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Hi everyone, and welcome back. Today I continue my eclectic journey through the blogosphere, and I am thrilled to have you jumping onboard to share this next stop along this quest. Towards the end of my first blog, I alluded to the field of transcription of which I am proudly a part of and which I am passionate about. In my second blog I defined transcription and explained as to why it is not just merely an industry and career field, but I framed it as an art form. I sought to explain what it is, the role and the responsibilities of a transcriptionist, and the opportunities and great rewards that it offers. In this blog, which is the second in a series of three in “The Art of Transcription,” I feel that I need to let you know how I discovered this life-changing and fulfilling career, how and where I received my training, and why I chose transcription for myself. Also, I will give you the skinny on where I currently am on this adventure. So, get comfortable, sit back, and let’s continue this journey.

I know that I have told everyone that I had an enjoyable and fruitful 30-year career as an elementary school teacher, and I did. I most certainly had the honor and privilege to teach and mentor hundreds of students over the course of three decades. It will always be an important part of my life. That said, the old adage that life is about change rings true. Our needs change; people change; work conditions change; circumstances change. We have to adapt and be adaptable. In addition to my bachelor’s degree, I did graduate work in Language Arts and Curriculum and Instruction. 30 years is a long span of time, and due to mandates, growing older, workplace politics, and the ever-expanding amount of paperwork — little having to do with actual teaching – I decided to retire in June of 2018. I also found that I wanted more time to be at home with my wife. So, I needed a career that I was interested in; that I had the skill set and experience for, and one that I could establish as a home-based business. Telling you all that the internet is rife with scams and get-rich-quick schemes is akin to preaching to the choir, so I did what I had always done as an educator, I did my research.

After searching for something that sounded interesting, viable, and that had a future with potential for growth, I settled on two possibilities: virtual bookkeeping, and transcription. Through further investigation and research of those two choices, I settled on transcription. I felt that not only did it sound intriguing, but that it was the perfect fit for my skillset, one in which I had the background and aptitude for. When I discovered, enrolled in, and watched Transcribe Anywhere’s free online course in General Transcription: Theory and Practice, I was immediately sold. Not only was it a tremendous value, but it was comprehensive and pedagogically sound; it was certified by AAERT; it was highly endorsed by reputable companies in the industry, and it has a sterling reputation within the transcription industry.  The bedrock and foundational value of truth really struck a chord with me when they did not promise or even hint at the ubiquitous memes of get-rich-quick or the never-ending promises of easy wealth. Rather, they made clear that transcription is a lot of work, and that learning and training in transcription would take time, effort, and dedication. However, if you were willing to put in the time and effort, exercise self-discipline, and work diligently in the course, you would acquire the skills and knowledge to build a business and have a career where you could make a successful living. In other words, everything promoted was based in reality and truth. That is priceless as far as I am concerned. I have not regretted one minute of my decision to enroll in the General Transcription: Theory & Practice course. It absolutely delivered on its promise. I highly, and without reservation, recommend it to anyone who is interested in owning a home-based career.

Transcribe Anywhere (TA) not only offers a course in general transcription, but TA also offers the industry-standard course in the field of legal transcription, Legal Transcription: Theory & Practice. Transcribe Anywhere is not simply just an online course in transcription. Rather, it is a multi-faceted organization that is, simultaneously, education; technology; organization; industry; business; family. What I mean is that, while it is an online course, it is much more than that. It is an organization that is both professional and familial. Transcribe Anywhere is a family; we are students, graduates, independent contractors, fellow transcriptionists who support one another. We are a career field with some of us having our own clients; some of us working as independent contractors for companies, and many of us in a hybrid-type model: working for a transcription company and having a few private clients. We are taught and mentored by two of the very best in the business: Our founder and owner, Janet Shaughnessy and TA’s Director of Education, Marsha Schnipper.  Janet is the owner not only of the Transcribe Anywhere organization, but of Zoom Transcription Services, with decades of experience in the industry. Her vision; her creativity; her skill and experience; her passion for the industry have set the standard for education and training in the field of transcription.  Marsha, who has a career background as an educator, is also a practicing and experienced transcriptionist.  Her pedagogical knowledge and skills provide the aspiring transcriptionist a solid foundation of theory and knowledge. That is combined with a thorough and comprehensive structure of practice dictations organized into units that build upon and reinforce the requisite practical skills to provide the tools for student success. The courses are all-inclusive, providing tools such as templates and guides, links to discounted software and hardware, first-rate, industry-standard education and training, and second-to-none support and mentorship. Oh, and this is so important and exciting: TA is family – teachers and mentors, graduates, and students. We have a Facebook group where we can ask questions, share experiences in the industry, cement a sense of camaraderie, advise, and enjoy the online company of one another. TA provides lifetime support for each and everyone of its students and graduates. There really is nothing like it. It is the best investment I have made in my 60 years upon this rock, Earth, that we all call home. If –and I hope you do — you aspire to a home-based career in transcription, it is essential that you get your start through Transcribe Anywhere. Check it out by clicking on the tag at the bottom of this blog article.

