Beth Worthy
9/3/2012
Transcription services are a great industry to get into as there's always going to be a need to hire a transcription company for all types of work, including live transcription or audio transcription. Of course, you can't just get a degree and be considered fit for the job. Any good transcriptionist has to know three very basic things in order to succeed: The Three L's.
The basics for quality transcription services come from your ability to listen. With live work, it's relatively simple; but when you're doing audio transcription it can be harder to hear everything due to imperfect audio files. It's a skill you need to hone by listening to audio files and getting an ear for what's said.
One curveball you're going to encounter often is when multiple speakers speak at the same time, overlapping with one another. A good transcriptionist can decipher differences, even when accents and imperfections in language are involved. This is also why it’s important to invest in a pair of good headphones.
Good transcription is like collecting firewood. When you think you've done what you need to do, you really need to double the amount of work you put in. Checking your work against the audio file once or twice isn't enough. The validity of what you've transcribed is paramount so you have to make sure you can guarantee that what you've written down matches what was said.
Major decisions and outcomes rely on your transcription to be 100% accurate and you don't want to be responsible if something goes wrong because of it. Check your work until you are completely sure that the client is getting an exact transcript of what has been said.
Of course, mistakes will happen from time to time. It's how you respond to them that determines your value to the transcription company and how good your transcription services are perceived.
Don't get discouraged by mistakes. Instead, learn from them. Respond with a newfound determination to get it right next time. This could be an opportunity for you to discover an area that you need to work on. No transcriptionist ever stops learning or improving, and by recognizing that you'll grow and prosper in the industry.
Also Read: Why Learn Transcription?
