Posted by Marian_in_CA on 8/20/13 12:57pm
Msg #481187

What's required to be a notary instructor?

So, a certain organization is hiring notary instructors in CA... here are their requirements.... anybody notice a MAJOR issue???



" A bachelor's degree from a US regionally or nationally accredited university.
Excellent presentation skills, including the ability to represent complex topics in simple terms by showing relevant examples, ideally gathered from professional experience.
Two to four years of experience in classroom instruction in either a corporate or educational environment.
Strong self-motivation, professional maturity and a demonstrated ability to achieve goals independently; experience working remotely or telecommuting is a plus.
Strong customer service skills.
The ability to "think on your feet" to respond to questions that may not be covered in the materials.
The resourcefulness to maintain poise and improvise in diverse situations.
Solid oral and written communication skills.
Strong attention to detail.
Working knowledge of spreadsheets, databases, and word processing software is a plus."

Reply by Alz on 8/20/13 1:01pm
Msg #481188

Where is the Notary Public knowledge? n/m

Reply by Alz on 8/20/13 1:05pm
Msg #481191

Hit enter a bit too fast. Didn't finish my thought.

An instructor must establish credibility in the subject, in addition to being a subject matter expert. Didn't see this listed.

Reply by Notarysigner on 8/20/13 1:20pm
Msg #481195

>>>>>> including the ability to represent complex topics in simple terms by showing relevant examples, ideally gathered from professional experience. <<<<<<

UHHH Does that mean the ability to refer BORROWER to the hiring party or LO?

a bachelor's degree....oh, oh Calf notary population reduced by 2/3....those remaining will be working for...SSS = Signing Service Scholars.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 8/20/13 1:25pm
Msg #481196

Yeah, I picked up on that, too....


What kills me is that, given their list of requirements, I wouldn't qualify for the job. Heh.

Reply by Notarysigner on 8/20/13 1:34pm
Msg #481202

Re: What's required to be a notary instructor? also.

There is no requirement for a VALID DL and the ability to drive or follow directions (GPS?).

Reply by MW/VA on 8/20/13 1:33pm
Msg #481201

Yikes! Even though I don't think you necessarily have to

be a Notary in order to be an instructor. My guess would be that they'll have to undergo training on the "subject" in order to teach.
Sad truth is that everyone today is requiring a degree & experience. It's an employer's market.
If it's the XYZ org., they've been running classes (seminars) for years all over the US.
I've learned not to trust any info coming from them.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 8/20/13 1:39pm
Msg #481204

Re: Yikes! Even though I don't think you necessarily have to

The one that gets me is this one:

"The ability to "think on your feet" to respond to questions that may not be covered in the materials."


How can you possibly do that if you don't know the subject?

Marilyn, it is them. I even mentioned it on their FB page. My response:

"So, you need people who can think on their feet and possibly answer questions not covered in the approved materials... but you DON'T require that they have any actual CA notary law knowledge or experience? Forgive me for not quite understanding this. How can they possibly answer those questions if they don't have any in-depth knowledge of their subject matter? Given your requirements, I wouldn't qualify for the job... even though I've personally mentored many CA notaries and can quote entire sections of our handbook word for word, even referencing people to specific state code numbers. I don't mean to sound rude... but many of those CA notaries come out of the NNA seminars. Also, when I took me renewal exam last year, I noticed that all of the students who had the re-take vouchers with them (meaing they already failed the exam at least once) were all cramming out of the NNA course materials. Maybe I'm beginning to see the connection."

Reply by Alz on 8/20/13 1:48pm
Msg #481207

I can't wait to hear their response/comment. Let us know. n/m

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 8/20/13 2:10pm
Msg #481220

Here's their repsonse....

BTW, I think some of their social media people are the most open and aware....

" Marian, while we don't know your specific qualifications, we are fairly confident that you would likely be a valuable instructor. If you would be able to commute to Orange County we would seriously encourage you to apply for this position."


Heh. that's a 3-4 hour commute through downtown Los Angeles. The extra income would be devoured by the commute costs.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 8/22/13 5:37pm
Msg #481587

Re: Here's their repsonse....

Orange County, huh? I wonder what they're paying...

FWIW, I got an email yesterday about the latest NSA training program they have scheduled here for this coming weekend, making claims once again about how notaries can use their commission to earn "$75...$125... or even more". At least they've moderated those claims ever so slightly from the past, but that doesn't change the already very high concentration of NSAs or NSA wannabes already in this county. I feel so bad for those folks taking the class who think this is going to be their next good thing...

And back to the original point: the bio of the instructor listed says nothing about any experience signing loans or even notarizing documents, just how many notaries she's trained. Frightening thought...

Reply by MW/VA on 8/20/13 1:52pm
Msg #481208

Yes, you might begin to understand why some of us became

disenchanted with them years ago. IMO, they're good at selling--just not good at producing.
I had purchased "The Virginia Notary Law Primer" from them when I was starting out. I was new, so what did I know. Later I found out that much of the info in that booklet is incorrect.
Unfortunately, that's also why there's such an attitude here on the forum about newbies. Many know that they will complete the training & still be clueless, so they come here for guidance. We should welcome them & try to help. Otherwise, the affects of the XYZ training will stay with them & they won't be able to move past it.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 8/20/13 2:01pm
Msg #481214

Re: Yes, you might begin to understand why some of us became

Oh, I know. I think I've become a thorn in their side. I'm pretty vocal to them because I think they need somebody to stand up to them. I do know that they pay attention... they've interacted with me and even called me personally. So, while it's a corporate giant, there are some individuals within the organization who pay attention.

I think that a lot of notaries just walk away and never speak up. If you don't speak up, how will they know they're doing something wrong?

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 8/20/13 2:06pm
Msg #481217

Re: Yes, you might begin to understand why some of us became

Interestingly...on their FB today, in response to an inquiry, they actually recommended people come here to sign up. NotRot was listed with a few other sites (including numbers and cafe) ... but they listed NotRot second under their own site.

Reply by MW/VA on 8/20/13 2:50pm
Msg #481235

Which is exactly what we should respond to newbies

better than we have been. They don't know they're entering the shark tank when they decide to venture onto this forum. I think it's a shame. Sure, we get tired of that, but the forum can get pretty tiresome anyway--same 'ol, same 'ol--late docs, too many pages in pkg, low fees, problems getting paid, etc.

Reply by DebraOro/CA on 8/21/13 10:38am
Msg #481370

Re: Yes, you might begin to understand why some of us became

Wow Marian,
You sure were able to by-pass that BA pretty easily! Their requirements are absurd ! IMO

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 8/20/13 2:53pm
Msg #481236

Wow! I wouldn't qualify. Never attended a US college. Absolutely no knowledge on spreadsheets.

The ASN certified me as one of their instructors after following my messages on notary forums and being recommended by the Chairman of the organization (Nick Tulve - who remembers him from TSR?) They already knew I knew the notary laws thoroughly, so only required me to attend classes with one of their other instructors before letting me handle classes on my own. I really enjoyed teaching new "wannabe" notaries.