From Typist to Transcriptionist: Can You Make the Transition?

/1 Comment/in /by Allegis

See if Your Typing Skills Can Translate into a Successful Career in Transcription

Are you a lightning-fast typist looking to break into transcription? If so, you have probably already noted many of the potential benefits of working as a transcriptionist. After all, most jobs that include heavy typing are office jobs with fixed hours, more than likely a daily commute, and often very limited income potential.  Transcribing is different. Let’s look at some of the advantages of working as a freelance transcriptionist:

  1. Ability to control your income: Compensation for most transcriptionists is production-based, not hourly. So, if you are accurate and fast, you may be able to boost your income.
  2. Work-from-home: The majority of transcriptionists work-from-home, avoiding the stress of a commute, office politics, and in many cases, alleviating the need for extraneous expenses like day care service.
  3. Flexible hours and schedule: A career in transcription means that you can (to a large extent) work when you want and as much as you want. Companies often have minimum production requirements, but how you structure your time is generally up to you.

So, if you’re currently in a position where you perform administrative work that involves heavy typing, and you are routinely producing at 75 words per minute or more, you can be assured of two things:

  1. You are a gifted individual – very few people can type that fast.
  2. Your typing makes you more productive than the average worker, but it’s not equating to a bigger paycheck.

Therefore, you might be justified in wondering if you can do better. You probably can. But the journey from typist to transcriptionist is not an easy, straight path. Creating your career in transcription is about adapting your typing skills to transcription, and it can be a slow process. Along the way, many people have endured doubts and frustration, failed tests, and repeated rejections. Yet, for most who persevere, they often look back and realize all the hard work was worth it. They had what it took to succeed all along, but just had to learn a few new skills to augment their existing talent.

Here is what you need to know and how to prepare for the journey.

Breaking The Sound (Voice) Barrier

Transcription is simple enough at its core: You type out what you hear. You turn spoken words into text. But the average person talks at about 150 words per minute.  If someone is speaking clearly and audibly, assuming they don’t have an accent, a vocal tic of some kind, or even perhaps a cold, will routinely talk too fast for even a very fast typist to keep up. It’s not unusual for some people (we call them fast talkers) to speak at 200 wpm and above!

The challenges don’t end there. Depending on the type of transcription you do, you may encounter groups of people talking over each other and interrupting. You may have to deal with background noise, heavy accents, or emotionally charged speech (such as people laughing or crying). The list is endless.

So, you typically will not be able to type fast enough to keep up with the conversation, In fact, most transcriptionists will need 45-60 minutes to transcribe 15 minutes of audio.  This means you will need to modulate the playback speed, pause and resume the playback intermittently, as well as repeat segments that are difficult to hear or understand.  This has great potential to slow you down, so you need to find a rhythm between your typing pace and the playback pace. Finding this rhythm will allow you to reach your full potential (and income level).

Listening at a Whole New Level

Just as the above challenges require you to synchronize the playback of the file to your typing speed, you must also improve your listening skills. Hearing it right the first time saves you time and boosts your efficiency. Many successful transcriptionists report an increase in the sensitivity of their hearing when listening to human speech over time. For example, verbatim transcriptionists train themselves to listen to verbal tics (all the “umms” and “uhs” which they have to transcribe).  They often find that they experience everyday conversation differently as a result. Whereas the average person will fail to notice many of these sounds, transcriptionists might notice them more.

It is up to science to speculate as to what is happening here, but it has been established that repeated activities often create or strengthen neural pathways in the brain. So perhaps it’s not a stretch to say that this process is a necessary step in “brain training” to tune your listening ability and become a confident and skilled transcriptionist.

Turbo-Typing

Fast is good. You are probably already a fast typist if you are considering a career in transcription. But you need to be more than fast.  You need to be fast and efficient. Efficiency is what maximizes your productivity, and productivity determines your income. Transcriptionists employ all sorts of tricks to speed up the process, including:

  • Auto-correct: You can customize auto-correct to replace certain characters with full words or phrases, thus giving yourself specialized keyboard shortcuts.
  • Macros: can help automate repetitive tasks while transcribing. In short, a macro is a recording of a sequence of actions. Many transcriptionists use macros to input speaker tokens or a combination of word replacement and formatting.

It’s important to expand your typing ability and keyboard skills to include the above strategies.  In addition to that, you will need to develop and hone additional skills such as researching, proofing, and understanding dialects.  At the end of the day, it is not about how fast you type, but how much you produce.

Finding Your “Flow State”

Transcriptionists are at their most efficient when they can be 100% focused.  Some transcriptionists will tell you that they are at their best when they are not conscious of their typing…that it just flows automatically from their fingers as they listen. Since you will most likely work at home as a freelance transcriptionist, it is vital that your home environment lends itself to this type of work. If you have a family living at home, you probably want to carve out a dedicated home office space where you can work uninterrupted. You also may need to set down rules and barriers for other members of the household to ensure that you can have significant blocks of time to work without distractions.

The Blessing (and Curse) of Self-Employment

Most transcriptionists are contract workers, which means that they are technically self-employed. And that’s important, because it means some of the time you put into your job will be managing the extra stuff that comes with self-employment, such as:

  • Your tax returns may be more complicated. Contract or “1099” workers get paid the full amount for their work, with no taxes taken out. But this does not mean that Uncle Sam doesn’t still get his cut! You will be responsible for reporting (and paying any applicable taxes on) this income. So that means you need to plan (and save!) appropriately.
  • Good News: The IT department is always reachable. Bad news: You are the IT department (although most companies, including Allegis, provide a degree of IT setup assistance). Maintaining your computer, your internet connection, and other vital gear becomes very important. All transcription jobs have deadlines that you must meet, so any downtime can be very detrimental. If you are tech-savvy and comfortable with troubleshooting tech issues, you should be fine.

You Will Need Specific Equipment

Depending on your fondness for tech, this may be a fun aspect of transcription or an unpleasant obstacle.  Here are some of the vital tools for speed, efficiency, and comfort. For more detailed advice, browse our “tools for transcriptionist” blog entries to prepare for a career in transcription.

  • Computer with high-quality monitor (high resolution monitors reduce eyestrain).
  • Supportive, comfortable chair, to promote good posture and avoid back and shoulder problems.
  • High-quality keyboard and tray to maintain proper wrist/hand position and consistent key response.
  • Foot pedal, for pause/resume/rewind, to allow your hands to remain in primary typing position at all times.

It should be clear by now that being a fast typist is a relatively small (albeit important) aspect of becoming a successful transcriptionist. And the transition is not a simple (or even natural) one. But if all of the above sounds like an interesting challenge, then it could be a sign that you should take the plunge.

Online Research Tools for Transcriptionists

/3 Comments/in /by Allegis

Using Research Techniques to Improve Your Transcription Accuracy

What if I told you that Google can make you a better transcriptionist? Google, along with other online research tools, is an excellent tool for getting answers and clarity in a matter of seconds.

Let’s take the example of homonyms. Homonyms are words with different meanings that sound the same, like “blue” and “blew”, or “minor” and “miner”.  It is usually possible to determine meaning based on the context of the conversation. But this is not always the case.

