I havent answered your question just sussing out what it was lol

[Velvetee]

The reason I applied, was because I read a magazine article, about women who work for themselves. One worked for AQA63336 and said good things about it.

[Velvetee]

Yes Weeal, that's correct. Here are two questions they posed on their test and my answers. Can anyone see what's wrong with them?

Q: Who will be the first to win their next World Cup trophy - the England rugby team or the England football team?

A: The next World Cup trophy could be won first, by the England Football team in 2010. The Rugby World Cup, will not take place until 2011.

Q: I work in Chiswick. Where is my local David Lloyd?

A: Your local David Lloyd, closest to Chiswick, is Fulham Broadway. For further information, please call David Lloyd on 020 7386 2207.

[Velvetee]

Anyone?

[Gok Wan]

AQA are a well respected company. If you go over ro the 'Up Your Income' board on http://www.moneysavingexpert.com then you will find threads about them.

From what I can gather, they are very fussy about who they accept and prefer people who have a degree.

I filled in the questions they sent but gave up when they asked for more information than I would usually include on my CV!

[Velvetee]

It's understandable they desire people who have a good command of English and impeccable grammar, but they only pay 30 pence per answer, so expecting the likes of Steven Hawkin is somewhat over optimistic.

I wish they would give feedback, so if I re-apply in six months, I know where I went wrong previously. I have a degree, but I know others with degrees, who cannot string a coherrent sentence together. Academic snobbery I think!

[buildersmate]

Recruitment techniques often involve a combination of battery tests, interactive engagement and problem solving techniques designed to try and establish how people are likely to perform in the 'corporate environment'. These 'front-end' techniques tend to be more of the analytical battery test variety because it is easy way of recruiters to screen in or out particular attributes in candidates. Unfortunately they are not foolprooof and there is a measure of inaccuracy - however in an environment where there are lots of candidates the organisation can afford not to be too fussy at this stage if a few escape the net - there's lots more candidates in the pile. I know this doesn't help you much but I hope it gives you comfort. They are unlikely to define exactly what they are looking for - the providing feedback takes a lot of management time (if every candidate asks for it).
As to the opportunity itself, I personally believe that this is text-based solution looking for a problem to solve and the basic premise that there is a demand for a 'premium' service to get answers to questions is flawed. Faced with an option of researching it oneself (for free, but time-consuming), posting on AB or similar (ditto) or paying �1 or so for premium for finding out in an hour or so, I can't think of many situations where the average man with a mobile in the street wants to spend money in this fashion. We will see in a year or so whether this has vanished from the business horizon.

[squarebear]

Yes I've heard of it. It comes in handy if you want to settle arguments in the pub or "confirm" your answers in the local pub quiz.

It's a perfectly legitimate company and one that I use quite often.

Basically all they do is put your question into google and text you back with the most suitable response. I know this because I asked a question about myself and found a website that I own was contacted via google with the same text I had sent in.

[buildersmate]

Well maybe you're the rule and I'm the exception then, Squarebear.
But at �20 and a couple of free pints for winning the pub quiz (plus the pride of it!) versus the cost, I can't see it catching on.
Now - if there was a way of beaming it into my brain from the contestant's chair of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - that is an opportunity.

[CurvedAir]

Hiya, I work for AQA and I just want to confirm it's not a scam, nor does it have anything to dowith 118118 (Not a patch on 63336!)
I have to say, your answers look very good, as good as the answers they are expecting on AQA! It's a mystery why they turned you down!
Yes, they do pay 30p per answer, but if you like looking up trivia (which I do) it can be very good fun. I made almost �300 last month alone, and I'm a stay at home mum with three kids!
I say apply again.....they don't know what they're missing!

[CurvedAir]

Oh, and FYI...the company has been going for 3 years (at least!) so unlikely to disappear over the horizon!
It does come in handy...for instance, we get a lot of questions from people asking when the train to such a place is and when is the last one back, texts asking where the nearest takeaway is, how to get from A from this tube station, which exit to take on the motorway to get to there....lots of instances where you cannot access the internet and you need information NOW!

[CurvedAir]

AND (You'll be glad when I've gone I bet!) we don't necessarily use Google. There are 1,400 reasearchers and we all have different methods for searching.
If someone sends a text saying "I am Squarebear, tell me a fact about myself" we would normally search for the whole name first, then check all the networking sites to see if we can find them. :o)

[barneyboo]

I was going to apply to AQA as well because a friend of mine did it, but after what happened to her I won't be bothering now. She said that your answers are constantly monitored and as soon as any little mistakes crop up they are on your back about it and they wouldn't pay if they weren't happy with any answers. The final straw came when she went on holiday for a few days and they pulled her account because they said that she hadn't fulfilled her obligations to the company. She spoke to somebody to do with employment rights and they said that they are paying way below what they should be doing. If it was proper employment they would be in trouble because most people won't even be earning the minimum wage. I think they expect too much for what they give back.

[CurvedAir]

AQA are very strict about the quality of your answers, but only because they offer a quality sevice! If you don't make silly mistakes, they are not on your back. There are spell checkers on the site and everything, so it's really difficult to make silly mistakes.
And AQA wil only terminate your contract if you don't answer any questions in 6 weeks, not a few days.