Becoming a certified court reporter is a lucrative career and the need for qualified reporters is growing rapidly. A substantial percentage of today's reporters are independent contractors who work for court reporting agencies out of their homes. Although this is a popular choice for home-based workers, it requires you to plan ahead.
Stenographers, Transcriptionists and Court Reporters
These three professions seem similar on the surface. They all transcribe the spoken word into written documents. However there are significant differences among them.
Stenographers take dictation using shorthand or stenotype machines. They type their notes into a steno machine, which is connected to a computer, which translates the steno into words to create a document. These documents are court proceedings or depositions but may also include meeting minutes or other records.
Transcriptionists listen to recordings and transcribe them into reports. They use equipment that allows them to stop, start, and rewind the recording so are not necessarily transcribing in real time. Most are medical or legal transcriptionists and have a strong understanding of medical and legal terminology.
Court reporters document official proceedings including trials, depositions, and corporate meetings. They can take notes in real time as stenographers and transcribe their notes later but some work from recordings. Other court reporters use voice recognition software. In addition to working for the court system, they may work for lawyers, corporations, television stations, or other employers.
Court reporting is more than just dictation. Reporters are official witnesses that produce an unbiased document of a proceeding. A document prepared by a certified court reporter carries more weight than the same document prepared by a paralegal or a transcriptionist, unless the transcriptionist is being supervised by a court reporter or stenographer and certifies the transcript for them.
Education Requirements and Job Prospects for Court Reporters
The court reporting profession is a demanding one that requires a substantial amount of professional preparation. To get into this profession will require at least a 2-year degree and preferably a 4-year degree.
Job prospects are sky-high as demand outstrips supply. The California State Labor Market Information Division reported that the number of attorneys grew by 33% between 1993 and 2005 while the number of court reporters fell by 3%. Salaries are substantial and court reporters are in demand everywhere in the US.
Work at Home Opportunities
Many court reporters are independent contractors who work out of their home either independently or through a court reporting agency. Wireless and Internet technologies have made it easy to do these jobs remotely, even if they must "attend" the event they are documenting.
However it is nearly impossible for an inexperienced court reporter to work as an independent consultant. Reporters are expected to work at least two years in a supervised office position before they have a realistic chance to work out of their homes.
If you can invest the time for the education and experience, you can look forward to a rewarding and flexible home-based career.
1. First of all it's easy to get distracted. Because you work at home you will find that many of your well-meaning friends and relatives think you really are not working.
Therefore, they can stop by, or call you and ask you to do things pretty much 24 hours a day. They wouldn't do this if you had an eight to five job yet they feel it is o.k. because you are working from home. They can contact you whenever they feel like.
There are other types of distractions as well. Some of these can be brought on by yourself. Things such as errands to run, TV shows to watch, neighbors to visit, and so on can become distractions. You really have to be able to control your schedule when you work from home.
2. Another problem is you no longer have a steady paycheck. When you work for an employer you are trading your time for their money. When you work for yourself you are trading your time for the potential of earning money.
Some people have a hard time dealing with this because they never know exactly what they're going to make. Unless you're financially secure, sitting on a stable bank account, this can create added stress that you may or may not able to handle.
3. Benefits such as vacation days, sick days, retirement fund, etc. are not guaranteed if you are working for yourself. If you are the type of person who valued the benefits that your job provided then you need to set up a way to reward yourself accordingly.
These are 3 problems you will have while working from home. The flip side of this is you are in control and can have a huge impact on your own personal success.
When you are setting your office hours people will respect that. Not only that but you'll get more done because you know exactly when you're working.
Obviously the more you work the more your income will increase, so you can pay yourself a weekly paycheck and bank the rest for the future. It will be easy for you to have vacation days and sick days when you are the boss.
Most people find that the problems they have when they work from home nowhere near compare with the many rewards. Hopefully you will fall in that category.
Both Christine Harrell & are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.