For transcriptionists, sometimes it’s more efficient to use outside references to infer meaning than trying to decide simply by listening and considering context. For example, if someone says the name of a retail store at the scene of an accident but the name is inaudible, you can use Google maps street view to survey the scene and discover what retail location is likely being referenced.

It is the transcriptionist’s job to maintain accuracy in transcribing, even if the audio sometimes does not contain the precise information. So, online research tools can help you increase your accuracy and even help to save you wasted time replaying the audio over and over. Researching, just like any skill, improves the more you practice. What follows are some best practices in the art of using online tools for research.

The Critical Tools – The Top Three

There are many research tools out there (please leave a comment if you employ tools not mentioned here), but simplest is usually best. Most transcriptionists can get by with these three tools:

  1. Search engines (Google, etc.)
  2. Maps (Google Maps, Maps for iOS, etc.)
  3. White pages (old-fashioned name/address/phone listings)

Search Engines

The following online research tools and tips for transcriptionists can be generalized to other search engines (like Bing), but Google is the biggest and by far the most commonly used, so for purposes of this article we will focus on Google.

For Google and other search engines, there are an array of syntax-based search parameters (i.e., how you type things in the search box) that are very useful, but many people don’t know about them. These are useful to anyone, but especially so to transcriptionists, because speed and accuracy is critical. If you hone these basic skills, you will start to notice that you are shaving time off your turnaround time. Let’s begin with Google search basics:

  1. Use quotes for an exact phrase match: Google will look for all the words you type in the search box, and won’t pay much attention to the order. If you search for Bob’s Auto Repair, you may get results about car repair, cars, and people named Bob. So, if you are searching for something very specific, you can waste time sifting through irrelevant results. By putting the phrase in quotes, you are telling Google to find only that exact phrase and nothing else.

Tip: If you want Google to search for the exact phrase you type in the box (and ignore everything else), put the phrase in quotes.

 

2. Use a colon to target specific domains or sites: Sometimes you want to search only a specific website or web domain. If you are looking for “angioplasty”, and you know the information is somewhere on the WebMD website, you would type “angioplasty :webmd.com”

Tip: Use a colon to narrow your search to a specific website or web domain.

 

3. Use a minus sign to eliminate useless results: if you were searching for a street called Pennsylvania Ave, but you are not looking for the famous one in Washington DC, you could enter “Pennsylvania Ave –Washington” to get much more useful results.

Tip: use a minus sign indicate a “negative keyword” for anything you don’t want in your search results.


4. Use “define” or “synonym” to quickly research unfamiliar words: Google can quickly tell you what a word means, and serve as a handy (and very fast) dictionary. Simply type “define:” or “synonym:” before the word you want to define.

Tip: to quickly define a word, prepend your search with “define:” or “synonym:”

 

 

Google-Specific Tips

For transcriptionists, there are a couple of specific Google tricks for online research you will find especially useful:

  1. Google a location: One very useful Google trick for transcriptionists is to Google a location.  If you are an insurance transcriptionist, this is especially helpful. Often you will hear references to a location that are not exactly precise and/or not easily audible. Google search (this works for search or Google Maps) can quickly help you narrow down the possibilities.  For example, if you hear something that sounds like “the corner of Maple and Main, you can quickly enter that phrase into Google along with the city name to zero in on that location. If that location doesn’t exist (you heard it wrong or the speaker had it wrong), Google will give you alternatives that are similar or sound alike.

Tip: Google a location to help you ensure accuracy and quickly access additional information.

 

2. Filter out old results: Google typically returns results from “all time”, meaning that something written 20 years ago, may be included. This will often needlessly cloud search results for transcriptionists. If you want results from a specific time period, select the “search tools” link (see image, below) and you can choose a specific time frame for your results.

Tip: Set a time frame to save time searching only relevant results.

 

Maps

Again, we are going to recommend Google maps here. There are other outstanding map tools, so if you have another favorite, some or all of these online research tips should still apply. But Google Maps and Google search are integrated, so using them together speeds things up considerably and makes researching easier and faster. In transcription, you will often hear references to landmarks (e.g., “across from the drug store, etc.). Using maps is an efficient way to get or confirm accurate information about a location. Here are a few useful tips:

  1. Use street view to find a business: if a business name is referenced in the audio file but the name was inaudible, you can often find it if you know the general location. Google “street view” is a handy tool that lets you visually search a location at street level.

Tip: Use street view to visually explore a location.


2. Use “time travel” to find defunct businesses: if you need to find the name of a company that is no longer in business, you can use the time travel function in Google Maps Street View to go back in time and see what was at a location at a previous time. Of course, it only goes back to 2007, but it can be extremely useful.

Tip: Use street view “time travel” feature to find places that are no longer in business.

 

3. If you need to refer back to previously used maps – access your Google Maps history: If you need to quickly return to a map you accessed previously, Google makes this easy by keeping track of your history. You can access your history by hitting the menu button to the left of the search box, and scrolling down to “history” at the bottom of the menu.

Tip: use your Google Map history if you need to revisit a map.

4. Use “near” search: if you think something is in a general area, you can focus the map on a location and search for nearby businesses. You can also enter search phrases like “find an auto repair business near the intersection of California St. and Van Ness St.”

Tip: Use “near” search to search a specific area.

 

White Pages

Often the simplest approach is best. White pages listings can be one of the best online research tools to help you find correct information or fill in information gaps about people while transcribing. This can be as simple as finding a correct address, or as complicated as figuring out if a person is still living. If you find that research is a key tool for you, you should consider a premium White Pages subscription – it’s affordable and may pay for itself with the time it saves you. Here are a few key ways to improve your White Pages results:

  1. Use advanced search (premium feature): enter everything you know about a person you are researching. The more you enter, the better your results.

2. Use reverse search: sometimes the address of the person may be clear in the audio file but not the name. In that case, you can reverse search an address to find a current resident.

3. Use friends and family search (premium feature) – if you know family members or associates, you can search for those people to find your subject person.

 
Conclusion

Like many things, these online research methods for transcriptionists take time to perfect, but the time you’ll save in the future makes it well worth the current time investment. Over time, these methods will become second nature. The best way to learn these kinds of skills is through repetition and habituation. Employ these methods to augment your research and they will become natural to you so you can move faster and earn money at a higher rate.

Do you have any tools, tips, or tricks that you use? Please share in the comments.

10 Tips For Landing A Freelance Transcription Job

/14 Comments/in , /by Tyler Marshall

Freelance transcription jobs can provide a great deal of freedom (you can work from home!) and economic opportunity. That is IF you’re a skilled transcriber and if you know how to market yourself effectively.

Wherever you’re at in your transcription career, we’ve compiled our top 10 tips for landing your next work-from-home transcription job. Enjoy!

 

Review Social and Professional Profiles Before Applying

This should be obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people get this wrong. Transcription companies use LinkedIn for recruiting, which means—you guessed it—they’ll be checking your social profiles.

