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How To Work From Home As A Transcriber

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from you guys about how to work from home as a transcriber. So, today I sat down with my mommy friend, Janet Shaughnessy who is a professional transcriber. She has turned her love for words into a six-figure business. She also teaches others how to work from home as a transcriber. Keep reading to see if this will be a great fit for you.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your entrepreneurial journey?

I began my work-at-home career as a transcriptionist in 2006. In the beginning, I worked as a subcontractor for larger transcription companies. As I developed my own clientele, I started my own transcription company, Zoom Transcription Services. My primary focus now is on training others to work from home as transcriptionists via my online course portal.  

 

 

Do you have a degree or special training?

I actually learned to transcribe the old-timey way using shorthand and typewriters. Now, you can try and guess my age. 😊 As times and different job positions changed, I learned to transcribe from recorded audio and video using computers. I’m a certified general, legal, and medical transcriptionist. Although, I strongly urge anyone thinking of pursuing transcription training to steer away from medical transcription. Although I began my work-at-home career as a medical transcriptionist, those jobs (along with the pay) have decreased dramatically with the adoption of the electronic medical record. I no longer offer those services and I don’t teach it. I transitioned into general and legal transcription years ago. 

 

Who would be a good fit for a transcriptionist?

In addition to learning the mechanics of transcribing, which aren’t all that difficult to learn, potential candidates need to have an above-average grasp of English grammar and punctuation. We teach it in our courses and I believe it’s actually the most challenging part of our training. 

You also need to be someone who’s self-motivated and self-disciplined. We’re freelancers. We’re not employees, so our income is solely dependent on being committed to getting the work done.

 

How much money can someone make being a transcriber?

The national average for general transcriptionists is $50K/year and for legal transcriptionists it’s $65K/year. That’s an average and it’s based on being full-time. Beginner transcriptionists will most likely earn around $15 per hour.  I grew my business into six figures within a year. You can work part-time or go big as I did. 

 

What does a typical day in the life of a transcriber look like?

That depends on the transcriber. We all have different needs and commitments to family members and other activities. Some only want to work part-time and, therefore, may only work a few evenings or weekends. Some work full time, but fit it around their other responsibilities. One of the best things about working from home for yourself is the time freedom it affords us. We work when, where, and how often we want. 

 

How did you start teaching people how to become a transcriber? 

It’s been an evolution. When I first started hiring subcontractors to help with my overflow work, I had to send guidelines about how the transcript was to be done according to client preference. Those notes became a manual. The manual became an eBook. The eBook became a digital download. Now,  TranscribeAnywhere it’s a full-fledged, multi-media, online training site for general and legal transcriptionists with one-on-one and group support. 

 

You offer FREE TRAINING, What will people learn in this course? 

We’ve actually revised the mini-course so that it’s now hosted online rather than the seven-day series of emails. People will learn everything they need to know to make an informed decision as to whether or not transcription is a good choice for them. There are a lot of myths out there and the FREE course will be a guide for them to make sure that this career path is the best choice for them. 

 

What are some of the benefits of being a transcriber?

 

The ability to work-from-home or anywhere without sacrificing family time or other personal pursuits is the primary benefit in my opinion. Mothers can be there for all of their children’s activities, see them off in the morning, and be there when they get home. Those caring for elderly parents or other family members are able to do that without asking for “permission” from a boss to take time off from work. People in retirement and college students can supplement their income while working from home. 

 

What’s your best tip you will give to a new and aspiring transcriber?

Be willing to invest in quality training and practice before trying to venture off on your own. A good percentage of students who enroll in our courses come to us after failing a transcription test. It comes as a big surprise to them because they firmly believed that they already knew all they needed to know to work as a transcriptionist. There’s a lot more to it than most people realize. If it were easy, anyone could do it. That’s not the case. We’re highly-skilled professionals. Learn skills to help other people solve their problems and you’ll be able to write your own ticket. 

 

Don’t let FEAR

False

Expectations

Appearing

Real 

stop you! Everyone is nervous when starting something new. Did you know that nervousness and excitement produce the same physical sensations in our bodies? Choose excitement!

If you want to connect with Janet Shaughnessy, or find out more information on a transcriber work at home career, please see TranscribeAnywhere.

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• How to work from home as a transcritpionist
• How to work from home as a proofreader

How To Work From Home As A Transcriber