Speaker 1: This video will show you how to become a transcriptionist. Whether you have prior experience or not, I will walk you through everything step by step so you won't feel lost. Now, it's going to be a long video, so I've included the video timestamp in the description to make things easier for you. So if you're interested, let's get started with the introduction. Who is a transcriptionist? Transcriptionists are trained professionals whose job is to listen to recorded audio and then type the conversation into a Word document. In short, they convert audio into text by typing. Because transcribed documents are mostly digital these days, most transcriptionists can work remotely. So, whether you're at home or on the road, you can work from anywhere and get paid. Different Types of Transcriptionists There are basically three types of transcriptionists. Medical Transcriptionist, Legal Transcriptionist, and General Transcriptionist. Medical Transcriptionists transcribe voice reports dictated by physicians and other healthcare professionals into written reports. They may also be responsible for editing medical documents, interpreting medical abbreviations and terminology, and preparing discharge summaries. General Transcriptionists transcribe important legal recordings into written reports. It includes court hearings, depositions, or any type of recording related to the law. Unlike medical and legal transcriptionists, General Transcriptionists do not specialize in a specific field. They convert a wide range of audio recordings, including interviews, simple dictations, lectures, video webinars, and podcasts. Mostly, beginners start their careers as General Transcriptionists. Advantages of Becoming a Transcriptionist Number 1. Work from Anywhere. It gives you the freedom to live and work wherever you want, whether that's in the heart of a major city or while traveling. Number 2. Flexible Schedule. You have the freedom to choose when and how many hours you want to work. Working as a transcriptionist allows you to avoid the monotony of a 9-to-5 schedule. As long as you stick to your schedule and stick to your deadlines, you can make the most of your time with your family and other priorities. Number 3. Requires Minimum Investment. Unlike other jobs that may require you to spend a lot of money on equipment and accessories, being a transcriptionist requires very little. Most of the time, you don't even need to spend any money because you can get started with just a computer and headphones. However, as your career progresses, investing in a few softwares and equipments is a wise decision. Number 4. Control Your Earning Potential. Starting an online transcription business gives you the power to control your income. You can work as much or as little as you want, depending on your financial needs. Drawbacks of Becoming a Transcriptionist. We've seen the positive aspects, but it's also important to be aware of the negative aspects. Here are some drawbacks of working as a transcriptionist. Number 1. AI Problem. AI may replace some workers. However, the human touch is still required. Number 2. Less Earning Potential. It's unlikely that you'll make a lot of money with this job. However, if you land a good client or begin working for a big company, you will be able to earn more money. Nonetheless, it is a great job to earn extra money on the side. Number 3. Occasionally Limited Work Opportunities. Job shortages can occur at specific times of the year. As a result, you must be prepared for these kinds of situations. How much can you make as a transcriptionist? Realistically, your earnings will be determined by the following factors. Number 1. Typing Speed. The faster you type, the more jobs you can transcribe and thus earn more money. As a result, if you type slowly, it can have an impact on your monthly income. Number 2. Audio Quality. If the majority of the audio files have background noises such as hiss and oomph sounds, multiple speakers, or heavy accents, you will need to spend more time transcribing them. As a result, your productivity will suffer and you will earn less money by transcribing fewer jobs. Number 3. Rate Per Audio File. If you work for a private client or a big company, you can expect to be paid well. However, if you work with an online transcription service, the rates will be lower. So, if a transcriptionist earns X amount per month, it may not be the same for you because of the discussed factors. Still, if you need an estimate, a beginner transcriptionist with no experience can earn anywhere from $3 to $11 per hour. Experienced transcriptionists can earn $7 to $20 or more per hour. According to ZipRecruiter.com, a transcriptionist's yearly salary is around $58,441, and their hourly wage is $28 an hour. These are estimates for the United States, and it is highly dependent on which client you are working with. What are the technical requirements? You can't work as a transcriptionist unless you have these technical requirements. Number 1. A PC Slash Laptop. You can use any PC or laptop with a Windows or Mac operating system. However, make sure that it is not too old. Number 2. Headphones