Since I graduated last November, I have established a hybrid model of business. I have two distinguished companies that I contract with and, so far, one private client and am on the verge of landing a second. I am not rolling in dough, but while I am perfecting my craft, I am pulling in a good income right from the comfort of my own home, with the best coffee, and shortest commute — as in feet instead of miles – one could ask for. Oh, did I say that my coffee is a tax write-off? More about that in my next blog. Anyway, I am excited about my future in this business, I am learning interesting things as I transcribe, and I enjoy the work and the freedom it provides. And, best of all, it is an expanding field chocked full of opportunity and growth.

Well, thank you for visiting my website and reading my blog. My next blog article will be a continuation of “The Art of Transcription” series. Look for it some time within the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, please click on the tag below and check it out. You have nothing to lose doing so and much to gain. Most of all, enjoy what you do; do it well; do it passionately; make a difference in the world around you.

 

For those of you considering a great home-based career in transcription, here is a link to TranscribeAnywhere’s free General Transcription Mini Course. It is fabulous and is what sold me on the program. It is well worth your time.

https://www.transcribeanywhere.com/a/15058/PnLxY5jT

So, is it really art? If so, is it visual art of performing art? And what do you mean when you state, “The Art of Transcription,” anyway? Well, I suppose, that just depends on what you consider “Art” and how you would define it. Are you looking for the denotation or the connotation of the word? Are you looking for its mimesis? expression? form? Or it could simply be, “The skill of…” or more poetically, “There’s great skill in doing that thing.” Maybe it is a combination of some of those elements. Simply put, transcription means, “Turning the spoken word into the written word.” So, if you want, let’s play at being an etymologist for a brief moment. We could say, “Transcription is the process of turning the spoken word, or speech, into the written word, or text.” We could make it sound more dramatic, “There’s great skill in turning that which is spoken into that which is written.” Sounds more Shakespearian, no? Well, to be truthful, it is all of those things. But it is something more basic, too. As we know it, as a profession, it simply is writing (or typing) spoken words — be it a Q&A, interview, vlog, podcast, sermon, conference, lecture, or any other form of spoken words from audio and video files — into a written document. In that way, too, it most certainly is an art.

All pontificating aside, I want to talk to you about transcription. Briefly, I want touch on what are the types of transcription, why I chose it as a profession, what does it require of an individual to be successful in this career field, and how one sets out to become a transcriptionist — BTW, it is a growing field, and the demand for transcription is surging — It could even be something that you might just be interested in for yourself. Oh yeah, well anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Transcription, as a profession, is just what I stated in my opening paragraph. To define it succinctly, it is writing down in a document exactly what you hear spoken to you as it was spoken. You are not really at liberty to change words or even the order of the words spoken. Remember, most people do not talk as if they are walking, breathing grammar books. The everyday vernacular of people varies greatly in sentence structure and syntax.

That said, a transcriptionist’s job is to help a written document to convey the intended meaning and give voice to the speaker through the correct and appropriate application of punctuation, using the right word choices – particularly with homophones and homographs — and making sure terms and jargon are spelled correctly, and if there are multiple speakers, to make sure the speakers are correctly identified. To do that is, indeed, an art — in form, mimesis, expression and, of course, value. And it certainly is a demonstration of the great skill of turning the spoken into the written.

