This post is part 2 of our series about what you need to know before starting your career as a transcription services provider (or transcriptionist). If you haven’t checked out part 1, read it here.
As you have known, transcriptionists convert video and audio information into text. And this job requires much more skills rather than only a strong command of language. So, if you want to be a transcription services provider, continue to follow our advice below.
How To Get Started As A Transcriptionist?
Transcription services may be a rewarding career choice for those who enjoy reading and have a keen eye for detail. And here are the key points they need to keep in mind when getting this work started.
#1. Sharpen Your Abilities
Enhance your typing speed and accuracy
The first and foremost aspect of transcribing job is having excellent typing abilities. You must be able to type quickly, at least 85 words per minute, while still sticking to accuracy.
So make sure that your hands are in a comfortable position when providing transcription services. Typing for long periods might be difficult with improper hand location. So the space bar on your keyboard should be centred on your body. Rest your elbows on the table when typing, and keep your wrists slightly lifted. Your wrists should never be bent or angled in a complex way.
Practice listening to different accents
Transcribers, unlike in a real discussion, cannot ask the speakers to repeat themselves for clarity. They only can listen to the recording again, but they’ll just hear the same thing.
So, you may practice for a couple of hours each day to develop a keen sense of hearing and understanding. Here are some pointers to help you improve your listening abilities.
- Simultaneous listening and reading
If you enjoy viewing movies, it is recommended to make extensive use of subtitles. Turn on the subtitles while you’re at it. Also, you may use audiobooks to practice by listening to the audio while reading the book.
- Experiment with various audio speeds
You may change the playback speed when watching or listening to something online. If the audio contains fancy vocabulary, a hard-to-understand accent, or complicated grammatical structures that you’re not used to, you can use this function.
- Listen while sleeping
Listening to audio while sleeping is a fun method to learn a new language. According to research, even when we’re asleep, our brain continues to absorb information. We can continually speed up the learning process by spending some spare time studying the language, even if we’re sleeping if we put this into practice.
Join an online transcription services training program
Seek out transcribing training in a particular subject if you want to further your profession and earn more money. You don’t need to spend hours at a college or university to perfect transcribing. There are still a lot of online lessons and courses available that will teach you all you need to know. Skillshare and Udemy are two famous websites offering many online transcription courses.
Get certifications for your domain
While aiming at transcription services as a long-term goal, you might get higher-paying jobs, like medical or legal transcribe, if you have certification.
- Medical certification
A one-year certification program or an associate degree in medical transcribing is required for a transcriptionist job in the medical industry. Healthcare documentation, medical terminology, and anatomy are among the topics covered in the courses.
- Legal certification
To work as a legal transcriptionist, you must first enrol in a training program that covers legal systems and terminology, as well as documentation and research. Instead of choosing a certificate program, you can acquire an associate degree as a legal administrative assistant.
- Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS)
This qualification will help you stand out in the field of online transcribing. One organization that offers online classes and certification is Transcribe Anywhere.
#2. Purchase Equipment
As you advance in your career, you’ll undoubtedly want to improve your equipment as well. And although online transcribing tasks do not necessitate expensive equipment, you will need a computer with high-speed Internet and word processing software such as Microsoft Word.
Most businesses will recommend that you have transcription software that allows you to slow down the audio so you can capture every word. Some free transcription tools can save you a ton of effort and time, for example, the web app oTranscribe or the downloadable FTW Transcriber.
Another thing that every transcription services provider should pay attention to is the headset. Your hearing is your most valuable asset as a professional audio transcriptionist. So a good set of transcription headphones can help you hear difficult audio more clearly, increasing your productivity and lowering the amount of mishears or “unclear” in your transcripts. This results in satisfied customers and increased hourly profits.
Moreover, a foot pedal is frequently included because without it, you would normally have to handily use a mouse to play, pause, fast-forward, and rewind the audio. With a foot pedal, you can control audio with your foot, freeing up your hands to focus on typing. The easiest method to boost your transcribing speed is to use this easy tool.
Where To Find Transcriptionist Jobs?
#1. Social Media Groups
Social media is the first place where you can grow your network, keep up with the newest development in the language sector and get closer to your potential clients.
You should know about All About Transcription, a forum to exchange techniques, seek guidance, and advertise job openings, and Transcription Link, a community for all transcriptionists, including legal, general, offline closed captioning transcriptionists, and anybody interested in becoming one.
#2. Freelancer Platforms
It’s quite simple to find work as a freelance transcriptionist since you can simply hunt for organizations or people wishing to hire freelance transcribers on the Internet. Here are some of the greatest freelancing platforms to start your search:
- Upwork
As one of the most popular freelancing sites, Upwork is used by both large and small businesses to find remote labour for various tasks. Transcription services are among the most popular on the market. You must distinguish yourself from other freelancers to be considered for a task.
- Fiverr
On Fiverr, you may also locate freelance transcribing jobs. Because the competition on Fiverr is fierce, you’ll need to be a little inventive to land gigs. First and foremost, complete your profile, emphasizing your talents and expertise. Also, include some examples of your transcribing work. If you’re just getting started, try making an offer to entice your initial clients.
- Freelancer
Another freelance network where you might locate transcribing work is Freelancer. There are many types of audio that you can try on but remember to choose a project that is suitable for your ability and has a fair remuneration agreement.
#3. Transcription Services Agencies
Finding the correct agency to start your career as an online or remote transcriptionist should be another top priority. What transcribing jobs you get, your working hours, and how much you are paid for each task will all depend on the agency you work with.
In GTE Media, many trustworthy transcription services are provided by detailed-oriented freelance transcribers, whose careers can develop in our professional environment. So if you have strong language skills, a computer with a stable Internet connection, and want to enjoy the flexibility of working from anywhere, don’t hesitate to join our team immediately.
Tags: Transcription Services