You need to have a profile picture that looks professional. It doesn’t need to be a professional headshot, just professional in attire, setting, and pose. I use a picture of myself in a suit, overlooking Portland Oregon’s skyline. Profile pictures are something recruiters expect. It’s okay to be quirky, but here’s where your friends and family can be a big help. Get their opinion on everything from your headshot to the information you include in your profile; they’ll notice things you may have missed.

Other social media tips are:

– Take a look at your other social profiles (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) too. It’s always a good idea to keep them clean, professional, and beyond reproach. It’s also a good idea to lock down your privacy settings. Remember that with Facebook, even if you use their strongest privacy settings, your profile and cover picture are still visible to everyone.

– In general, be very careful what you say online. Digital never dies. It’s never a good idea to trash a vendor you previously transcribed for. It’s okay to warn your peers of vendors with poor business practices or unfair treatment, but do so in as professional a manner as possible.

Now that your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts are up-to-date, reviewed by others, and free of embarrassing photos, you’re now ready to start engaging with transcription companies online.

 

Actually HAVE a Social Media Presence

My previous point brings me to this one. While not an absolute must, if you’re going to stand out to potential transcription employers, you need to have an online, social presence. It’s not just for kids anymore.

I know that for me, joining Twitter was like pulling teeth. I rolled my eyes at the thought of “tweeting.” Over the past several months I’ve made an effort to learn the platform, and there’s a whole host of valuable information I was missing out on.

Allegis recently started blogging and ramping up our social media presence—and you better believe it catches our attention when we get Facebook “likes” and comments on our blog. I can tell you from personal experience that companies care when you engage on social media; take advantage of the free platforms at your disposal.

 

Be Honest with Yourself. Are You Truly A Good Fit?

You are interviewing potential employers just as much as they are interviewing you. Be honest with yourself when reviewing transcription job descriptions.

I know this is an area I’ve struggled with before. I’ve let worry get the best of me and taken the first job that I could find. Can you guess how that worked out? Not too well.

Plenty of work-from-home transcription jobs exist for hard-working, freelance transcriptionists. I know that at Allegis, we’re receiving more work than ever before. This will translate into a great deal of hiring this year (Want to transcribe for us? See our open positions here!)

If a contract requires online transcribing work that’s brutal for you to work through, (maybe you hate transcribing police reports and the gory details are just too much) you won’t be happy. Your productivity will suffer, and before you know it, you’ll be hunting for another job.

I use the “gut check” method when applying for work positions. After reading through a job posting, if I feel uneasy about applying, I don’t. Find a gig where you can do your best work.

 

Tailor Your Resume to The Transcription Job You Want

I know it can feel limiting to only talk about your online transcription experience when you previously ran an eBay business, did consulting work, or worked as an insurance adjuster. I have news for you, when it comes to your resume, you’re going to have to let go of that way of thinking. By including too much information, you’re hurting yourself.

Several years ago I applied for a job in sales and another in accounting. I have relevant experience in both fields, but the resumes I created for my interviews in each area looked very different.

Focus on elaborating on work experience related to the work-from-home transcription position you’re applying for. Then, selectively include other, relevant information. For instance, if you were a professional copywriter for five years before transcribing, that’s a detail you should include because there’s significant skill overlap.

 

Pay Attention to the Transcription Company’s Needs

Find out why the transcription company is looking for freelancers. The answer isn’t always as obvious as you might think. For example, if Allegis has a surge of jobs and needs contractors to put in as many hours as possible, it’s probably not a good idea to send us a message asking if you can work ten hours a week.

Often you won’t have any idea why a company is hiring. But if you do know the impetus behind a hiring burst, you might be able to better position yourself as a candidate. Do some sleuthing before firing off an email. See if you can find out what the driving force is for hiring. If you learn that a transcription vendor needs to quickly increase headcount, emphasize your ability to get up to speed quickly without requiring supervision.

When you’re researching a transcription position, try and also get a sense of what factors the company cares about. Alexis, Allegis’s Resources Director, cares more about your availability (desired number of hours each week), typing speed, amount of insurance transcription experience, and the type of transcription experience that you have.

 

Pay Attention to Detail and Be Self-Sufficient

Attention to detail and self-sufficiency are crucial skills in the general transcription field—particularly within insurance transcription, which is strict verbatim.

Working remotely from home necessitates a strong ability to problem solve independently. I can tell you from experience that there’s nothing worse than receiving an email from an applicant, asking questions that we clearly address in our online application materials.

This is not to say that you should never ask questions throughout the application process. Sometimes questions are warranted, and if you’ve thoroughly reviewed all application materials and questions remain, then ask. A well-thought-out question can demonstrate your attention to detail.

Self-sufficiency also applies to filling out applications and submitting materials. Allegis’s Resources Director suggests, “Just as when you are transcribing, use the internet and other resources during the application process to make sure every detail is in place, such as commas and proper name spelling.”

The takeaway here is to demonstrate careful attention to detail and operate independently. Show us you have these skills and you’ll have our attention.

 

Save Your Application Data

This is more of a housekeeping item, but get to know the applicant tracking system you’ll be using to submit your transcription job application.

Some systems automatically save your data as you fill out your information, others allow you to manually save each page, and still others require you to complete the entire application (usually within a set time period) before saving. It’s not rocket science, but again, take the time to familiarize yourself with the system you’ll be using.

Luckily we have a relatively user-friendly system in place. I’ve had to deal with some nightmare online job application systems that had me tearing my hair out after I lost an hour’s worth of effort. I’ve learned that when in doubt, hit “save.”

Also, another tip here, careful with the “submit” button. Make sure you don’t accidentally submit an application. Every application system has a different design, and I’ve come close to accidentally submitting an incomplete application (and I know several people who’ve made this embarrassing mistake).

 

Understand Any Financial Investments You’ll Need to Make

As a freelance transcriptionist, you might have to make financial investments beyond a foot pedal, headphones, and computer.

For instance, you’ll want to ask about any software licensing costs. Transcription management systems can be expensive and often licensed on a per user basis. It depends on the company, but you’ll find some that cover the licensing costs, others that have you pay the licensing fees, and still others require you stay with them for a set period before covering the licensing cost.

Also, it’s quite common for a contractor to require you to cover the cost of a background check. Companies requiring this typically have large clients (insurers for example) who insist on the checks.

 

Be Positive

When completing that online transcription job application, answer questions in a positive, upbeat manner. Certain words convey negativity, which is exactly the opposite of what you want your prospective employer to feel.

For example, if asked what you like least about work, don’t use words like “hate,” “couldn’t stand,” or “despised” even if that is how you truly felt. Keep those thoughts to yourself. Start your answer by mirroring what the question asks, such as “What is your greatest flaw …” and keep the language as positive as possible.

Positive people perform better in life and they’re more enjoyable to be around. Reflect a positive outlook on life in your resume. Get negative, and risk having your application quickly placed to the side.

Need to work on your outlook? Check out The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. I love this book and it’s left a lasting impact on my life. Happiness is crucial to your success in every area of life. Attitude matters to prospective employers and your attitude carries through in how you fill out your application, in your resume, and in your emails with potential employers.

