Earn Money From Home Part Time
Work From Home As A Transcriptionist - No Experience Required
Let me start by telling you what this article is not about. If you've spent any time at all scouring the internet for legitimate work-at-home opportunities, then you've probably run across something like this at least 53 times:
"How would you like to make an extra $1, 000 every day for simply typing a few lines? Everybody else's program is a big fat scam, but if you pay me $29.99 you'll have access to the real deal. We'll send you a special password to our super-secret members only area, and then you'll be super-special and super-rich by the end of next week. Really. You can trust me because I'm super rich. I mean, from typing jobs, not from suckers people paying me $29.99 to find out about my scam unique program. Just look at these really nifty Photoshopped images of my paychecks below." You get the idea. Don't freak out just yet, there are legitimate opportunities to make money typing from home (hang on, I'll get to that in a sec). What's the deal with the ads like the one above? Basically, it's affiliate marketing at it's worst. You'll more than likely be told to sign up for any and all affiliate programs and products you can find, and then spend hours a day typing ads for those products and spamming every conceivable nook and cranny of the internet with your ads. Typically, it involves typing up a bunch of short text ads and plastering those ads all over free ad sites like Craigslist, and spamming the comments section of every blog you can find. This is not my idea of a legitimate work from home typing opportunity, and it is not what this article is about. Ok, 'nuff said. Let's move on to the super-duper legitimate way to make money typing from your home office. What Does a Transcriptionist Do? If you're a transcriptionist, you'll find yourself listening to some sort of spoken media and typing what you hear. You'll be creating a text document (a transcript) of the file. Transcription work generally falls into one of three very broad categories: 1) Medical Transcription, 2) Legal Transcription, and 3) Everything Else. The first two often require some specialized training, education, experience, or a combination of the three. Why? Because people in the medical and legal fields don't like to speak in plain English and it takes training, education, or experience to figure out what the hell they're saying. If you're just starting out, your best bet will probably be "general transcription, " which falls into that "Everything Else" category. This article will focus on General Transcription because it's the easiest way for a newcomer with no experience to begin a career as a transcriptionist working from home. General Transcription - The "What" The type of work you do will depend on what services the company offers its clients. So, when you're comparing potential employers, look for a listing of those services. Some companies specialize in financial transcription (from earnings conferences). If that would bore you to tears, best to move on and keep looking. Being bored to tears is no good for a long-term career. Some other examples of what you could be transcribing include: Business Conferences, Lectures, Police Reports, Speeches, Press Conferences, and recorded conversations or Interviews. General Transcription - The "How" How you will access the files you're transcribing will vary depending on the employer. Some use .WAV files, some will use other formats. Some might require you to log into their system in order to hear the recordings, or download them to your computer. Many transcription companies will require you to have a certain transcription software program that you'll use for your transcription work. You may also need a headset and a foot pedal. The foot pedal is used in conjunction with the software program to pause, rewind, and play the audio, keeping your hands free for typing. The faster you can transcribe, the more money you'll make, so the foot pedal is a worthy investment, even if your employer doesn't require it. Make sure to check the employer's website to see what equipment and/or software is required to work for them. Transcription Software and Tools of the Trade By Tammy -|
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