Transcription Practice: Ready For Report Recording?

More and more people are looking into work at home opportunities, and transcription, which includes general transcription, video transcription and medical transcription is one of the jobs that are currently in demand. Doctors needed their reports to be converted into the written form. There are also general audio and video files that need to be converted to text files for search engine optimization and referencing or indexing purposes. Thus, it cannot be denied that there is need for people who can do this, especially people who are actually good at it. Transcription requires speed and accuracy. Even if the project is non-medical or non-legal, the transcriptionist must avoid errors. The transcriptionist cannot compromise speed though, as he needs to be able to work on a lot of projects to earn a decent living. To get to a point where one is both accurate and fast, transcription practice is a must.

Transcription practice is not that big a trouble though. You can easily work on your transcription skills without having to enroll in a 1500-dollar transcription cost, although it has to be said that at formal transcription training and such courses do help. Note that the aspect of transcription that you'd have to pay attention to is typing. You see, while grammar and spelling skills are a must, it can hardly be practiced upon. Here is what you need to do to get better at transcription.

1. Get your transcription equipment ready. They key to a good transcription practice session is the authenticity of the feel. It has to look like you are transcribing for real, and if you intend to be a professional transcriptionist, you would be using them anyway so it will be a good idea to invest in the right equipment – headset, earphones, transcription foot pedals, Dictaphones, dictating machines, a laptop or computer and transcription software and training sources online.

2. Evaluate your typing speed. It is better if you can come up with before and after stats. That way, you'll have a clearer idea about the things you have improved on, and the things that you still have to work on. There are typing tests online that can help you with this. Choose those which take into consideration not only how fast you can dish out letters but also how accurate you are. You are going to need WPM (words per minute) stats that would reflect not only the speed, but your efficiency as well.

3. Practice. As you already know, typing is perhaps the most important skill that you would need in a transcription job. First, you have to try to practice typing without dictation. You know how it works, look at a particular paragraph and type the letters in it. Get your stats from typing tutors or typing test sites. If you feel that you have improved in typing, you can go ahead and try typing with dictation. There are websites that would let you type during dictation. Take advantage of those.

With transcription practice, you would be able to make it in the business. All it takes is the right gear, the right mindset and the desire to work on your typing skills.

Leva Duell - About the Author:
How to get home based transcription work without knowing medical terminology and without specialized training. Get my free report, How to Avoid Transcription Scams. Visit http://www.generaltranscriptionworkfromhome.com
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