or Headset. To accurately transcribe what is being said, good listening skills are a must. However, transcription becomes difficult when the audio voice is low or filled with background noises. In this case, a good pair of headphones can help you. If you work or live in a noisy environment, you should definitely invest in noise-canceling headphones with lightweight ear cushions. It not only relaxes your ears but also reduces distracting noise, allowing you to work for extended periods of time. However, if you already have a standard headset, you can use it as well. Number 3. Foot Pedal. The foot pedal eliminates the need to use your hand to play, pause, and rewind audio and video files. You may be wondering why this is a problem. Well, when a transcriptionist transcribes audio, they must switch from playing slash pausing to typing with their hands. This activity wastes their time and frequently causes them discomfort. With a foot pedal, your foot controls all of the playing and pausing activity, leaving your hands free for typing only. As a result, you will be able to complete your work much more quickly. Foot pedals aren't necessary for beginners, but as your experience and workload grow, you should definitely have them. Number 4. Fast Internet Access. Even though it is not a piece of equipment, it is still recommended. You will need a strong internet connection because you will be downloading audio files for transcription. I recommend that you have at least a 10 megabits per second download speed. Required Transcription Tools. There are many productivity-enhancing tools available for almost any job. The same goes for transcription, where a variety of tools are available to help you. Number 1. Grammarly or ProWritingAid. Grammarly is a tool that detects grammatical, spelling, and typo errors in a written document in real time. You can use it while transcribing audio files to ensure an error-free transcript, which will make it look more professional. Another tool that you can use is the ProWritingAid, which is equally good. Both tools offer free plans, which are sufficient to get started. Number 2. Google Docs. You can use their voice typing feature to dictate the words from the audio into the document. This way, you won't have to type anything because your voice will be transcribed into the document automatically. Number 3. ExpressScribe. The ExpressScribe is a transcription tool or audio player created specifically for transcription work. It includes a feature that uses the keyboard hotkeys to control basic functions such as play, pause, stop, and rewind. As a result, you can complete your transcription work quickly. Although it provides both free and paid plans, the free plan is sufficient for beginners. Number 4. Audacity. You will receive audio files with excessive background noise or with low volume. In such cases, you can improve the quality by using an audio enhancer tool such as Audacity. This tool can eliminate background noise and improve its quality. You can also slow down the audio to better understand it. On top of that, it is completely free to download. Number 5. Freemake Audio Converter. You may encounter issues playing certain audio files because of the format. In such cases, use an audio converter like Freemake Audio Converter to convert them to your desired format. This program can convert audio files to more than 50 different formats. Number 6. Text Expander. Text expanders let you type a short character sequence in place of words, phrases, and sentences. Depending on your settings, these character sequences will be automatically expanded into full words, phrases, or even sentences. To demonstrate what I mean, I'll use a text expander tool that I've already configured for a few words like thank you very much, website link, and email address. Now, if I need to write thank you very much, instead of typing the words, I can simply type tyvm, which will be expanded to its full form. Similarly, I can do the same for an email address and even a website link. Using this tool, you can boost your typing speed by up to 30%, allowing you to earn more money. Here are a few text expanders to get you started. Number 1. A Text. It is free for Windows. Number 2. Magical Text Expander for Google Chrome. Number 3. FastKeys. It offers a free trial before charging $19 for a lifetime subscription. Number 7. OTranscribe. OTranscribe is a web-based transcription tool that allows you to control both the audio player and the text editor in one window. Thus, it eliminates the need to switch between tabs. It also has shortcut keys for adding current timestamps, which makes your job easier. Number 8. Otter.ai. Otter.ai is an artificial intelligence-powered transcription tool that generates transcriptions for meetings, interviews, lectures, and other important voice conversations. In short, it eliminates manual transcription work. Their free basic plan has a monthly transcription limit of 600 minutes, while the two paid plans offer more features and limits. Please note that you don't have to use all of the tools listed here. As a beginner, choose only the free ones. Once you've gotten the hang of