 

Match and Proofread Your Application and Resume

Make sure the information on your freelance transcription job application and resume match. Again, this might be basic to some, but I think it’s worth including as a reminder.

For instance, don’t introduce confusion into the process by submitting dates, names, titles, employers, or skills that vary from your resume and application. For example, if you say you worked at Happy Tx Inc. from 2011-2013, your application better not say 2010-2013. Do some cross-checking as you go.

This should also be a no-brainer, but it’s easy to forget to proofread before submitting your information. I know I’ve forgotten previously. Just as you should proofread your resume to eliminate spelling, grammar, and information errors, you should also proofread your application before submitting it. After you’ve entered all the information and followed all directions, go back to the beginning of your application and read through it, reviewing it for accuracy and clear content before submitting it.

 

You Can Land Your Perfect Freelance Transcription Job!

If you’ve made it this far, you likely care about setting yourself for a successful career in transcription and scoring your next work-from-home, online transcription job!

Part of having a successful career is being prepared to transition smoothly when taking on new contracts with new vendors, as necessary. Have your resume ready, a lively online presence, and your skills tuned up. Jobs are out there, especially for motivated individuals like yourself.

So get out there and use the internet to engage with potential employers and evaluate where you fit best. Good luck!

 

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Psst! We’re hiring. If you’re an awesome transcriptionist looking for something new, click below to see our open positions.

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Allegis Medical Transcriptions

/4 Comments/in , /by Tyler Marshall


At what rates are legal, general and medical transcription changing?

Discover your safest option with career-growth potential

If you are an experienced transcriptionist, you may wonder what the future holds for your occupation. After all, new speech recognition technology is changing the industry.

In fact, “the speech recognition market is expected to grow from USD 3.73 billion in 2015 to reach USD 9.97 billion by 2022,” per the recent, Speech & Voice Recognition Market by Technology, Application, Vertical and Geography – Global Forecast to 2022.

The report also states that, “the growing adoption of automated and smart applications in consumer and healthcare industries is the major contributor for the growth of the speech recognition market.”

With this in mind, how will this technology affect your career as a transcriptionist?

Well, we took a look at the status of the medical, legal and general transcription genres, and here’s what we discovered…

Medical Transcription

With a big transition to computerized medical records (based on the 2009 request by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department), speech recognition software makes it easier for medical professionals to dictate information and create electronic records.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting a 3% decline in the job outlook from 2014-2024. So, not terrible, but they are predicting a sligh decline.

The data also states that, “the growing volume of healthcare services is expected to continue to increase demand for transcription services. However, employment is projected to decline because of increased productivity stemming from technological advances and outsourcing.”

But even though the use of speech recognition technology is growing, it has its drawbacks.

Specifically, it takes time to learn how to use the technology, and the software often makes mistakes due to background noise, heavy accents, system flaws, user-error, and more. Going unchecked, these mistakes have even been attributed to medical malpractice lawsuits per various, news stories and reports.

Because of this, doctors not only have to spend time dictating, but they also need to proofread and edit results to create an error-free document that can be filed as an electronic medical record. This means that human intervention is still a necessity to ensure that final documentation is accurate.

In fact, ExploreHealthCareers.org indicates that speech recognition technology today is primarily in use at health care facilities as, “a productivity enhancement tool for transcriptionists, medical transcription services and health care facilities.” And, “most industry experts agree integrating the technology with an informed knowledge worker will continue to be the best documentation solution for health care.”

With this data in mind, medical transcriptionists are still needed to review documentation for accuracy, but technology is already playing a major role in driving the slight decline we see in medical transcription employment.

 

Legal Transcription

Like the medical profession, use of speech recognition technology is increasing in the legal industry too.

“Embracing voice technology in the legal industry is slowly becoming a trend,” per a recent article in Law Technology Today. “Implementing technological innovation as a means of creating more efficiency continues to be a top trend for law firms.”

And according to the Altman Weil Flash Survey, 2014 Law Firms in Transition, “32% of respondents chose technology innovation as the force most likely to lead change.”As the number of lawsuits and lawyers increases in the U.S., there will be a greater need for legal transcription.

As the number of lawsuits and lawyers increases in the U.S., there will be a greater need for legal transcription.

The question is, how much of the latest technology will be used over human beings?

Yes, the booming technology trend in the legal industry is starting to change the world of legal transcription. However, it will take many years for the technology to be 100% accurate and completely replace human interaction.

You may want to look into legal transcription if you have an interest in preparing legal documents related to motions, testimony, court proceedings, and more. And unlike medical transcription, you don’t need a formal certification to become a legal transcriptionist. However, you will need transcription skills and experience along with knowledge of legal terminology. Some form of previous legal experience is also very helpful.

Now, if you have no interest in working in the legal industry, and want to look at a more in-demand genre of transcription, you may want to check out…

 

General Transcription

As a general transcriptionist, there is no limit to the type of jobs available, as this genre is not restricted to a particular business or industry. You can transcribe interviews, meeting notes, insurance claims, and other projects varying in length and detail. Many general transcription companies are actually seeing work volumes increase.

At Allegis, for example, speech recognition hasn’t had much of an impact because the majority of the transcription the company performs involves multiple speakers. The company still experiences seasonal fluctuations in work volume, but the general trend is very positive.

To be successful, it’s essential to put in the time to learn how to do transcription well. In addition to developing your typing skills with practice and the proper form, you’ll also need to have top proficiency in English grammar and spelling.

Once you hone your skills and gain experience, your chances of getting in with a solid and respected general transcription company increase. Top companies are more likely to pay you well for your efforts. Plus, you can even find companies that let you choose assignments.

 

What Does The Future of Transcription Hold for You?

As speech recognition technology continues to improve and increase in popularity, it will change the transcription industry. Yes, there are medical and legal transcription jobs available, but the employment outlook in these industries is in modest decline due to technological advancements.

In contrast, general transcription offers a positive alternative since it is not limited to a specific industry. With the right skills and experience, you can work for a top transcription company that has an increasing demand for general transcribing jobs in numerous industries worldwide. This can mean more opportunity, enjoyment and job security for you now and in the future.

 

What type of transcription is right for you?

If you’d like to learn more about the transcribing jobs we have to offer, please click here!

Allegis Transcription Jobs

/9 Comments/in , /by Tyler Marshall


How To Find The Best Online Transcription Job

If you want to work from home and take advantage of online transcription jobs that are available, you’re not alone. In fact, 2016 data from GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com indicates that, “3.7 million employees (2.8% of the workforce) now work from home at least half the time.” And, GlassDoor indicates that transcriptionists make an “average salary of $30,940” per year, depending on their hours, clients, type of work, skills, and more.

You already have great typing skills and experience, but how can you have an edge over all the competition? Well, we have some tips for you.

 

3 Steps to Find the Best Online Transcription Jobs and Work from Home

  1. Talk to Your Peers.

If you really want to find high-quality work as a transcriptionist, talk to others who are doing what you want to do. Go on any of the numerous online transcription forums like Transcription Haven or Transcription Essentials and start communicating with other transcriptionists.

