Working as a transcriptionist might sound like a very cool job, but to gain many projects and assignments that pay you quite a lot, it becomes important to develop certain necessary skill sets. 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 know the things that make 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 have to be listened to carefully and transcript on the spot. There could be a lot of background noises the transcriber might come across when the client is dictating. It becomes your responsibility to use your intelligence and also pay undivided attention throughout the transcription. Only then, it becomes easy for you to get a good number of projects.
Concentration skills
When you are transcribing, you would be typing and also listening at the same 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 to make the listening activity easy for yourself.
Adaptability
You might come across several clients with different accents in their language. It would help if you adapted 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 from the other drastically. If you do not adapt yourself to these changes quickly, you would soon be eliminated from the world of transcription.
English language
The majority of the transcription work happens in English. It is mandatory to have good control over the English language and its vocabulary. While the client is dictating to you, it becomes your responsibility to immediately understand the meaning of the word and start transcribing them.
Time management skills
It is crucial to be available when the client is ready to dictate their document. It would help if you did not come up with reasons that can hinder your work in anyways. Once the client is upset with your behavior, they would certainly not come back to you. Therefore, it is highly 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, it is still recommended to have a good typing speed. Some of the clients might be quite faster when they are dictating certain things, and if you fail to record all those things and transcribe them, you will lose out on a lot of payment.
Accuracy
When your typing is faster, there are a lot of chances of committing mistakes. Unless and until you pay complete attention, it becomes difficult for you to maintain accuracy. The clients would never appreciate a piece of work that is not accurate in the freelance world. 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 where 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. But as a freelance transcriber, you do not have this luxury when you choose to work on the 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 even when you are transcribing your first document. Those things should not bother you and make you develop our nation towards the entire transcription field. With time, you would develop the art of getting a good number of projects and developing accuracy towards your work. If you want these things to happen, it is mandatory to possess a good amount of patience. These are the top 10 skills that every freelance transcriber must develop to get more assignments and satisfy the clients with every submission.