Training for General Transcription

Copyright (c) 2010 Ajay Prasad

Transcription is a stable job with little side effects even from the recession. The problem lies in the training. Although, people aspiring to become transcriptionists would need to possess a necessary set of skills, training for the same is nonetheless important.

A good transcriptionist needs to have good communication skills along with a strong English and grammar base. There are not many schools offering courses for general transcription. The reason is that general transcription pertains to a general field, open to a wide array of topics. In addition, because, there is no specific industry in relation with general transcription, it will be a tough task to find a college providing such a course. Some business colleges offer transcription as a part of other courses. This course will generally include transcribing and deciphering speech, which forms the core of a transcription job.

The best way would be to use internet as a medium for training in transcription. The student pursuing this course through online mediums will be given detailed description about the ergonomic setup before the actual training itself. The training would include sample audios, which are to improve the student's listening abilities to increase his brain- ear coordination. This will also include typed instructions about punctuations including the paragraph breaks and tabs, the page numbering and the formatting. A good dedicated practice will help in increasing the speed and accuracy of the students. Online programs will approach a systematic procedure to ease out the intricacies in transcription. Good programs will let you have good audio samples, which will be of good use to the students. Podcast features will enable the student to use digital recording software as well. In addition, there will be descriptions about the autocorrect options to maintain a decent speed while typing.

Transcription companies hiring for positions of transcriptionists also offer training, which is known as in- house training. The training schedule includes a training manual, which would include the necessary details about the basics of transcription. The candidate will be expected to adhere to the rules set forth by the company even if the general standards in the industry are different. Audio and video files will hold the transcription process, the formatting, and in general software to be used by the trainees to practice.

Apart from these, a student can teach himself to transcription without any formal education. The most important requirement for transcription is a good typing speed and listening abilities. These skills can easily be developed by constant practice. Software for the same is available which train from the beginner level typing speed to an advanced stage. The student can start typing while watching TV or listening to the radio about what you hear. A simple Word document or Notepad will suffice for the cause. You can probably get transcription software for controlled playback, which would be efficient for practicing purposes.

General transcription training does not usually require an official college degree. It takes immense practice and good communications and language skills to make a good transcription. This can be achieved with regular practice using the respective software and improving the efficiency.

About the Author
Ajay Prasad is the President of GMR Transcription Inc., an Orange County, California based company and has been providing accurate and affordable transcription services of all types over the years. GMR Transcription is one of the most accurate transcribing services guaranteeing a 98% accuracy.
Source: http://www.goarticles.com/