Look at reviews, feedback, and comments regarding various companies. Ask questions about testing procedures, on-time payments, things to look out for, benefits, and more. Then create a shortlist of companies you’d like to take a closer look at.

  1. Research Transcription Companies.

Once you know which companies you’d like to pursue, start conducting more in-depth research. Look at Better Business Bureau reports to see if complaints have been filed against the company. Read through any employee reviews you can find; sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn are great places to start. And search for news articles on the vendors under consideration (Google News is great). What you’re trying to do at this point is uncover red flags.

And keep in mind that money isn’t everything. As a work-from-home transcriptionist you might not see your employer or coworkers in person, but you still want be a part of a company you can trust and that aligns with your values. It’s important to know you’ll be paid as promised and you’ll be treated with the respect you deserve as a transcription professional.

  1. Put Your New Knowledge to Work.

Now that you have a good understanding of the companies you’d like to apply to (and have a clear understanding of their requirements and needs), it’s time to fill out applications and go through the necessary tests. These tests often include grammar assessments and transcribing a sample audio file.

The next step is often a phone interview, so it’s never a bad idea to go through a mock interview. Have a family member or friend pretend to interview you. You can find many great resources online with common interview questions. Having someone else there to critique and coach you is invaluable, as others can often spot areas for improvement that you might miss practicing on your own.

And if you don’t get accepted the first time around, don’t give up. Companies with high standards often accept less than 10% of the total applicants, so being turned down doesn’t mean you’re a failure.

 

Finding a Great Online Transcription Job Isn’t Easy, But It’s Worth It

Being a transcriber who works out of the home has many benefits and can give you the income and freedom you want. But, you need to be willing to put in the time and effort to get there.

To gain a competitive edge, take the time to conduct research and find out as much as you can about a business from other transcriptionists and by digging up information online. Then use this data to cater your application to each, particular company. And if you need to work on any of your transcription skills, don’t forget to do so (e.g. You’re used to transcribing dictated files but are applying for a position with lots of multi-speaker files). This way you can make a good first-impression.

And while it may be a challenge to pass the tests at the best transcription companies, don’t get discouraged. Learn from your mistakes, practice and keep trying. It will be well worth the effort when you finally get that acceptance letter!

 

What steps will you take today to find the best online transcription job for yourself?

To learn how to earn around $13.00 to $17.00 per hour from Allegis for quality work, click here for more information about our hiring process and to review open positions.

Allegis Legal Transcription Services

/1 Comment/in /by Allegis


The Role of a Legal Transcriptionist in the Court System

1) Clarity

Witnesses who backtrack in an interview, deposition or even on the stand can be effectively contradicted, thanks to the use of legal transcripts based on audio recordings. The entire premise of “I didn’t say that…” in a courtroom becomes a moot point because the judge can rely on a fuller, clearer record of the audio playback. While some court reporters may have captured the goings-on in a courtroom through their records, there is always a chance that they may have heard incorrectly. Transcripts based on audio recordings effectively eliminate the question of validity entirely.

For their part, legal transcriptionists using digital audio recordings can go back, review the incident as many times as needed and capture all of the spoken words, isolating different players in a deposition or courtroom and assigning them a role in the transcribed document with clarity.

2) Transparency

There are several cases where transcripts based on audio recordings have helped further the aims of transparency that court reporting, in general, is supposed to provide to a citizenry.

In other words, it keeps things honest. Governing bodies can also use the transcripts of recordings to verify judges’ behavior, using them wherever there is a question of a judge’s integrity, or a chance for corruption and misconduct.

Accountability is a direct consequence of increased transparency. With clear digital recordings and accurate transcripts, trial participants can expect access to these recordings with increased speed. This makes transcripts from digitally recorded proceedings a highly useful tool for verification.

3) Improving access to justice

Appellate courts obviously stand the most to gain from clear, transparent and accessible transcripts. When a case is appealed, a defendant needs to have access to an official record of the court proceedings relating to their trial.

This goes double if the trial is lengthy and unfolds over a period of years. Procuring court reporters’ official written transcripts is both a time-consuming and expensive process, slowing both the defendant’s search for justice as well as the judicial process as a whole.

Digital recordings and transcripts offer courts the ability to export digital media files and documents that are ready for review faster, with greater accuracy. This fast procurement allows other tangentially-related players — such as media reporters covering a case for citizen knowledge — a well-expedited process.

Courts are always in control of their files and transcripts but accessing these files — for journalists and laypeople — can be a streamlined process.

4) A fuller picture for juries

In State v. Olkon, a Minnesota case that involved Ellis Olkon and two counts of conspiracy to commit theft, the jury had to follow a cautionary instruction on the use of transcripts of audio recordings.

Essentially, if juries wish to listen to audio recordings during deliberations, they have to be returned to the courtroom and furnished with the transcript of the recording so they can consult this transcript while audio playback is occurring (Minn. Crim. R. Pro. 26.03, subd. 20(2) (b)).

Allegis’s QA Manager Discusses What It Takes to Succeed as a Transcriptionist

/3 Comments/in , /by Tyler Marshall

Recently, we sat down with Michael Yolen, our very own QA Manager, and discussed everything that has to do with transcription.

Michael started his career as a medical transcriptionist. Since he wanted to travel, the idea of a totally portable career seemed like an excellent choice to him. He then moved on to being a proofer (editor) doing pre-delivery Quality Assurance (QA), and finally, into Quality Assurance and coaching. Coaching fit well with his background in teaching and his commitment to helping others.

Currently, in his role at Allegis, he oversees our Quality Development Program. His position involves managing our Quality Development coaches and QA Specialists. Essentially, he oversees the progress of all our incoming transcriptionists as well as the overall quality of transcription at Allegis.

In the following interview, Michael looks back on his 16 years in the industry and shares what makes a great transcriptionist, how to acquire crucial skills, the areas in which transcriptionists often struggle, and what to expect when getting started as an Independent Contractor (IC) at Allegis.

Q: In your opinion, what makes a great transcriptionist in terms of traits, attitudes, and aptitudes?

That’s an interesting question, and it’s something that I spend a lot of time thinking about. It would be great if we could actually pinpoint an exact set of requirements that guarantees someone will do well. You get people applying who have all different kinds of backgrounds. On paper, when I just look at a resume, for example, I might think this person would be perfect, and then they really struggle. Or somebody else may have no experience whatsoever, and they’re fantastic. Transcription is really difficult. It’s not unskilled; being a fast, accurate typist is a necessary skill, but it’s not sufficient—by itself, it’s not going to mean someone will make a good transcriptionist at all.

As a transcriptionist, you also need to have a good ear. It helps if you’re familiar with different accents, both foreign and from other regions of the country. You need to be a critical thinker. You need to understand when something actually makes sense in context. You can’t just keep typing. Some people are good typists, but they’ll just keep typing no matter what they’re hearing, and they don’t stop and ask, “Whoa, does this make any sense? They couldn’t have possibly said this.”

You also need good grammar and research skills, and you need to be comfortable using resources, have computer skills, know how to get around in Word, how to use auto-correct or text expanders, or at least be willing to learn these things. You must enjoy learning. You need good time management and organizational skills. You need a good, quiet place to work!

