It's been a while since I have made a post on this blog, and the reason being is that I am just so busy, I really didn't even have the time to sit down and think about what I could write about in a blog post. I know, poor excuse, but it is what it is.
It's very difficult to try to get everything done when you are trying to work 12-14 hours on most days. That leaves everything else by the wayside but like Super Woman, I am getting it done.
Most days, I'm so tired just getting out of bed that a full workday seems impossible, but I forge ahead and get it done.
Today I'm going to be talking about text expanders. They are an invaluable tool in the transcription industry. I couldn't work without one. It is great for those often used phrases and words that you are always typing. Even though you can use Word's built-in autocorrect feature, that has been known to crash and I've had personal experience with that and have lost everything I had saved. So I now use an external text expander, which is a free program. It is called Speed Typing and it is made by Two Pilots. I have included the link for anyone interested in trying it. It really is easy to use and worth its weight in gold to save you time and make you more productive in transcription.
Here is the link: http://www.colorpilot.com/speed-typing.html?st1
Give it a go, it's worth a try to see how you like it. If you try it, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Have a good and productive day all, and I will be back soon with another post, I promise. I won't stay away as long until next time....:)
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Monday, October 6, 2014
Transcription Software
With so many choices out there for transcription software, it's hard to know what to use to get the best results. I think it's a matter of personal choice. There are a lot of factors that go into not only what software you use, but what type of headset you use and other things as well. There are so many on the market. There is Express Scribe, which I really like and I have the paid version, Express Scribe Pro. There is FTW, FTR, Start-Stop, just to name a few, and I've found that which one to use is a question of what type of audio you will be transcribing or proofreading. I find that Express Scribe suits most of my needs, but that isn't always the case. I can use the Special Audio Processes in Express Scribe to alter the audio, but there is only so much that you can do with that.
It always amazes me how some people think that being a transcriptionist means being a magician. They can record the worst audio in the world, bad placement of the recording device, air conditioning running, machinery or equipment running and they are about 500 feet from the recording device. No, people, we are not magicians, nor should people think that we are. We work hard but there is a limit to what we can work with.
So, all in all, I think it's a matter of personal preference when it comes to transcription software. It's not a one size fits all type of thing.
Whenever I get audio that does not sound good in one transcription program, I try another. I fiddle with settings and go with the one that makes the audio sound the best.
In an ideal world, all audio would be great and we wouldn't have to worry about such things, but the sad truth is that it is not as all transcriptionists know.
I would love to hear what you use when transcribing and why you find one better over the other.
Judy
It always amazes me how some people think that being a transcriptionist means being a magician. They can record the worst audio in the world, bad placement of the recording device, air conditioning running, machinery or equipment running and they are about 500 feet from the recording device. No, people, we are not magicians, nor should people think that we are. We work hard but there is a limit to what we can work with.
So, all in all, I think it's a matter of personal preference when it comes to transcription software. It's not a one size fits all type of thing.
Whenever I get audio that does not sound good in one transcription program, I try another. I fiddle with settings and go with the one that makes the audio sound the best.
In an ideal world, all audio would be great and we wouldn't have to worry about such things, but the sad truth is that it is not as all transcriptionists know.
I would love to hear what you use when transcribing and why you find one better over the other.
Judy
Transcription Industry Woes
The transcription industry has changed drastically over the past 10
years. I started transcribing full time as an independent contractor
many, many years ago, too many to mention. I was a paralegal and working
in law firms previous to doing this and got an opportunity to do legal
transcription from home full time. I couldn't pass up the opportunity so
I made the plunge, all the while doing freelance work for attorneys in
my state. I made a very decent income at that time and continued to do
so for many years. However, in the past few years, the rates have not
gone up, but the cost of living continues to go up. In fact, it has been
my experience that the rates are going down. How are we supposed to
survive in this industry any longer unless we work 12 hours or more per
day, 7 days a week just to keep our heads above water. It's getting more
and more difficult and it is becoming a time where you must say to
yourself am I better off getting a job outside my home where I am
assured of a steady income? It has to be thought about. The
transcription industry professionals all know this to be true now,
whereas, this was not something we had to think about 10 years ago, or
even 5 years ago. I am not going to say that this is with everyone or
every company but it seems to be more prevalent now more than ever
before. There are still some companies and individuals who recognize the
value of a good transcriptionist and compensate accordingly, but for
the vast majority this is not the case. This has been proven true in the
MT industry, where the rates are continuing to decline instead of
increase with the cost of living.
I believe that the worst part of the whole thing is the people and companies who hire the transcriptionists. I believe that they really don't know the true value of having a good transcriptionist or editor and don't compensate accordingly, or can't compensate accordingly because of what they are actually getting paid, which unfortunately, is the way things are these days. They have to be competitive in the market, and with that being said, have to accept lower rates for work where they may have gotten more before. You have to take jobs that don't pay well in order to keep up an income. You used to be able to do work for one company or one client, now you have to juggle two, three and sometimes even four or more companies and individuals in order to assure yourself of a decent income. It is becoming harder and harder and a daily struggle to survive in this industry. There are challenges we never had to face before but are now faced with, other than the daily challenges of "wow, where did this person record, in a car with the window open going through a tunnel at 70 mph." It's more food for thought, that's for sure.
I believe that the worst part of the whole thing is the people and companies who hire the transcriptionists. I believe that they really don't know the true value of having a good transcriptionist or editor and don't compensate accordingly, or can't compensate accordingly because of what they are actually getting paid, which unfortunately, is the way things are these days. They have to be competitive in the market, and with that being said, have to accept lower rates for work where they may have gotten more before. You have to take jobs that don't pay well in order to keep up an income. You used to be able to do work for one company or one client, now you have to juggle two, three and sometimes even four or more companies and individuals in order to assure yourself of a decent income. It is becoming harder and harder and a daily struggle to survive in this industry. There are challenges we never had to face before but are now faced with, other than the daily challenges of "wow, where did this person record, in a car with the window open going through a tunnel at 70 mph." It's more food for thought, that's for sure.
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