Ways to Achieve Proficiency in Transcription

Transcription is a skill, which might seem easy and something which most consider inbo
to those who know English.But it requires much more, you need excellent grammar skills, a keen ear for understanding different accents and good knowledge of terms and words commonly used in the specific industry you serve.
Transcription is counted as one of top ten ‘work from home’ professions today. As a career option, it is one of those rare viable professions where your work and talent is respected and only you are the master of your own time.
Most transcription companies today don’t hire amateurs; they prefer working with those who have some kind of prior transcription experience or education and certification as an evidence for same. So if you wish to be a successful transcriptionist you can apply for a creditable transcription course online or check if your local community college or business school offers one.
Yes, work from home transcription gives you more freedom than most professions, yet it requires working in a planned manner and with a well chalked out routine. Meeting deadlines and maintaining quality are the two keys to a successful career in transcription.
Meeting deadlines require discipline and right management of time. It’s easy to get distracted when working from home. The phone keeps ringing, the table needs to be cleared and your favorite movies playing on HBO. As a transcriptionist you will need to define your work hours and see to it that there are no distractions when you are working.
The equipment you need to do transcription remains the same irrespective of the kind of transcription you choose to do. You would need a fast processing computer with Windows XP or better operating system. You must install a full version ‘word processing software’ like MS Word, you could also download and use the free Open Office Writer. To do transcription you would also need special playback applications called diction software. They allow you to control playback with keyboard hotkeys or a foot pedal. Some popular diction software are FTW Transcriber and Express Scribe.
When it comes to hardware for transcription it’s all about good sound. You must get yourself the best pair of headphones you can afford. Mark my words, it makes a difference, you would get a much crisper sound off the audio files you are to transcribe. A decent pair of headphones would definitely make your work less tedious. Getting a good sound card too would help in enhancing sound quality.
A foot-pedal is not a must when it comes to transcription and you may get by without using it. However, having one can substantially improve your productivity. It would help you save time and give you total control over the playback of a file, freeing your hands to do the typing. Yes it’s true that the foot-pedal takes a little time getting used to but you can get a good hang of it with short practice.
Transcription might seem challenging and surely it’s not for everyone but once you get the parameters right and start dedicating a fixed number of hours every day to your work, you might be surprised to discover how easy can it be.