I would say on top of all of this, which is your base of the pyramid, the people who succeed are the ones who really want to do it. They’re not people who just need it to make an extra $100 a week. Those people, really, are not successful because it’s not a simple or easy job. There is a learning curve, and transcriptionists need to commit to it to do well.

Q: You’ve talked about several important skills that someone new to transcription should have. Is it possible to acquire those skills along the way, or do I just need to show up, day one, having all that knowledge?

It’s not so much knowledge as a skill set. You wouldn’t have to have any information about auto-corrects or text expanders, for example, because we could point you in the right direction there, and that’s just helping you with production. But the rest of it you kind of need right off the bat. Those are skills you could have acquired by just being the kind of person who likes to research things on his or her own time, such as reading news articles, books about history or grammar, or even mystery novels.

You may be one of those people who have these skills without ever having transcribed. You can be a total beginner and either have a good ear for accents or enjoy watching TV shows with people from other countries—anything like that would really be helpful. If you live in a little town somewhere, let’s say, in the middle of the country, and only see people and listen to people from that town, it’s going to be more difficult for you. I’ve actually seen that happen. You may not have ever heard anybody speak with a Pakistani accent, let’s say. You can learn it, but you’d have to want to put in that extra time, and it can become a stumbling block.

Q: In what areas do you see transcriptionists struggle?

The main struggle is getting new transcriptionists up to production speed. First, they want to make sure they have all of their skills down, they know how to do research, they know what their company’s formatting standards are, and then they have to try and get faster to make money. It seems that people who, when they are released from coaching, if they really concentrate right away and put the time in, their production goes right up. However, some people just fizzle out.

It may have to do with how many hours they commit to, but the people who are going to be successful seem to be the ones who manage to put the time in and get their production up fairly quickly. They want to make money, which means they need to get their production up, and then that will make them happy and successful. The longer it takes them, I think the more frustrated they become.

Q: For someone who’s going to do well, how quickly do you see them get up to production speed?

You can actually do it in a couple of weeks. I certainly think that as a personal goal, if you were starting this job, you would give yourself, say, two weeks to make your minimum pages. Otherwise, the longer you give yourself, the more frustrated you’re going to get. How much more than the minimum you do depends on how much money you want to make, so start by setting specific weekly goals for yourself right away.

Q: What can an Independent Contractor expect when going through Allegis’s Quality Development Program?

The coaching stage runs for about two weeks. We have a pretty flexible coaching program, but the beginners tend to take the whole two weeks. Everyone gets their own coach, who will meet with and encourage them, and the coach will also be the person who assesses their work through assigned files.

As an IC, you will meet at least twice with your coach, but probably more than that depending on what you need. There’s a lot of back-and-forth in terms of the coach talking to you and seeing that maybe you’re brand new to this kind of transcription, but you’ve done some other types of transcription. Maybe you’re more confident and can work more quickly, or maybe you’re less confident and need more coaching. It really depends on the person. We try to tailor it as much as possible to the individual. You certainly would have your coach available by phone or email. We use Zoom for video conferencing and for sharing screens to go over feedback together. After you pass a minimum number of files, you are released to work on our regular queue.

To recap, after two weeks you become a part of the regular workforce, and then, after two additional weeks—and this is true for both beginning and experienced transcriptionists—you would get a regular QA assessment just to touch base and see how you’re doing. Most people do fine on this, and then everyone gets a QA assessment every quarter.

Q: Any other tips you have for someone considering a career in transcription?

I can only think of two things. One is to really brush up on your MS Word skills. Make sure that you’re good at using that program. The other tip is to go online and work with practice audios. You have many great options available to you online. I think even Express Scribe has some on their site. Try it out and see if you like it. You can even listen to interviews on YouTube and try to transcribe those just to get a sense of what transcribing is like.

 

How Better Password Management Can Save You One Hour a Week

/1 Comment/in , /by Tyler Marshall

Save One Hour Every Week by Changing Your Approach to Password Management

We all know that password management is important, but what if investing an hour now in setting up a new password management system could save you nearly 50 hours every year? The very nature of online transcription requires using dozens of logins daily. Maintaining strong passwords takes time and effort. Add in trying to rely on memory or writing passwords down, and your system can quickly fall apart. Luckily, a better password solution exists in the form of password manager software programs. They’re simple, easy to use (really, I promise), and inexpensive (even free).

Another Tool in Your Toolbelt

You probably already use text expanders, auto-correct, and macro features to save time and speed up your turnaround time. In addition, as a work-from-home transcriptionist, you already get to skip the daily commute, which helps you save countless hours. Password managers are another simple, time-saving tool you can add to your arsenal while improving your digital security.

Your Digital Keys

Most people haven’t put much thought into why passwords are so important. It’s helpful to think of passwords as digital keys. We all use physical keys to lock the house, car, safe, shed, etc. Your digital keys are just as important. Passwords control access to every corner of your digital life, including the social, financial, and professional aspects. With the average person spending 11 hours on digital media daily, our digital lives are huge. Considering that passwords are such important safeguards, knowing that 90% of user-generated passwords are vulnerable to hacking is disturbing.

Online Transcriptionists & Client Information

Good password practices are especially important for online transcriptionists. Working in the digital world means accessing dozens of applications to complete work, each requiring a separate sign-in. Most of the transcripts and audio you work with contain private information (social security numbers, medical information, etc.) that’s important to protect. Just imagine how you’d feel notifying a client that you’ve been hacked and their information exposed. Security mishaps like this could severely harm your business/career. You can help fortify against such a mishap by maintaining strong passwords as the first line of defense in protecting sensitive information.

Strong Passwords are Tough to Maintain

Creating and remembering strong, unique passwords are real problems. Many Americans would rather scrub toilets (yes, Janrain actually conducted a study on this) than come up with a new, secure username and password. Creating a concoction of letters, numbers, and symbols is simply no fun and writing down passwords is a terrible, yet common practice. Even if you keep written passwords in a locked drawer, referencing them is a very manual strategy. So, what ends up happening? Most people who write down their passwords end up doing what’s simplest—they use the same or very similar passwords everywhere. Hackers absolutely love it when you aren’t creative with your passwords. Once they expose one password, gaining access to the rest of your digital life is quite simple.

So, what is an online transcriptionist to do when protecting client data is so important with so many passwords to remember?

Password Managers are a Great Solution

Simply put, password managers are applications that secure and organize all your passwords in one place. Most password managers also provide tools for automatically generating new, ultra-secure passwords that you could never remember otherwise. These applications live on your desktop and web browser, and they make logging into applications, such as e-mail, online transcription platforms, Facebook, and online banking, a one-click process. You can even have your passwords available and synced on your laptop, desktop, smartphone, and all your other devices.

As a quick sidenote, I also want to mention that the built-in browser password managers that come with Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox are inadequate. These built-in options often prompt you to save login information as you’re browsing.  While they may be more convenient, the general consensus is that they’re less secure.

