photo by john_a_ward
Guest Post by the gals over at Transcription Talk
As a group
of three dedicated moms with 12 children between us, we’ve made it our
mission through our daily blog,
to help other moms not only get started working at home as
transcriptionists, but also to give them the tools to improve their
skills and speed so that they can earn more. Whereas many traditional
home-based business opportunities require significant cash to start,
you can get started doing general transcription for a very minimal
investment.
In the more than three years
that each of us have been doing this, we’ve grown our incomes beyond
what we ever dreamed was possible, and we’re now able to support our
families on our incomes alone, which we’ve each had to do in the past
year due to layoffs and the downturn in the economy.
While it’s
a lot of hard work and definitely not a “get rich quick scheme,”
we feel so blessed to have this wonderful source of income that provides
us with the opportunity to stay at home with our children.
Staying home to raise your children is only one of a number of benefits
that transcription can afford. Others include:
- The hours and workload are flexible.
- There is good–if not great–earnings potential.
- You’re always learning something new.
- It is a growing field that is not showing signs of slowing down.
While the benefits are many,
success in this career will require hard work and perseverance on your
part. The most common misconception that a lot of people have
about transcription is that the only skill you need is the ability to
type.
The truth is that there’s a lot more than that involved. In order to have a successful career as a transcriptionist, you need
to be able to listen, think and type at the same time. Additionally,
one of the most important skills needed is to be able to actually take
the spoken word and transcribe it in a way that fits grammar rules for
written language so that it actually makes sense to the person reading
it.
If you’re just starting to
consider doing transcription work, this may seem overwhelming to you,
and that is not our intention. However, it’s important to know
that while you can make a decent living doing this work, it is not “easy
money.” It takes a lot of hard work to develop the skills needed
to succeed, and you must be committed to developing those skills or
you will most likely give up before you reach the point where you are
happy with your earnings.
So how do you get started? If you are interested in pursuing transcription as a career, here are
a few steps to get you headed in the right direction.
-
- Find a pair of quality headphones.
- Download Express Scribe and install Microsoft Word if it’s not already on your computer.
- Brush up on your grammar rules.
- Learn how to research words, names and terms online.
- Download audio from a variety of sources and begin practicing.
- Create or brush up your résumé and cover letter.
- Begin applying as an independent contractor.
- Look for projects on Guru, Elance and/or Craigslist.
- Continue developing your skills and looking for ways to increase productivity.
Is transcription right for
you? We can’t determine that for you. But the benefits
of this work-at-home job are plentiful, and with
dedication and hard work, there’s a good chance it’s the opportunity
you’re looking for.
Shaina will be launching
her new blog, Food for My Family, where she’ll be sharing real food
for real families very soon.
You can also find Tara, mom of five, blogging at Deal Seeking
Mom, where
she shares freebies, steals and deals to help you make the most of your
budget, and Mandi, mom of three, blogging at Doodles’ Place, where
she shares crafts, recipes and other activities for making the most
of every moment.