Transcription

Previously we’ve discussed working as a transcriptionist, how to get started as an audio transcriber and how to find transcription jobs, now we’re going to take a look at the nature of the work in general by examining both the positives and the negatives of transcription work.

The good

It’s risk free.
When it comes to finding good, proper work from home jobs that pay real money there are lots of scams to wade through. Transcription isn’t like that, or perhaps more accurately I should say that I haven’t come across any “gurus” out there claiming you can make millions doing it.

It’s also not commission based.
You get paid for exactly the amount you work, no more, no less.

Little to no investment
Like I said you don’t really need a foot pedal to get started though feel free to buy one later on down the line if you think it will make a significant difference. I don’t. more »

How to find transcription work

There are many ways to find transcription work. Sometimes you will find such work on freelance sites, forums or even on Craigslist. (Though I always caution people to be especially wary of scammers there.) You can also advertise your services online, via your website and on social networking sites (as I do) particularly if you are working as a virtual assistant already.

Another great source is on job search sites like Monster and so on. Many job sites often have a specific “work from home“, “home working” or “telecommuting” sections and indeed there are also many job sites which deal exclusively in this area. If you’re not sure what the sites in your region are ask online on forums and people will be sure and point you in the right direction. more »

Ok, so this is the follow up to my last post on working as a transcriptionist (also known as an audio transcriber). If you’re new to the subject I suggest you read that post first and then head back here.

I covered some of the basics last time, and later I’m going to talk you though some ways to find proper transcription jobs and the pros and cons of working as a transcriptionist, but first I want to talk about what is actually required in order to do transcription work. more »

At the time of writing this blog is still brand new, so I’ve decided to start with one of the easiest and more common ways to start making money from home. It’s also one of the most immediate.

So if you’re looking to start working from home ASAP here’s one type of work that requires little to no investment whatsoever and you can start earning money with straight away – transcription.

What is transcription?

Transcription is basically listening to audio recordings and then typing the content as you hear it.

This can be one person, for example someone giving a speech or a doctor describing a medical procedure into a recording device or a group of people talking together such as a business meeting or court proceedings.

I done this sort of work on and off for a couple of years, both in English and in German. Whilst obviously the languages are very different, the rules are almost exactly the same.

There may be slight differences in formatting depending on both the type of transcription involved and on individual client preferences, but essentially transcription is written much like a play or movie script:

Person X: This is what Person X says.

Person Y: This is what Person Y says.

And so on.

Transcribers will generally be supplied with a template from the client or transcription company in Word-compatible format with all the proper formatting – i.e. character and line spacing, etc. – already applied. If not they will at least provide you with documentation on their formatting requirements. more »