Freelance transcription is becoming increasingly popular with the mass digitalization of businesses all over the world. Who wouldn’t want a job where one can work from the comfort of their homes effectively and make decent money?

With the temporary imprisonment on human beings within their homes and the current unpredictable situation of the world thanks to the Pandemic-that-won’t-leave-us-in-peace. Many people are opting to work remotely than put themselves at the risk of catching the cursed “flu”.

So if you are looking for such a job that will benefit you, gain you good money, and also can be performed at home, then you must choose to join an industry that isn’t stagnant but rapidly growing. And what other better industry can it be if not transcription?

Transcription is becoming an immense need of industries ranging from legal and medical industries to automobiles. Everyone wants their files transcribed whether it’s in the form of audio files or video files of meetings, interviews, court hearings, customer-to-rep conversations, or simple phone call recordings of business transactions.

So if you want to be better at freelance transcription, then read on as in this blog we will be letting you in on all the good tips about being a good transcriptionist.

1. Typing speed is vital.

One thing you should be aware of before you start working as a transcriptionist is the importance of time. You must satisfy your clients and return the complete transcript within a specific time frame directed by your client If you fail to do so, you will be dealing with quite angry customers.

So having a fast typing speed is vital for a transcriptionist. One way you can improve it drastically is through practice. You can also take a typing course and give a typing test online to see your improvement.

One more thing you should remember when it comes to giving fast service is that transcriptionists that provide transcripts with fast turnaround times are paid much better than transcriptionists that don’t provide rush transcripts.

2. Choose a Niche.

Transcription has many types, and each type of transcription service cost differs from the other. If you want to work as a transcriptionist then you must choose a specific niche and learn how that specific type of transcription is done.

For example; for medical and legal transcription, you must be trained formerly about the subjects so that you are well-versed about the diction. For academic and business transcription, not as much.

3. Be Well-Equipped.

You need to be well-equipped with all the necessary programs required for transcription. As you can’t do transcription over the phone, you must have a functioning computer with Microsoft Word installed in it. You also need a functional media player to play the audio files that need to be transcribed. You should consider Windows Media Player, VLC player or, the DSS player for this sake.

4. Learn how to run the Programs.

You may have all those things we mentioned above with you but you still can’t be a good transcriptionist, unless you don’t become proficient in running these programs. Microsoft Word although isn’t very hard to run, needs some lessons for you to understand the different formatting styles and keywords shortcuts.

Take some time to learn the basics about these programs so they can help you achieve higher in the long run.

5. Set a Payment Method.

Once you have all the above-mentioned factors covered, it is now time to set up a payment method for you to get paid by your client. We suggest you choose Paypal as your payment method solely because it is accessible by most people. But if you don’t have access to PayPal then you may make an account of Payoneer or just use your standard bank account to get payments from your clients.

6. Create a Resume.

Make a clean resume highlighting your skillset when you are first starting out. As your experience increases, you can keep adding to your resume to make it better and better. You will need a resume in case you decide to branch out and work for transcription companies outside of freelancing.

7. Join Freelance Websites.

Join as many freelance websites as you can. We suggest sites like Freelancer and Upwork that can help you boost your work. If you are just starting out and need to grow your experience then you should also consider starting freelancing through Facebook.

You can join as many freelancing groups as you want on Facebook and once someone posts about needing transcription services, you can send them your cover letter to get the job.