What Is A Transcriber? Is It A Good Work-from-home Career?

December 19, 20222 Minutes
Success Stories

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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:

  • 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.

  • At least 70 words per minute typing speed -- various online free typing speed tests can check how fast you can type.

  • Writing skills: excellent English language and grammar.

  • Discretion -- you might be transcribing confidential audio. Hence, such audio cannot be talked about.

  • Computer savvy -- you will need to be good at typing. Word processing software skills will be a bonus.

  • Listening skills -- Transcribers need to be able to listen to audio recordings carefully and figure out what they mean.

  • Time management -- deadlines are non-negotiable.
    So, is it a good career option? Let's weigh the pros and cons:

    Pros:

  • Work hours that are flexible and work with your life

  • Chance to work from home -- who wouldn't like that?

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Sometimes, there may be lull periods -- as a freelancer, occasionally, there may not be any work available for a short period.

  • 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).

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January 18, 20213 Minutes

Shimmi Mahali Pushed Through Difficulties and Gained Command Over English Using a Free Online Course

The COVID-19 situation has been particularly tough for the working class. Many people have lost their jobs. It is also not easy to get hired these days. But, there are some for whom giving up is just not an option. Shimmi Mahali is one such woman. She is a single parent from Jharkhand. Presently, she lives in Bangalore. When the lockdown was extended, Shimmi lost her job as a Hindi and Crafts teacher in an International school. Shimmi says that she looked for a job desperately but to no avail. As a single parent, things got tough financially. Shimmi had no one to turn to. Her family is not that well-off. But, the will to give her daughter a quality education and fulfill all her aspirations kept her going. With no help in sight, Shimmi decided to start her own online coaching classes. She bought a laptop and spread the word amongst her friends. She even sat and designed the posters of her classes herself. Fortunately, she now has some students. It helps her pay for her daughter's education. Things are still tough for Shimmi. But, she is determined to find better opportunities for the sake of her daughter. However, Shimmi is not the one to rely on a destiny for her success. Every day she spends some time learning. Talking about how she is using this time to improve her skills and boost her resume, Shimmi is thankful to Glow \& Lovely Careers (formerly known as Fair \& Lovely Career Foundation). She says that she came to know about the website through a television ad that gave her the idea to look up opportunities on the internet. Shimmi is currently pursuing a course by [English Edge](https://caa.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/online-courses/filters?fields=english&pg=1&advFilters=partners:EnglishEdge) as she wants to polish her English speaking skills. It is a great way to learn English online for free. She wants to gain the confidence to speak fluent English with her students. She believes that it will open up many doors for her in the future. As a mother, she also wants to be actively involved in her daughter's education. She is proud of sending her to an International school. Being fluent in English also helps Shimmi assist her daughter in her school projects and assignments too. Shimmi strongly urges other women who find themselves in her position to pursue the online English courses on the Glow and Lovely Careers (formerly known as Fair and Lovely Career Foundation) website. Having led a tough life as a single parent, she realizes the importance of being financially independent. The only way forward is to keep boosting your skills and updating your knowledge. There are ample English learning courses in India. The online English learning courses and tutorials are a great way to get started. There are ample resources to help out women in every field. From beginners to advanced level, [Glow and Lovely Online Courses](https://caa.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/online-courses) aim to empower women at every stage. Shimmi hopes that one day she will become a Principal of a good school or start her own coaching center. The hardships have not been able to set back her spirit. She dreams that her daughter will grow up to stand on her own feet and make the nation proud. When asked where she gets the strength to carry on, Shimmi quickly replies that she does not want her daughter to believe that a woman cannot make it on her own. We need to be strong for our daughters.