Training for the census has taught her how to better deal with people from backgrounds that may be different than hers. I've learned to be more compassionate to others' needs. Kivett is one of 3,000 applicants who may eventually be hired to count residents of Guilford, Randolph and Rockingham counties for the 2000 census. It also determines how many members of the U.S. House of Representatives are divvied up among the states and how federal and state legislative districts are drawn.
Local governments use the information to plan everything from budgets to land use.
For many people, working for the census lets them use skills they'd developed in other professions. Mike Riling said being a census crew leader and recruiter allows him to use the interpersonal skills he's developed through his work as pastor for Jewel Baptist Church in High Point. Crew leaders are people who assign enumerators to certain neighborhoods and who train them on the best ways to get the information they need. Riling said in his profession and with his personality, it is easy for him to talk to people about getting involved in the census and that it's also easy for him to lead classes and help others become more comfortable with talking to people. Riling led 15 students through three days of training at RCC and said the backgrounds and experiences of his students ran the gamut, from retirees to government officials, but that they all benefited from his class.