The work of a transcriber is to listen to spoken word and type them down in a word processor. Therefore, you will need to be a detail oriented person if you want to pursue a TRANSCRIPTIONIST career. You will also need to have good listening skills.
How to become a TRANSCRIPTIONIST
You have to undergo some degree of training if you want to have a TRANSCRIPTIONIST career. This is because you have to be familiar with the type of jargon that is used in the industry that you want to specialize in. If you want to become a medical TRANSCRIPTIONIST, you need to be familiar with medical terms. If you are a general TRANSCRIPTIONIST, you should be familiar with quite a number of terms that are used in the various industries that you transcribe for.
Though some employers will offer you some training, it is proper for you to at least have a bachelor’s degree and if possible, become a certified TRANSCRIPTIONIST.
You can then begin practicing by listening to some audio messages and transcribing them in a grammatically correct way ensuring your sentence structures are good. Again, you should work on your typing speed. You should at least be able to type 60WPM. You can download free typing software online to practice your speed. Most companies will give you a transcribing test during recruitment interviews. They will look for accuracy, speed and good grammar. You should then invest in good transcribing equipment in order to make your work easier. For instance you can get a voice to text transcriber.
TRANSCRIPTIONIST CAREER Types Description, Information
You can become a TRANSCRIPTIONIST in different fields. There are medical TRANSCRIPTIONIST, legal TRANSCRIPTIONIST and general TRANSCRIPTIONIST for anyone in whichever career. You can also be a home based TRANSCRIPTIONIST and work from home.
Qualifications: Courses, Training, Certification
It will take you between three months and one year to undergo a TRANSCRIPTIONIST training program. You can acquire a certificate, bachelor’s degree or associates degree in transcribing. You can enroll in certification online courses to receive extensive training in order to pursue a TRANSCRIPTIONIST career.
If you want to become a medical TRANSCRIPTIONIST, look for colleges that are AHDI certified to pursue your training program. Some of the classes in you training program should include learning short hand. That way, in case your transcribing equipment breaks down, you can still be able to take notes fast.
Schools, Colleges, Universities
You will need to have your high school diplomas a prerequisite for admission into a training program.
Top 5 colleges and universities
Med-Line School of Medical Transcription in Texas
North Carolina State University
Seminole Community College
Lone Star College System
Brown College of Court Reporting and Medical Transcription
Job Opportunities, Salaries and Recruitment
Jobs are widely available and you can also look into starting your own home business. Sixty percent of transcribers work from home. Overseas companies also usually outsource for TRANSCRIPTIONIST. You will need to have an internet connection if you are working for a company overseas. According to salary.com, the average salary for TRANSCRIPTIONIST ranges from $32,000 to $40,000. The highest paid earn at least $43,000.