New and Considering General Transcription

[Stacey B]

Hey everyone! I'm so glad to be a part of this forum as it looks very informative!

I'm interested in general transcription, but I'm not really sure where to start. I applied for Scribie on Friday and received an email late last night stating I could take the test when I'm ready. However, after reading some reviews, I'm starting to wonder if I even want to work for them. I did research the company before I applied. In fact, one person stated they made just under 10 dollars and hour, so I figured it would be a good way to get experience with decent pay. Recently, though, I have read many posts indicating that it is not realistic to expect to make close to 10 dollars an hour. Any thoughts on this?

I'm wondering if anyone could recommend a good place to get started with transcription. I did look through the list of companies on this forum, but it's so hard to wrap my head around everything. I realize that without experience, I probably won't make excellent money, but I don't want to work for pennies either. I'm hoping you can share experiences with different companies so I can get an idea of where to apply!

Even though I have no experience with transcription, I know it is not easy and takes hard work and dedication. I don't want to give the impression that I think anybody could do it. I also know it is not something that will make me rich, however, I would like to make enough money to pay bills, buy groceries, etc.! I have listened to different audio examples and I do believe it is something I would enjoy and would be good at with practice.

Thanks in advance!

[SoccerMomx2]

Have tried the sticky threads in the transcription thread? They show tips and hints, as well as companies that hire IC's. The list of companies is a legitimate list.

As far as pay goes, I did general transcription years ago and the pay was decent. However, I hated it, BUT I am more in line with legal. I've done legal transcription for a good 18 years. General is not for everyone. There are those who absolutely love it. Then there are those, like me, that don't.

Yes, you can make good money at transcription, no matter if it's legal, general or medical. I make great money and have been at home doing this for four years now. When I first started out a while back I did general. It totally stressed me out. I even went back outside the house to work. I eventually was told I was going to work 12-hour shifts. When I told them I wouldn't, they got irritated when I told them my family came first. Came home, applied for a job and have been here ever since.

Now, you will have to dig and research for jobs and stuff, but that's usually with everything. There are plenty of avenues to look at and plenty of advice as well. Persistence pays off. You may not make that much money to start off with, but then again you might.

This may or may not help, I don't know. But start out with the sticky threads in this thread and that should give you a great place to start digging in your heels. Have a good one and good luck to you.

[dancers45]

I do both legal and general. In my experience legal generally pays better and the volume is more dependable, but too much of it can leave me depressed and emotionally drained with the murder investigations, child pornography cases, unemployment hearings, and so on. I get to take a break from that with things like a good symposium or a medical trial interview. Once you get your feet wet, get your speed up, set up a Word AutoCorrect system for yourself, you can find a balance that's right for you.

[mully]

Stacy, a lot of good advice has been given to you already, so I won't duplicate what's been said. Nice to see you have done some research and see this as a career that may not work for everybody.

My advice would be to not sell yourself short even if you don't have any experience. Personally I would not take any jobs that are less than $40 ($45 prefered as bottom minimum) for just starting out. There are a few companies - their names escape me - that you can just test for without extensive experience and if you pass their test, you're in. I think Way With Words, Focus Forward, and Tigerfish are included in that. Hopefully someone can come along and speak to that.

Just test, test, and test and don't become discouraged. Sometimes you can get lucky and land a contract fairly quickly. Sometimes it could take months. A lot of companies only hire every so often so you have to hit it right, and who knows when that is. Don't be discouraged if you don't hear from a company after testing or applying to them. Sometimes you'll never hear back, sometimes you may hear back months later. You just never know.

Good luck with your searching!

[Stacey B]

Thanks for the input! It is greatly appreciated!

SoccerMom - Yes, I did take a look at the sticky threads. I have actually been researching transcription for quite some time, so I have looked at a majority of the companies listed. I guess some of them scare me!

I understand where you are coming from when you say family comes first. I am so grateful for the WAH job I currently hold. I was able to spend quality time with my father who was very ill. I also look forward to spending quality time with my kids (when I have some). Unfortunately, the company I currently work for has decided to get rid of all of their IC's. That would explain why I'm on the hunt for a new job. I'm glad you were able to find something that works for you! Thanks for the advice!

dancers45 - That's really great that you have the opportunity to do both legal and general. I bet it is nice being able to take a break from the legal field. I never really thought about how depressing it could be. I'm not sure that I could handle that! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

mully - I always try to do research before I ask too many questions about something! When doing research, I was getting mixed reviews about Scribie as well as Quicktate. Some people say they are great places to start. Others say the pay is way too low, even for a newbie. This led me to question if I was heading in the right direction or not. That's how I ended up here!

I had no idea what to even expect as far as pay goes, so I thank you for posting information relating to that. Also, thanks for sharing specific companies. I have looked at Tigerfish numerous times. For some reason, it just seems so scary to me! I did attempt the third part of the test today and actually did better than I thought I would. I think maybe I will practice a little more and then apply. My main concern with any company is that I won't pass the test the first time and won't be able to apply again. From what I've heard, Focus Forward is a one shot deal, but I'm not sure about others. I don't want to ruin my chances with companies that don't require experience!

Thanks for your positive words! I will definitely keep researching and will try to keep my head up!