Although not homophones, advice and advise are two words most transcribers consistently mix up.

The “c” in the final syllable of “advice” is like the “s” in “see”, “sip”, and “sat”. As for the verb “advise”, the “s” is pronounced like the “z” in “zip”, “zero”, and “zoo”. Remember, the word “advice” is an uncountable noun. There is no word “advices”.

Advice is noun. It is a proposal or recommendation.

Eg:

1. His advice is always sound and everyone should listen to him.
2. Always listen to the advice of the old.
3. I turned down the proposal on your advice.

Advise is verb.  It means ” to give advice” or the act of giving advice.

Eg:

1. I am advised to go the doctors for a check up.
2. Please advise me on this matter, I need your help.
3. Didn’t I advise you not to go there?

Related posts:

1. Transcribing Homonyms and Similar-sounding Words

If you are pondering these questions this post is for you, my friend.  This is quite a long post as I want you to come out of it with a true understanding of being a transcriptionist.  I want to provide as much value as possible in every post I publish. So buckle up and enjoy the read.

How I became a Transcriptionist

photo credit: nerdycreative

Back in 2005, I was reading commerce at Delhi University when my father met with an RTA (road traffic accident) and succumbed to his injuries. As he was the lone bread earner in the family, I had to step in his shoes and take care of the family.  Fortunately, shortly after that, a friend who was then working in a transcription company invited me to give an interview.

To cut the story short, I gave the interview and as of today, I have been working there for almost 5 years.

Just like that. I became a transcriptionist.

How I heart my work!

Until that time, I had no idea what transcription is!

I soon fell in love with transcription.  I found my mojo!

A few months down the road saw me moving up the corporate ladder! [Read here how I got promotion after promotion!]

There are a few things that helped me tremendously early in my work (and even now):

• English Grammar: I loved English classes, and the teachers too! Is it funny how English teachers always end up being our favourite teachers in high school?  The basic grammar I learnt in high school is all I needed to succeed in the transcription business. If asked, I’d say English is THE subject students should never neglect.  This forms the basis of your communication skills and maybe underestimated in some quarters.  I believe, in whatever industry you maybe, it is essential for actively managing your career and for your confidence – whether in interviews or in the workplace.
• Watching TV: Yes, at the risk of sounding rather juvenile let me say the hundreds of hours I’ve spent watching TV finally pays off!  And, mind you I was watching only English/American movies and programs.  I am comfortable with any accent.  I simply adore the UK English accent more.  Its classy and even sexy. The more movies and TV programs you watch the more you are exposed to different English accents.  Always watch the news on TV.  You get to see and learn history, places, people etc which are beyond your culture and society.
• Reading loads of novels and books: I’ve always loved reading.  In fact it’s an acquired habit.  I was 12/13 years of age when I decided to make reading a habit. I’d read all the books and magazines I can lay my hands on.  I’d frequently used up my library cards in school.   I joined the local District Library.  I was saving for book sales.  In the process I accumulated quite a library.  Reading books and magazines improved my vocabulary, to say the least. I became more aware of geography, culture, history and art.  All these really help in transcription.  Believe me.
• Everything I do or experience is a chance to learn: I am a student of the University of Life. I believe there is always a chance to learn something new in every situation or place. When my dad write articles I’d help him in typing.  In fact, I helped in proofreading his last book that was published posthumously.  I learnt a lot from these experiences.

So there you have it.  You don’t need a degree or do a course to become a transcriptionist.  That is not to say, degree is not important. In fact, I have now joined a correspondence BA English course.  It is not degrees that maketh a man, but how he utilizes his knowledge that is more important. Simply align what you are doing with what you want in your life.

See below, how what I’ve been learning all my life BEFORE I became a transcriptionist readies me for the job!

What you need to become a transcriptionist –

• Basic English grammar
• Good typing speed of 60 – 100 wpm (word per minute)
• Good comprehension of English language
• Awareness of different cultures, history, art, law and business.
• Proficiency in a word processor like Microsoft Word and/or any other alternative.