Let’s take a look at three popular options that are either free or inexpensive. I’ve tested out all of them for you and can confidently say that, unlike the headaches that often come along with trying new software these options are easy to install, learn, and use. Any of these passwords managers are great options for anyone transcribing from home.

3 Password Managers to Consider

 

1Password

I am using this password manager currently and have done so for several years. I love 1Password. Seriously, I couldn’t live without it. Google Chrome is my primary web browser, and 1Password offers a handy Chrome extension, making logging in to online applications simple. If I need to sign up for a new account, for example, an e-mail account, I enter in a username, 1Password generates a secure password, I click “save,” and the password is saved for all future sign-ins. It’s very handy.

While 1Password works on all platforms (Windows, MAC, iOS, Android), it started on Macs, so some say it’s not as good on PCs. But I use 1Password on a PC and haven’t experienced any issues at all. 1Password provides browser extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Opera, BUT they don’t have one for Internet Explorer. It’s also worth noting that 1Password does not store data in the cloud, which can be an important factor for certain users. If you want to sync passwords across devices (I do this), you can easily do so by using a free Dropbox account.

Pros:
  • Supports apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android
  • Provides e-mail support
  • Has a password generator
  • Provides 1 GB storage for secure document storage
  • Has a 365-day item history (Restores deleted items and passwords)
  • Does NOT store data in the cloud (Pro or con; depends on needs)
  • Supports Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Opera
Cons:
  • Does NOT store data in the cloud (Pro or Con; depends on needs)
  • Offers no Internet Explorer support
  • Provides only a paid version

1Password costs $2.99 per month, billed annually for one person, and offers a 30-day free trial.

 

LastPass

LastPass is a very popular option and consistently receives top ratings. One of my favorite tech sites, Tom’s Guide, actually just awarded LastPass its Editor’s Choice award. LastPass takes a different approach to storing your passwords in that all your information is stored securely in the cloud; You don’t need to download a desktop application to manage your passwords. You can manage everything via their browser extension and online vault.

One especially impressive and unique feature is the ability to use LastPass to log in to one’s desktop (not just browser) applications. This feature SOUNDS impressive, but when I tried testing it out, I couldn’t get it to work. Perhaps you’ll have better luck.

I think that its impressive reviews and reputation, its appealing interface, and its broad support for a variety of devices and browsers make this password manager worth taking a close look.

Pros:
  • Enables access on all devices
  • Supports Chrome, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Internet Explorer
  • Has a password generator
  • Enables sharing of passwords and notes
  • Offers a free version
Cons:
  • Frustrates some users with occasionally “buggy” Chrome extension
  • Fails to deliver on LastPass for Applications (Desktop applications)

LastPass offers a free version and a premium version that runs $12/year (billed annually).

 

Dashlane

This password manager is also one of the very popular options out there, and I’ve tested it previously for my own personal use. One feature that sets Dashlane apart is its password reset feature. This allows you to reset all your passwords at once. This feature is incredibly handy if, say, you’ve experienced a data breach and need to re-secure all your online accounts.

From my personal experience and from what I’ve gathered via online reviews, most people find their desktop and mobile apps easy to use. However, some users find the web interface less than desirable, and this was my experience, as well. While browsing online, I felt like Dashlane’s large, clunky pop-ups kept appearing and prompting me to save login information. Other password managers, such as 1Password, have a much less intrusive interface. I didn’t dig into the settings to see if I could change this, but perhaps it could be tweaked. Despite the pop-ups, the software is still very usable and helps save considerable time.

Pros:
  • Supports Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, and Firefox
  • Resets all passwords instantly
  • Provides unlimited password storage
  • Has a password generator
  • Can be used on an unlimited number of devices (requires the premium version)
Cons:
  • Has somewhat clunky browser pop-ups
  • Could offer more secure default passwords

Dashlane offers a free version, and the premium edition will set you back by $40 per year.

More Transcribing, Less Hair Pulling

Learning new software takes work and is often frustrating, but password managers are as simple as software gets. Especially for online transcriptionists, your set up is worth the time you’ll ultimately save.

Transcribing from home means you need improved password management than if you were in a corporate office with an IT department that monitors security issues. Juggling logins for various transcription software platforms, training programs, payroll systems, and so on means having many more passwords than your average computer user. That’s in addition to all the websites and software that require logins, which you use on a personal basis.

All the password managers I recommend here offer either free or trial options, and I highly recommend that you give them a try. Note that neither the author nor Allegis Transcription receives compensation for mentioning these software products.

Let us know what you think, or if you have a better option, in the comments section.

Transcription Foot Pedal Roundup

/7 Comments/in , /by Tyler Marshall

Find the Best Transcription Foot Pedal for You

Why Foot Pedals Matter

For your average computer user, the idea of using a foot pedal as an input device might seem superfluous. After all, most of us already have a keyboard, mouse, trackpad, and maybe even a webcam. Is another input device necessary? For transcriptionists, a foot pedal is an essential tool. Using one means keeping your hands focused on fewer tasks and maintaining greater productivity.

In your transcribing job, transcription foot pedals are necessary to pause, rewind, and fast forward audio recordings. This means you can use keystrokes for standard typing and not have to worry about additional “hotkey” commands to control audio functions. Using fewer keystrokes also improves your turnaround time.

Foot Pedals and Transcription Software

We should probably point out that transcription foot pedals often come bundled with transcription software. This can be convenient and eliminate compatibility issues. But for the purposes of this roundup, we’ll only be reviewing pedals (hardware) and not software. This is for two reasons:

  • Many transcription firms (including Allegis) require their transcriptionists to transcribe using specific software programs, so considering bundled software is unnecessary. Note: Always check to make sure any foot pedal you’re considering purchasing is compatible with your specific transcription software.
  • A complete and helpful review of software is an entirely different topic that would require a separate blog post—which we may tackle at some point in the future.

Transcriptionists who don’t need to buy software will save money (and probably some confusion) by leaving software out of the equation, if possible.

Pro tip from Michael Yolen, our QA Manager: Be sure to plug your foot pedal in prior to opening your transcription software and beginning a transcribing job. For example, Audioworxs (used at Allegis) will sync most foot pedals if they are already plugged in. If that’s not the case, you must log out, plug in your foot pedal, then log back in. It’s a general issue many transcriptionists run into with many other transcription software packages as well.

Here we begin our review of stand-alone foot pedals. These are our picks for the best stand-alone hardware.

The Workhorses

Infinity USB Digital Foot Control (IN-USB2 by VEC Electronics): about $50

The Infinity USB pedal is a very popular option for transcriptionists and receives great reviews—it also happens to be a foot pedal we often recommend to our own transcriptionists here at Allegis. The Infinity pedal is compatible with many types of software, which is certainly nice should you need to transcribe using a different software program in the future. It offers a combination of value and sturdy construction for long-term use.

 

Infinity USB Digital Foot Pedal

  • Basic three-function USB foot pedal/switch
  • Designed for long-term durability under heavy use
  • Ergonomic design with sloped pedal for easy movement to fast forward and rewind keys

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philips USB Transcription Foot Control (LFH-23304-Pedal Design): about $75

A good alternative as a “workhorse” pick, the Phillips is a bit pricier than the Infinity pedal but has a four-pedal design for additional functionality. This transcription foot pedal boasts sturdy construction for durability and an anti-slip pad to keep the device in place.

