Become A Skilled & Talented Typing Contractor – Here’s How
Become a typing contractor and take control of your work-life balance. Are you interested in a career in transcription? Working from home has become the norm, so why not branch out and start working for yourself? Become a typing contractor and contract with a number of transcription companies.
If you have a background in medical, legal, university or government administration with a heavy emphasis on word processing, you’re well on the way toward starting a successful career in transcription.
What are the benefits of a career in transcription?
There are many benefits to transcription jobs and working for yourself.
- Location is no barrier. As long as you have reliable, speedy and secure access to the internet you can work from any location across the world. And what’s more, there’s no need to commute, saving you precious time and travel money.
- You are in control over the hours you work. You know when you are most productive, and what your family and the household schedule look like. Working from home and for yourself means you can work within the timeframe which suits you, and your household, best.
- Daily access to lifelong learning! Each file you type is different. You are exposed to a wide variety of content and subjects and are required to conduct research to better understand the content you are transcribing.
- The more productive and efficient you are, the greater your earnings. Be rewarded for your effort. Be kind to yourself.
What skills do you need to become a typing contractor?
While many top-end transcription jobs do not require their typing contractors to have completed certified transcription courses, most do require their typing contractors to have prior experience in transcription. For top-end transcription companies, prior experience is highly valued.
Experience. For transcription jobs in top-end companies, we recommend typing contractors have at least three years’ research, financial or legal transcription experience, and five years’ medical transcription experience.
Transferable skills. Your previous work experiences may have honed your problem-solving skills, analytical reasoning, critical thinking, adaptability, teamwork and communication skills, all transferable skills you should possess for a fruitful career in transcription.
Research. You must have the ability to contextualise the content and quickly seek out and locate relevant facts, including the correct spelling of names, companies, locations, medications and medical and other sector-specific terminology.
Language and comprehension. It’s a no-brainer – a highly developed understanding of English grammar, punctuation, spelling and syntax is essential. Contextualising what you are hearing while typing and understanding how grammar and punctuation can convey or change a speaker’s intended meaning is critical.
Listening. You’re listening to audio and video files through a headset, and for many files these days, the audio quality can be average at best, the speakers may have unfamiliar accents, and discerning individual speakers for speaker identification can be challenging. You need to have good hearing as well as listening skills.
Time management. As with most jobs – whether paid or unpaid, managing your time well and wisely is vital. Even though you are working from home and running your own business, you still need to meet critical deadlines and balance competing priorities.
Take pride in your work. You’re running your own business! You should be proud of your productivity, transcript quality and work achievements. Working autonomously can be a challenge for some; this is your time to shine and demonstrate your initiative and go-getting attitude.
Communication without barriers. You may not be sharing an office with colleagues, but that doesn’t mean communication with others needs to suffer. There are many online communication tools which enhance timely communication, but the most important of all is your attitude. You need to be an open and honest communicator, so you, the companies you are contracting to, and your clients, have a shared understanding of what the expectations are, and when and how deadlines are met.
Be security-savvy. As with all online engagement, being security savvy is essential. You’re not only responsible for your own online security at your workstation, but you are the caretaker of extremely sensitive, confidential and privileged client information. Your security awareness and practices must be demonstrable and above reproach.
With an excellent typing speed, a wealth of transferable skills, exceptional research abilities, and a secure workstation with a transcription foot pedal and transcription software, you’re well on your way to becoming a highly sought-after typing contractor.
For more information on becoming a typing contractor with Pacific Transcription, visit our Careers page. Or if you are ready to launch your career as a typing contractor with Pacific Transcription, click here to start your application!
Updated: 22/06/2022, 04/08/2022
