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Did you know there's a flexible way to make money from home that you can count on?
By working as a freelance transcriptionist, you can choose how many hours you want to work. This makes it an excellent job for students or anyone who wants to make extra money.
Read on to learn more about transcribing to help you decide if a transcription career is worth it. You can also takeCareer Guidanceat Glow & Lovely Careers(formerly Fair & Lovely Career Foundation).
What is transcribing?
When you transcribe, you listen to recorded audio (or video) and type exactly what you hear. There are many different kinds of audio files, such as market research focus groups, interviews, meetings, phone calls, zoom calls, etc.
There are different types of transcription jobs, including general, market research, legal and medical transcription. General transcription usually needs no experience. Some companies instead ask transcribers to take a test to make sure they meet their standards.
For specialised areas of transcription like medical transcription or legal transcription, either training or experience is needed. But medical and legal transcriptionists make more money than other types of transcriptionists.
What kinds of skills do they need?
A good transcriber needs several skills, such as:
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Clients pay for the service, so pay close attention to the details. It needs to be typed up without any mistakes and according to the style rules of the transcription company.
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At least 70 words per minute typing speed -- various online free typing speed tests can check how fast you can type.
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Writing skills: excellent English language and grammar.
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Discretion -- you might be transcribing confidential audio. Hence, such audio cannot be talked about.
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Computer savvy -- you will need to be good at typing. Word processing software skills will be a bonus.
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Listening skills -- Transcribers need to be able to listen to audio recordings carefully and figure out what they mean.
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Time management -- deadlines are non-negotiable.
So, is it a good career option? Let's weigh the pros and cons:Pros:
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Work hours that are flexible and work with your life
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Chance to work from home -- who wouldn't like that?
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Fun: Many people find transcription work fun, giving them a real sense of accomplishment.
Cons: -
Audio that is hard to understand -- This may be because the audio is poor quality, contains heavy accents, or people are talking simultaneously.
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Unfamiliar terms -- If there is a word/term you don't understand, you may have to spend extra time researching the correct spelling. The transcription process will be longer in these situations. This could be stressful.
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Sometimes, there may be lull periods -- as a freelancer, occasionally, there may not be any work available for a short period.
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Each transcription company has a style guide that must be followed, so the transcription process might initially be slow. It can take a while to fully understand and feel confident using it, but practice makes perfect.
So, what do you think? Is this job for you? Remember, payments usually vary. The more experience you have and the faster you can deliver, the higher your pay. Improve your grammarat Glow & Lovely Careers (formerly Fair & Lovely Career Foundation).