Now, transcription can be formulaic. Though you don’t change what is said in wording or structure, there are two major styles of transcription conventions: standard verbatim and strict verbatim. With standard verbatim, you omit the false starts, stutters, all the uh’s and um’s, and change informal vernacular terms like “gonna” and “wanna” to “going to” and “want to”. For strict verbatim, you generally don’t clean up any vernaculars, though sometimes a client may wish for some adjustments to strict verbatim. Of course, these terms are used by transcriptionists in the field of transcription so they may be a bit jargony for those in other career fields. However, as I always like to say, “Learn something new every day.” Maybe I am piquing your interest in the Art of Transcription? Hopefully I will by the end of this blog, yes?

Just as there are specialties in the career fields of medicine, law, engineering, and teaching, so is it in the industry of transcription as well. There are three main categories of transcription: general, legal, and medical. Medical transcription is the area of transcription that is on the decline and falls victim to the advances of technology and was the one area of transcription that could somewhat be supplanted by artificial intelligence technology. However, both legal and general transcription are in high demand, and actually, the advancement of technology is causing an exponential need for human transcription. That is because these two types of transcription are dependent upon nuance, voice, word choice, and of course, punctuation. All of which AI cannot achieve with any real semblance of accuracy. If you are skeptical, okay, then watch an entire newscast on TV with close captioning turned on. You will soon notice puzzling and often hilarious misspellings, syntax errors, and mistakes in word choice and usage. The same goes with AI-generated transcripts. Oh, and don’t get me started on those auto-generated transcripts that YouTube creates. LOL As one who has a YouTuber client, I can attest to the fact that those are not at all accurate. By the time, and if, artificial intelligence gets to the point that it can distinguish human nuance, it will probably conquer us due to our flaws. At that point, hypothetically speaking, it wouldn’t matter anyway.

Now, back to reality. If you are willing to put in the work, get proper and appropriate training, and keep sacrosanct the foundational value of confidentiality, transcription is a tremendously appealing and meaningful industry chocked-full of potential and the opportunity for personal and professional growth. Along with the fact that my background as a teacher and educator, the reasons as articulated in this blog article so far are amongst the motivators that lead me to this fascinating occupation as I searched for my perfect post-retirement career. While I have an artistic nature, being a classically trained organist, I am also a realist. I am not so naïve to think that I can become rich simply through buying into the plethora of the online promise perpetrators that propagate the internet, but I know with my work ethic, determination, and love of language that I can make a comfortable living as a transcriptionist. For now, I am getting established in the specialty of general transcription. Later on, I may add legal transcription to my toolbox as it is a tremendously appealing vocation as well. Anyhow, in addition to being able to support myself from the creature comforts of home, I am my own boss; set my own hours; decide how much I earn. I can write off my home office, supplies, advertising costs, telephone, printer, other work-related expenses, and even my coffee and snack costs, against my taxes. In addition, I pay far less for gas, vehicle maintenance, clothing expenses, lunches, and have no commute time other than the time it takes to amble from my bedroom or kitchen to my den/home office. Due to my years of experience as a teacher, I made a good living. Now, when I subtract all the expenses as articulated above, combined with the at-home benefits, I pretty much maintain the same standard of living, and all on my own terms. Yes, I made the right choice for myself. Perhaps it is a choice you might want to consider?

(End of Part 1)

For those of you considering a great home-based career in transcription, here is a link to TranscribeAnywhere’s free General Transcription Mini Course. It is fabulous and is what sold me on the program. It is well worth your time.

https://www.transcribeanywhere.com/a/15058/PnLxY5jT

Hello, and thank you for visiting my site and taking the time to read my first blog. As I pondered upon a theme, I came to the realization that maybe I just should step outside of my comfort zone and simply wing it for today. I have been told that I am a good extemporaneous writer; I will leave it for you to decide that for today.

I do have a lot of ideas, so I will touch upon a hodgepodge of topics, not necessarily delving into any one of them with depth and completeness, but perhaps just as an overview and exploration of topics that are of interest, have practicality, and can connect on a personal level. As a transcriptionist I often am privy to information and details where it is expected that I maintain absolute discretion and confidentiality for my clients. It is a legal obligation and requirement, but also it is one of both a moral and ethical consideration. I will address these very important precepts today and how it ties into my philosophy on that topic.