Why I Heart Transcription

Before working for the company where I still work, I’ve never heard the word transcription even.  Even after a couple of months I still don’t know if it pays enough to feed my family.  How wrong one could be!  I’d go as far as to say that not only does it feed my family, there is even a chance to make yourself a nice, comfortable living, too!  Lets see below a few of the benefits of working as a transcriptionist.

• Everyday is a learning experience: It is never monotonous and boring.  One file may be about family law or immigration matter.  The next you are listening about the current state of law. Depending on the clients, you may also be exposed to how a company is run to business ethics and practices.
• Upgrades your skills: Before I became a transcriptionist I knew how to use the MS Word, but it’s only after I became a transcriptionist that I learnt to use all the keyboard shortcuts, efficient Google search and research techniques, formatting text, text box, MS Word templates, etc.  I now often look at the documents I helped my father type and see how unprofessional they are!
• No pressure: Transcription job is a pressureless job.  Client usually give us ample time to complete the transcripts. Once you get used to a client and his/her diction and pronunciation, transcribing only gets easier.  With experience and increased efficiency, typing and proofreading documents is a breeze.
• Pay: I can’t say for other cities and countries, but in New Delhi a transcriptionist with zero experience can earn anything between Rs  8,000 to Rs 15,000.  Within 2/3 years an skilled transcriptionist should be making 2ok plus.
• Parttime/work at home : There is always an option to work parttime from home.  To supplement your regular income you can always find a subcontractor in your city who will provide you with transcription work at home.  I would not encourage you to depend on this for the long term, though.  The pay rate is not too great.
• Go freelance – you can always take it to the next level: Almost similar to the above, you may reach a stage where you believe you have all the skills required to take on clients yourself. That’s when you might want to go freelance.  This is an option well worth checking out.  Freelance transcriptionist acquire their own clients and deal with the client directly.  By cutting out the middleman (company or individual), there is limitless earning potential. Details on this will be in the future posts.
• Build your own transcription company: For the ambitious, this is the ultimate in the business.  It may require a bit of capital and ready contracts for this to work.  But if you have been freelancing and alreading having regular billing clients, this is something you should look into.  Because, an individual can do only so much.  In transcription business, more hands do matter!

Go out and get in!

To becoming a transcription simply work for a transcription company.  There are no strict requirements.  The question only then is where is a transcription company that employs freshers or gives training.

• Contact your friends and relatives and ask if they know of any company in the transcription industry.
• Read opportunities pages in newspapers.
• Join online job sites like Naukri.com
• Check out online jobboards.

Although it’s possible to be a transcriptionist without any experience in a transcription company, it’s advisable to work for one at least say 3 years.  For one, you will be dealing with an array of different clients, meaning different accents, formatting and requirements.  That’s free exposure will only get in a company.

Good luck now!

Related posts:

1. 2 Simple Steps to a Better Transcriptionist
2. Ways to become a freelance transcriptionist
3. What is Transcription – The Idiot’s Definition

Simply put, transcription is the process of converting audio/video recordings (dictations) into written text.  A transcriptionist is also known as transcriber.


As you can see, this process involves listening to a recorded audio and typing out the text on to a word processor like MS Word (paid software) or OpenOffice (free).

To transcribe a piece of dictation you need both hearing and typing skills.  We also need a computer with internet connection to receive the audio/video files, play the audio file, type out the dictation using a word processor, and finally send back the text file.

To transcribe a piece of dictation, one must be able to hear what is being said and, comprehend and understand the subject and context. It’s one to thing to hear every word and be able to type it out and its altogether a different skill to comprehend the context.  A transcriptionist must be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. That is to say that, some dictations may include instructions and other details which may or may not be required to be typed up.  And, some details may have to be placed in their designated areas of the document.  A transcriber should be able to differentiate between instructions and text, and, decide on which is which.  It requires a great deal of common sense and practice.

