Transcription is transfer of information contained in recorded audio and video files into text form. There are different types of transcription with the most common being the verbatim and intelligent transcription. Transcription services are relevant but not limited to the medical, academic, legal, religious and business field. General transcription differs slightly with the transcription required in the professional fields such as legal and medical field. However, general transcription can be fully developed into a full time career just like any other form of professional occupation.
What are the skills required?
Just like any other form of career, skills are required in general transcription. At Transcriptionwave, we encourage that the individual seeking to venture into transcription career need to have some basic skills to make it possible for them to accomplish tasks effectively. In this case, typing skills are a must with a speed of about 40-50 words per minute. This is essential as the job entails listening and typing the same spoken words. Also, deep understanding of English language is required especially British, North American and Australian accent. However, having good command of another major language such as French is an added advantage but not a must. In addition, one should have the ability to make judgment on the context, cultural background and purpose of the information in order to successfully accomplish the transcription task at hand.
What is the job description in general transcription?
General transcription entails listening to the audio file and typing the spoken words. This depends on the type of transcription required since in verbatim transcription the transcriptionist is required to type word by word including the non-verbal cues used by the speakers. In the intelligent transcription some irrelevant words and errors in speech are over looked while the essential information is typed. Normally a one hour recorded audio file takes about four hours to transcribe. In addition, it is the responsibility of the general transcriptionist to review the transcribed work. This entails reading the typed text against the recorded audio with the aim of identifying any existing errors or discrepancies and rectifying them.
It should be noted that a transcription company can decide to have quality analysis team and proof readers in place as we have done in the Transcriptionwave. This ensures that high quality transcription services are provided to the clients.
Are there any Promotions in general transcription career?
Career growth is possible in general transcription as it is with other careers. The promotions and growth are based on the level of experience that a particular transcriptionist has in different fields. In this case, one begins at the level of a transcriptionist whose task is basically typing in the information contained in the audio files. Later one can graduate into a quality analyst officer that requires an experience of about 4-6 years in general transcription field.