General Transcription: Increasing Demand In the Service
The demand for transcription service keeps increasing.
This is particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. More people use video conferencing technology to replace face-to-face meetings.
However, preparing reports, summary, or minutes from a recorded meeting is another challenge.
Fortunately, general transcription service can be a helpful partner for businesses, organizations, or institutions that do not want to let their performance down during the transition period.
Given the increasing demand, it seems that a transcriber or transcriptionist becomes a promising career.
However, you are not alone in the industry. There are tens, if not hundreds, transcription services out there.
Whether you work for an agency or you work alone from home, you need to stand out of the crowd to survive in the competition.
General Transcription: How to be a Professional Transcriber
Offering accurate transcription is the main key to beat your competitors.
Besides understanding general transcription description and tasks, the following qualities of a professional transcriber should be helpful:
Keep Increasing Your Typing Speed
Talking about professionalism in the transcription service means talking about who does the job.
If you let the transcription machine do all the jobs, as it works much faster than human beings do, then you will lose your customer in no time.
The quicker you type, the more you earn. If you can do your job faster, more customers will come to you. Those who are at a tight deadline will find you for help with transcription tasks.
Professional transcribers have some qualities, which may not be available for others.
For instance, if you work manually, you need to make sure that you can copy (type) what is being said in the file.
This requires above the average typing speed.
There is a consensus that a transcriber needs to type at least 60 words per minute? If you think you have not reached the standard, make sure to train and keep increasing your speed in typing.
Do Not Overlook Little Mistakes
A professional transcriber will find little mistakes annoying. Mistakes may come in the form of typo, grammatical rules, punctuations, and many more.
They are very crucial for accuracy. Therefore, a professional transcriber must be able not only to transcribe an audio file manually and fast but also to proofread the text to ensure its accuracy.
In written English, for instance, “their and they’re” or “to and too” make much difference, but in spoken language, they may sound similar.
Here lies the importance of a transcriber’s language skill.
Keep Researching
A general transcription expert loves researching random things on the internet. Transcribers may deal with different subject matters.
Therefore, they need to have comprehensive knowledge on different topics.
Even when transcribing an audio file, they may have to find relevant information on the internet to make sure that they use accurate terms in the text.
Most transcribers find the job of researching new things on the internet an engaging activity.
Meet Your Deadlines
Ability to meet your deadlines is not only about your typing speed but also about your personality.
Deadline is really crucial in the transcription word. Your clients need to meet the deadlines, which may be critical for their key performance index, clients, partners, or even investors.
Once you miss a deadline, you may put your clients at risk.
Therefore, make sure to do your best to meet all the deadlines. Missing a deadline is the fastest way to lose your client.
There is no negotiation in it. People say that general transcription experts mostly have unique qualities, which help them meeting even the tight deadlines, including:
- Ability to work under tight deadlines;
- Ability to work at the computer for long periods of time. Sometimes, it is about not only ability but also preference.
- Deep personal satisfaction when making people happy
Do you have such qualities? If you have, you can be one of the best transcribers in the future!
Keep Enhancing Your Skill
Make sure to use your time effectively, thus allowing you to enhance your skill anytime you have free time.
You may participate in online meetings or online transcription training. A number of organizations hold regular meetings and training sessions, in which general transcriptionists may join.
Besides getting additional knowledge on the world of transcription, you can share the experience with other fellow participants.
Some organizations even offer to get general transcription certification for participation in online sessions.
Finally, a general transcriber may work alone at home or work in a team, in case that you work for a transcription agency.
In general, six tips above may help you to become the best transcriber. Make sure you never make your clients disappointed, or you will miss them forever.
Being a general transcription practitioner is a promising career to pursue if you do not want to join a formal organization.
You can work from home and manage your time according to your personal target.
