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If you have good listening skills and have an excellent typing ability, then perhaps transcription is the best suited job for you.
A transcriptionist is a person who transcribes recorded dictation into professional documents for business, media, legal, and medical purposes. Medical transcription is the most in-demand form of this job.
Duties
The duties of a transcriptionist typically involves transcribing of dictation from various types of reports; reviewing and editing transcribed reports; recognizing inconsistencies and mistakes; translating medical and legal jargon (for medical and legal transcription); and encoding and retrieving of data. It is not surprising that most clients prefer transcriptionists with at least two years of experience because they are expected to produce accurate data and meet deadlines.
Requirements
Professionals with a bachelor’s degree who possess the necessary skills are the most in-demand in the industry. The transcriptionist is expected to possess skills in active listening, reading comprehension, time management, writing, active learning, oral comprehension, oral expression, grammar and language.
They should have a general knowledge on the terminology, jargon, and abbreviation in their respective fields. Without having enough knowledge on these things might lead to miscommunication. For instance if a medical transcriptionist is not able to transcribe the data accurately, it might lead to the wrong treatment of a patient.
Tools and Equipment
The basic tools checklist of a transcriptionist includes a working computer system with a fast Internet connection, a transcription system, headset and a foot pedal to listen and control the audio recorded material. There are other equipment that might be necessary in conduct of this job, especially for freelance transcriptionists.
Income
The net earning of a transcriptionist is dependent on several factors. There are those that charge on a per-line and per-word basis while others charge hourly.
Employers
Hospitals and law firms are the most common employers of transcriptionists. Most medical professionals require a transcriptionist to create notes, document care and treatment not only for a patient’s record but also for insurance billing purposes. Law firms employ transcriptionists to document meetings and legal proceedings.
Transcription jobs play important roles in major industries today like the health care industry. It is also a growing industry similar with outsourcing. Jumping in the bandwagon would be a brilliant idea especially in this tight economy.
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