What is Transcription?
Transcription is a highly specialised field. It involves the conversion of an audio file into a written document. Transcriptionists work across many different industries, therefore, the type of skills and background required will vary between different companies.
The role of a transcriptionist is to:
- Listen to the recorded dictation.
- Transcribe and convert the dictation into the appropriate format.
- Identify errors and missing information.
- Submit the document for approval.
We have prepared a list of some of the different categories below, to help you pursue a career in transcription.
Legal Transcription
Legal transcription is a very popular field to work in. Most legal transcriptionists work for law firms and courts, however, they also have the flexibility to work from home. There are some legal transcriptionists who may work as legal secretaries, legal assistants, or clerks in law offices. Their role is to listen to the audio of legal professionals and then transcribe them into legal documents. They are also responsible for editing their document, to make sure it is free of any errors.
Legal transcription is a growing industry, therefore, it has expanded to transcribe court hearings, statements, general correspondence and articles for legal journals. Knowledge of the legal system and legal terminology is usually a requirement, however, it will depend on the employer if a formal qualification is required.
Corporate Transcription
Corporate transcription involves transcribing minutes of meetings or conferences into a written document or report, such as industry reports, earning reports, annual meetings, and press conferences.
Usually, corporate transcriptionists work as independent contractors, which means they can work for multiple companies. They may also specialise in a particular industry. However, sometimes employees such as office managers, admin assistants, or secretaries perform corporate transcription as part of their role. Employers may require you to have knowledge of the terminology of their particular industry, as well as the experience of working in a corporate environment.
Academic Transcription
Academic transcription can assist students and teachers convert student resources into a written format. As a student, there are a number of things to learn, analyse, and retain on a daily basis for assignments, group projects, and exams. Therefore, the use of academic transcription makes it easier to grasp every detail. The type of academic files that are transcribed may include thesis notes, lectures, speeches, seminars and research.
General Transcription
A general transcriptionist is responsible for listening to audio files from a wide-range of areas and converting them into the appropriate text format. General transcriptionists are also responsible for editing their documents, therefore, they must have a comprehensive understanding of the English language, as well as strong writing and communication skills.
Due to the varied work provided, a career in general transcription usually does not require you to have a background in a specific field. Some of the different audios to transcribe may include webinars, telephone conversations, classes and videos.
Translation Transcription
Translation transcription involves listening to an audio in one language and converting it into a written document, in another language. Therefore, it would be a requirement to speak two or more languages. Usually, translation transcriptionists work from home as independent contractors, which allows them to work for different companies. Some of the different audios to transcribe may include conferences, interviews, and presentations.
Medical Transcription
Healthcare is now Australia’s largest industry by employment. As healthcare is a basic need, the work of a medical transcriptionist tends to be fairly constant and consistent.
Medical transcriptionists play a key role in providing accurate medical records. Their role is to listen to audio files from doctors and convert them into written documents. Once the audio file is in written format, it becomes part of the patient’s medical record.
Medical transcriptionists are usually independent contractors. This means they get to work from the comfort of their own home and choose their own work hours. However, there are some medical transcriptionists who work at hospitals, medical centres, or at a doctor’s office.
How do I get started?
For more information, check out our Ultimate Guide to a career in Medical Transcription, or you can register for a free consultation with one of our Course Advisers below!
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