I do enjoy writing, and I would be a bit disingenuous to imply that my blogs will not have some level of self-interest, that being to attract potential clients and promote my business, but also to connect with you, to promote discourse, create interest, and to indulge my appetite for writing. As to any particular theme that I want to concentrate on, in short, there will not be one. Rather, I will feature a variety of topics and themes in the realms of transcription, music, cooking, sometimes on societal issues, education, philosophy, and such. It will be an eclectic mix.

So, here I go with the launch of my first blog.  Oh, there will be other areas of interest, but, out of personal preference and my long-held philosophy on the topic, I will not delve into or opine upon the specter of politics. The only aspect of politics I will discuss will be discussed on my blog today, and I will expound upon the reasons why I will not discuss it from here on out. Well, anyway, time to get started on this, my first blog.

Okay, first things first. My favorite philosophical motto is, as relating to all things personal, confidential, and private: “Everybody else is on a need-to-know-basis and they don’t need to know!” That is my philosophy when dealing with clients and customers when it comes to confidentiality, deals, and any other business arrangements. I used these very words starting 35 years ago when I began my career as a teacher conducting parent-teacher conferences. As it happens, it is also applicable to all things political where I am concerned.

Let me be succinct in what I mean on both a personal and professional level; I do not discuss politics with people, particularly with family and friends and certainly not clients! The only person who knows my political beliefs and can who can carry on a political discourse with me on this rather abhorrent topic, is the most important and beloved person in my life, my soulmate — my dear wife. Everyone else is on a need-to-know basis as to my political opinions, and yes, you guessed it, they don’t need to know! And, pray tell, why is that? Here is just an inkling why. One, I am not an ideologue; I am nuanced; I eschew labels; I really don’t like or enjoy politics. I enjoy history, very much so, and there is the historical aspect of politics that underlies much of history, but politics in and of itself, be it governmental, organizational, or personal, is not a theme that I enjoy discussing and expounding upon with others.

Everybody has an opinion; they have a right to that opinion; I have a right to mine. And what mine are, sans my wife, are between myself and myself. They are sacrosanct. Therefore, everybody else will be on a need-to-know basis and they don’t need to know. Second, in my mind — and yes, that is an opinion — politics, sadly, tend to be so polarizing and destructive to our personal relationships.

It has devolved into an “Us versus Them” dichotomy. It tears friends and family apart, produces no winners, changes no minds, adds nothing in the way of long-term contributions to relationships, and creates hurt, divisiveness, anger, and sorrow where there should be joy, pleasure in company and companionship, and growth in relationship, and contentment of enjoying socialization with those closest and most important to us. And for what? For the beliefs, often self-serving interests, and demagoguery of distant politicians that have no personal connections to you and I?

Are you all onboard and comfortable with the very thought of your most important and consequential relationships being tainted by a particular political school of thought and someone’s insistence on adhering to it? Really? Lastly, why are all the debates – if one can use that noble term – shifted now to a paradigm of conservative versus liberal? What about Moderates? Why are they never given a thought or mention anymore? Oh, well, that is my soapbox stump speech; that is the extent of political discourse that will flow forth from my quill. I will, of course, encourage you to opine in the Comment section of each blog as I would love feedback and personal connection.

To wrap up my first blog, I want to again thank you for visiting and reading. I hope you enjoyed my pontification. As to the topic of my next blog? It will be about, you guessed it,  the Art of Transcription. I will discuss the art of turning the spoken word in to the written word, I will expound upon why I decided to embark upon that field for my post-retirement career, the importance of my motto in our industry, and I will lay out just how transcription can be of a benefit to you. I won’t pretend that there is not an aspect of self-interest in my next topic because, to be honest, there is. But transcription is more than that to me. I like to see others succeed, and I derive satisfaction and joy in that.

That said, and before I leap off on another tangent, I am looking to publish my next blog very soon. When? Well, you are on a need-to-know basis and, well, You NEED To Know. I am aiming for Monday, February 22. So, please check back. Again, while you are here, feel free to opine below in the Comment section as I’d like to know. Just remember not to make it a forum for your political opinions and beliefs, but rather comment on the article itself, because as to your politics, I am on a need-to-know basis, and I don’t need to know.

EJ

For those of you considering a great home-based career in transcription, here is a link to TranscribeAnywhere’s free General Transcription Mini Course. It is fabulous and is what sold me on the program. It is well worth your time.

https://www.transcribeanywhere.com/a/15058/PnLxY5jT