 

  • Anti-slip pad keeps the device fixed to the floor
  • Configurable pedal functions for a personalized transcription style
  • Robust pedals and non-wearing magnetic contact switches

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Premium Choice

X-keys XK-3 Rear Hinged Foot Pedal: about $135

Need more flexibility? A rear-hinged pedal is ideal for continuous activation (like playback), but the X-keys model also comes in a front-hinged version that is ideal for momentary activation (almost like a mouse click). All three pedals are programmable for maximum flexibility and functionality, making it a great choice for almost any transcribing job. X-keys also provides downloadable functions on its website for additional functionality options.

 

  • Mouse alternative: Combats RSI issues
  • USB 2.0 interface with USB powering
  • Programming software and SDKs are available

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Wireless Option

v-Pedal vP-4 MKII Wireless Transcription Foot Pedal: about $130

If you already have too many wires under your desk or are tired of USB connections coming loose, this may be a good option for you. Wireless is more expensive, but many transcriptionists appreciate the convenience.

This pedal uses magnets instead of the typical mechanical switches, so there’s no noise when the buttons are pressed. A supplied USB dongle plugs into your computer and communicates with the pedal, which is powered by three AA batteries. The Bluetooth wireless transmitter has a range of up to three meters.

 

  • “Keyboard Mode”: Right/left click your mouse with your foot wirelessly
  • Bluetooth wireless transmitter, range up to three meters
  • USB dongle for receiving button presses from the foot pedal
  • Powered by three AA batteries (not supplied)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Transcription Foot Pedal Do You Use?

For most transcriptionists, foot pedals are an essential part of their transcribing job. As with any tool you’re using for long hours, finding a comfortable and quality fit is key to performing well. Greater comfort and ease of use means improving your transcription output—and that usually translates to a bump in your paycheck.

As always, we hope that this information has been valuable to you. Please leave us a comment to let us know if you currently use or have tried any of these recommendations. If we’ve overlooked any great options, please let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!

Keyboard Tray Roundup: Comfort and Speed at Affordable Prices

/3 Comments/in /by Tyler Marshall

Part of our “Geared Up for Transcription” Series

A transcriptionist knows that little things matter. The right tool can make all the difference. In a previous blog, we talked about keyboards and the importance of choosing the right one. So you might have the latest and greatest in ergonomic keyboards, but you may be surprised to learn that it’s only half the battle. Today, we are going to look underneath your keyboard and ask, what is your keyboard sitting on…and why does it matter?

For those who don’t do a high volume of typing, a keyboard tray (often a keyboard drawer) is a convenient way to hide their keyboard and buy back some precious desktop real estate. But as a transcriptionist, you probably work at home and spend many hours typing. Your keyboard platform is critical to your comfort and thus critical to your speed and efficiency.

 

Why does the keyboard tray matter? There are three main reasons.

1) Arm position: Are your arms too high or too low?

If your arms are too high, you are unconsciously contracting muscles to keep them elevated to the height of the keyboard. This puts you at greater risk for fatigue or repetitive motion injury. If your arms are too low, you may be in an uncomfortable position for typing, but this can also cause you to hunch over the keyboard, which can adversely affect your neck and back.

2) Distance from the keyboard: Are you reaching too far to type?

If your keyboard is too far away, you may be leaning forward to type, which will reduce the support for your lower back. If your keyboard is too close, you may be causing tension and risking fatigue by pulling back with your upper arms.

3) Mouse platform: Are you bending or reaching for your mouse?

If you are bending at the middle to reach for your mouse, or lifting/extending your arms repeatedly, you are, again, increasing the chance of fatigue and/or injury. Your mouse should be within easy reach without too much arm or body motion.

So, what is the ideal position for typing? 

According to Medicinenet.com, the ideal position to reduce risk of fatigue and repetitive motion ailments is as follows:

  • Upper arm position:  Your shoulders should be relaxed with your upper arms at rest and perpendicular to the floor. This prevents fatigue by ensuring that you are the proper distance from your keyboard.
  • Forearm position:  Your forearms should be parallel to the floor. This will ensure that the height of the keyboard is correct.
  • Wrist position:  You should not be bending your wrists more than a few degrees. This will indicate the proper angle for your keyboard.

In addition to the above, your mouse platform should be within easy reach, ideally in the same plane as your keyboard, and not too far to the left or right. Keep in mind that these are guidelines and everyone is different, so you need to position your keyboard in a way that is comfortable for you. But in any case, position matters!

 

How do you get a perfect position?

The answer to all of the above is to have a keyboard that can be easily repositioned, and that usually requires a tray that you can adjust and reposition freely.

Here are five trays that have the proper features to make them adjustable to a good typing position for transcription. To make our recommendations, we looked for a good combination of features and value for home office use.

 

keyboardtray_cotytech21. Cotytech Fully Adjustable Ergonomic Keyboard Mouse Tray: About $98

The Cotytech offers a good blend of reasonable price and solid features, including a height adjustment range among the highest in the category. That makes it a good bet for value-minded transcriptionists.

Key features:

• 5.9 inches of height adjustment
• Left/right-hand mouse tray
• Wrist rest

 

 

keyboardtray_uncagedergonomics22. Uncaged Ergonomics Ergonomic Under Desk Keyboard Tray: About $80

This Uncaged Ergonomics Keyboard is a good value and is feature rich, including an independently adjustable mouse pad that connects to the right or left side of the keyboard.

Features:

• 4.5 inches of inches of height adjustment
• Adjustable keyboard angle that includes negative tilt
• Swiveling tray
• Left/right-hand mouse tray with independent adjustment

 

 

 

keyboardtray_3mdrawer

3. 3M Adjustable Desktop Keyboard Drawer: About $160

This 3M keyboard tray sits on top of your desk, so there is no installation needed. It’s a novel approach, which is good if you don’t want to drill holes in the bottom of your desk…but a bit on the pricey side.

Features:

• No mounting – place right on your desk
• 3.25 inches of height adjustment below desk (unit sits on top of your desk)
• Includes lifetime warranty

 

 

keyboardtray_fellowes

4. Fellowes Adjustable Keyboard Tray: About $60

The Fellowes Adjustable Tray is the value purchase in our lineup. It is height and tilt adjustable via a single knob with rotating tray, and a gel wrist rest.

Features:

• Gel-filled wrist rest
• Swiveling tray
• Left/right-hand mouse tray

 

 

 

keyboardtray_mountit

5. Mount-It! MI-7134 Underdesk Keyboard Drawer with Adjustable Platform: About $147

The MountIt! tray has the highest amount of height and tilt adjustment in the group, so it is the most flexible. It includes a gel wrist pad, swiveling tray, and mouse surface.

Features:

• 5.9 inches of height adjustment
• Keyboard tilt from +25 to -40 degrees
• Swiveling, left/right-hand mouse tray
• Wrist rest

 

Do you have a keyboard/tray set up at your home office that you like? Let us know!