Is General Transcription A Good Career?
Not a lot of people talk about what it takes to become a good general transcriptionist and things the job deals with. Here is a basic overview of general transcription and what it might entail for you as a freelancer.
Transcribing means listening to an audio file and typing out whatever it is you hear. It’s so much easier to start transcribing general topics instead of a transcriptions career in a niche (medical transcription, court transcription, etc.) because a lot of these require years of experience and transcription certifications in order to be qualified as a professional transcriptionist.
Who Is Cut Out For General Transcription Work?
Do you think you have the essential skills needed in general transcription work? If you happen to be a decent typist with good hearing or listening skills, and you’re pretty okay with utilizing a computer for things like doing research and downloading files, then a transcription gig might be an excellent option for you. It also helps if you have lasting patience! Oftentimes, the files involved have muddled audio that can be too difficult to understand, and it’s going to take a lot of patience for you to go through the hard parts successfully.
Why is Transcription a Good Work-At-Home Career?
There are companies out there that require you to transcribe onsite, but there are a lot of companies that allow their transcribers to do it in the comfort of their homes as well. Plenty of companies in the general transcribing business will allow their staff to work from home. Transcribing is also a job that is flexible and doesn’t require too much phone work – a situation that a lot of people want and need.
Another reason people tend to steer towards a transcribing career is because there are plenty of companies out there who hire beginners. This means that as long as you pass their transcription test, you’re hired and pretty much good to go.
What is The Average Salary of a General Transcriptionist?
Your pay as a general transcriptionist will all depend on the company you work for. Transcription is often paid by recording minute, which means that what you make depends on the minutes you’re willing to work with. Plenty of general transcriptionists are paid at a range of of $0.45 up to $1.50 per minute, depending on their expertise. However, since many of these companies pretty much hire just about anyone even with no experience, the turnover rate can be very high and salary growth may be difficult to come by.