it and advanced in your transcription career, investing in the tools is a smart choice. Required Skills for Transcription. Number 1. Good Typing Speed. Understandably, clients expect their projects to be completed on time. So they prefer transcriptionists with a minimum typing speed of 60 plus words per minute. So, the first thing you should check is your typing speed. To do so, you can find a link to typingdisc.com in the video description. Simply click the link and take a typing speed test to find out how fast you are. If it's 60 words per minute or higher, you're doing well. If it isn't, you should work on it. That's because if you're a slow typer, you won't be able to finish jobs on time, which may cause clients to look for another transcriptionist. Another major disadvantage is that you will only be able to transcribe a few files, limiting your earning potential. To avoid such situations, you can enroll in the free typing courses at typingtest.com. Also, check out the video in the description, which is packed with useful tips and information to improve your typing speed. Number 2. Knowledge of Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills are essential for a transcriptionist to produce clean transcripts that do not alter the meaning of the original thoughts of the dialogues. In spite of the availability of digital tools that can quickly identify and correct errors like these, a solid knowledge base is still required to avoid making the most basic but most embarrassing errors. As a result, it's critical that you understand all of the grammatical rules and how to proofread. Here are a few pointers to help you out. Start reading a book, a newspaper, or even articles from editorials. The more you read, the more familiar you'll become with grammar and punctuation. You can also use Google to find free English practice websites to help you improve your English. Lastly, you can also enroll in the Proofread Anywhere free workshop to learn more about proofreading. The link is in the video description. Number 3. Attentive Listening Skill. You'll have to deal with audio that features a low voice, ambient noise, and a variety of accents. That is why excellent listening skills are required so that you can transcribe difficult audio files with ease. I recommend wearing headphones and using an audio enhancer tool to improve the audio quality. Number 4. Multitasking Skill. Multitasking skills assist in managing multiple aspects of the job at the same time, such as listening to files, understanding the speaker's meaning, and typing information. It improves productivity as well as the speed with which you type out the transcription. Here are a few pointers to help you out. Avoid distractions. Monitor your progress. Tasks should be organized and prioritized. Number 5. Good Research Skill. Transcriptionists require a high level of research expertise. That's because often they receive new audios covering a wide range of subjects with new terms or terminologies, names, acronyms, companies, establishments, or brands they're unfamiliar with. In such a case, outstanding research skills are a must-have for transcriptionists. Number 6. Time Management Skill. Having excellent time management skills ensures that you will be able to finish all of your work on time, that is, before the deadlines. It helps in day-to-day planning and understanding which transcription jobs require the most attention. To build this skill, ensure you follow these tips. Overcome procrastination. Plan your day and set your hours. Make sure your workspace is distinct from your bedroom. This will assist your brain in associating your home office with work, increasing your productivity. Take breaks in between. Always reward yourself after completing your task to stay motivated. It can be eating your favorite snack or drink, or even going for a brisk walk. Number 7. Technology Proficiency. No advanced computer skills are required to work as a transcriptionist. However, to excel in this job, you must be able to work with word processing softwares and transcription tools. Understand the difference between verbatim and non-verbatim transcription. When working with clients or companies, it is likely that you will be asked to perform either verbatim or non-verbatim transcriptions. So, if you don't know what they are, it can be a problem. To clear the air, here is their simple definition. Number 1. Verbatim Transcription. It is when you transcribe exactly what you hear, including filler words, stutters, interjections, repetitions, non-speech sounds, false starts, intentional words spoken, etc. Number 2. Non-Verbatim Transcription. The speech is cleaned up to remove filler words, stammers, and anything that takes away from the core message of what's being said. This type of transcript is the most common and should be lightly edited by the transcriptionist for readability. If you don't know what filler, stutter, or interjection words are, here's a screenshot from the Reverend Style Guide to help you understand. Pause the video and go through the picture. Transcription Training and Certifications. Number 1. Medical Transcriptionist. For Medical Transcriptionists, the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, AHDI, provides two industry certifications. Number 1. Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist, RHDS. Number 2. Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist, CHDS. Number 2. Legal Transcriptionist. For Legal Transcriptionists, the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers provides National Certification as a Certified Electronic Transcriber, CET. You can also enroll in Transcribe Anywhere's Legal Transcription Theory and Practice Course to learn how to work from home as a Legal Transcriptionist. Number 3. General Transcriptionist. Though General Transcriptionists are not required to be certified, you can still enroll in a course to hone your skills and potentially advance to higher-paying jobs. One such course is Transcribe Anywhere's General Transcription Theory and Practice, which teaches not only how to transcribe but also how to build and market your own transcription business. Fortunately, they provide a free mini-course that teaches you 7 secret important lessons for starting and running your transcription business. If you're interested to enroll, check out the link in the description. Practice, Practice and Practice. In order to truly master a profession, you need to put what you've learned into practice. This means transcribing a large number of practice audio files will help you feel confident when transcribing for clients and companies. But where do you find them? Don't worry. I will help you with that. Number 1. Go Transcript Practice Test. When you click the link in the video description, you will be taken to this page, where you can find two practice files. Simply clicking on any of them will take you to a transcription page where you can play and transcribe the file. When you're finished with transcription, you'll be able to see all of your mistakes. Please keep in mind that you must transcribe the files in clean verbatim without timestamping. Number 2. TCI Transcription Practice Test. To take their practice test, you must first register on their website. Then go to this page to find some practice audio files to transcribe. Please keep in mind that only two files are available for free, with the rest costing $1.99 per file. Before transcribing them, make sure to read the sample style guide to understand the format. Number 3. Express Scribe Practice Test. If you want to take practice tests in the medical and legal fields, you can find them on this website. All you need to do is download their free software. Download some of their practice audio files. Load them onto the software. Play them and start transcribing. When you've had enough practice, you're ready to move on to the next step. By the way, I've included links to these practice websites in the video description. Prepare Your Resume. Make sure to update your resume after completing training and earning a certification. Even if you do not intend to pursue training, it is a good idea to prepare a resume that highlights your skills relevant to the transcriptionist role, like fast typing, research skills, etc. Apply for Transcription Jobs. You can start your transcription career with one of these companies. Please note that I've included links to all of the companies in the video description. Number 1. RATH. To join them, you'll need to complete a short exercise to put your grammar skills to the test. Then you must transcribe a short audio clip as well. If you pass these tests, you'll be able to start working as a transcriptionist within 48 hours. The pay rate is $0.40 to $1 per audio minute and the payment is done through PayPal. Number 2. Scribby. With Scribby, you need to choose one of the given files to transcribe. If your test file is approved for review, you will be certified as a transcriber and paid for the file. The pay rate is $0.16 to $0.17 per audio minute and the payment is done through PayPal. Number 3. Go Transcript. To begin, you need to submit the application and take their quiz. The quiz test consists of 10 multiple-choice questions. To move on to the next test, that is, the transcription test, you must answer them all correctly. After you finish both the tests successfully, you can start working with them. The pay rate is up to $0.60 per audio minute and the payment is done through PayPal and Payoneer. Number 4. Transcribe Me. After signing up, you must pass a multiple-choice question exam based on their style guide and English basics. Then, before working with them, you must also transcribe two audio files. The pay rate is $0.25 to $0.36 per audio minute and the payment is done through PayPal. Number 5. Daily Transcription. To apply, you need to be a resident of the US or Canada. Then, submit the career form and pass a skills assessment test to receive training videos, procedure documents, style guides, and practice jobs. The pay rate is $0.75 to $0.85 per audio minute and the payment is done through check. That's all. If you follow these guidelines, you will undoubtedly be able to begin your career as a transcriptionist. If you loved the video, please like and subscribe my channel.