Ten necessary skills required for a freelance transcriptionist

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Working as a transcriptionist might sound like a very cool job, but it becomes important to develop certain necessary skill sets to gain many projects and assignments that pay you quite a lot. Even before the project is assigned to you, the clients would certainly want to conduct an interview, although you are a freelancer. Unless and until you possess all the skill sets mentioned below, it becomes quite tough and challenging for you to meet the customer’s expectations in the transcription sector. You can click here to learn what makes you a good freelance transcriptionist.

Brilliant listening skills

No transcriber exists without listening skills. You must have sharp listening skills to become an expert transcriber. The instructions given to you over the client’s headphones from the other end must be listened to carefully and recorded on the spot. There could be a lot of background noises the transcriber might encounter when the client is dictating. Your responsibility is to use your intelligence and pay undivided attention throughout the transcription. Only then does it become easy for you to get many projects.

Concentration skills

When you are transcribing, you will be typing and typing and typing time. It is good to avoid any distractions that can kill your concentration. It is also recommended that you set up your work area where there are the least disturbances and the listening activity is easy for you.

freelance transcriptionist

Adaptability

You might encounter several clients with different accents in their language. It would help to adapt to all these things when you start working as a transcriber. As you would be catering to global clients, one client’s accent might differ drastically. If you do not adapt to these changes quickly, you will soon be eliminated from transcription.

English language

The majority of the transcription work happens in English. Having good control over the English language and its vocabulary is mandatory. While the client is dictating to you, you must immediately understand the word’s meaning and start transcribing it.

Time management skills

Being available when the client is ready to dictate their document is crucial. It would help if you did not come up with reasons that can hinder your work. Once the client is upset with your behavior, they will certainly not come back to you. Therefore, it is essential to develop good time management skills.

Typing speed

Although transcriptionists do not have to focus too much on typing speed like data entry operators, having a good typing speed is still recommended. Some clients might be faster when dictating cards, and if you fail to record all those things, tou will lose out on many payments.

Accuracy

When your typing is faster, there are many chains of commitchancestakes. Unless and until you pay complete attention, it becomes difficult for you to maintain accuracy. In the freelance world, clients would never appreciate a piece of work that is not accurate. Hence, you must focus on the accuracy and quality of the work.

Researching skills

When you start working as a transcriber, you can expect large files of diverse topics assigned to you. Unless and until you have the knack for performing research, it can become tough to transcribe the documents as expected by the customer.

Self-motivation

As a transcriber, you would certainly be working on your own, and there are a lot of times when you would start feeling demotivated. Co-workers play an important role when you’re going through a tough situation. They can cheer you up and bring you back to work immediately. However, as a freelance transcriber, you do not have this luxury when working freelance transcription jobs at Dormzi or other organizations. Hence, staying motivated at all times is highly essential to deliver high-quality transcriptions.

Patience

You might encounter several challenges while finding a project or transcribing your first document. Those things should not bother you and make you develop our nation towards the transcription field. With time, you will create the art of getting many projects and developing accuracy in your work. If you want these things to happen, possessing a good amount of patience is mandatory. These are the top 10 skills that every freelance transcriber must develop to get more assignments and satisfy the clients with every submission.

About Author

https://skybirds.org

Communicator. Alcohol fanatic. Entrepreneur. Pop culture ninja. Proud travel enthusiast. Beer fan.A real dynamo when it comes to buying and selling sheep in Nigeria. Spent 2002-2007 licensing foreign currency for fun and profit. Spent 2001-2007 selling heroin in the financial sector. Developed several new methods for buying and selling jungle gyms in the UK. Prior to my current job I was investing in pond scum in Hanford, CA. Garnered an industry award while working on jump ropes in Salisbury, MD.