A transcriptionist is not a typist. Trancription is much more than typing.  It involves listening to and understanding recorded dictations, it requires an excellent grasp of the English language, grammar and the ability to decipher different accents.  A good transcriptionist must have an eye for detail and a huge reserve of patience. He or she must also be very conversant with Microsoft Office or any other alternative. To a transcriptionist Internet is his/her best friend.  Researches are done primarily on Internet – addresses , names of companies, schools, names of streets, spellings, etc are confirmed using the Internet.

Transcribing also requires a decent typing speed say, 60 – 100 words per minute. You should be able to use the foot pedal (that plays, rewinds or pauses the audio player) and type at the same time.

Transcriptionist usually work for transcription companies while many chose to work from home as freelance transcriptionist. It’s a very rewarding career.  With the ever competitive business environment and cost-cutting being the only business strategy for most law firms, real estate firms, and business houses to stay competitive in their respective markets, transcriptionist will find themselves in huge demand in the coming years.

And if the current trend of blogging for business is to flourish and thrive, or those creative types simply wanting to dedicate more time to creation, there will be millions of individuals (usually those comfortably living in the cloud, as Glen of ViperChill.com would say) who will want to outsource their mundane chores to virtual assistants like transcriptionists!

Hope this is useful to you.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comment below.  I am always open to your suggestions.  Believe me, your comment can improve my work and my life!  BTW, if you require a transcriptionist you know where to find me, right?  Please share this article if you like it.

Related posts:

1. How to Become a Transcriptionist – The Ultimate Guide
2. What is Legal Transcription
3. How to get the best deal out of your transcription services provider

No?  I thought so too!

Don’t worry we are on the same boat.  Every blogger, big or small struggles with typos, mixing homophones and write with less than perfect grammar.  Unfortunately, most of us fail to find these little errors and mistakes like the proverbial needle in a haystack.

As a proofreader in the company I work for, I used to struggle with proofreading and editing initially.  This doesn’t mean that now my copy is foolproof and without any grammatical errors.  No, it simply means that I now have founds ways to work around my weaknesses and can produce foolproof copies.

Looking back I now see at least four reasons why I used to overlook certain grammatical and syntax errors.

I was impatient to finish my work.  I used to rush through copies.  Instead of reading each and every word in a sentence, for example, I tend to scan the sentence to see if it makes sense.  If it does, it was good to go. I realized I developed this minor yet sinful habit from reading too many novels and books.  When reading novels one usually runs through sentences and paragraphs because you want to get to the next scene and quickly know the outcome of the plot.

Believe it or not, homophones (similar sounding words) like advice and advise, affect and effect etc are not so easy to detect in a copy.  Especially, when you don’t expect them.  They do not stand out in the crowd, so to speak.

Similarly, typos of regular words are like a needle in a haystack.  You don’t expect these kinds of errors, first of all.  Secondly, they are not so obvious and one tends to overlook them.

Sometimes the grammar skills of some writers are simply lacking. What they want to convey to the reader is not so obvious sometimes as they struggle how to put into words what they mean.  Some copies are so badly written it would be wise to re-write everything from scratch.

7 Ways to proofread and edit copies for foolproof results

1. Read aloud: This is the best way to notice any error, mistake or grammatically ill-fitting words.  If it doesn’t sound right, it’s wise to change it.  Reading encourages you not to skip even a single word of the copy.  Read slowly.  Try and make sense of every sentence or phrase, and every single punctuation.  By reading, the cohesiveness of the copy will also be tested.
2. Take a printout and read: If you have a printer just print out the copy and read it. Go away from your computer and read it somewhere else.  A change of place as well as the medium will give you a fresh perspective.  Reading from the computer screen is not always the most effective way to proofread and edit copies.
3. Take a break: You need breaks.  Your eyes need breaks.  It’s no coincidence that nearer the end of the day one becomes sloppy.  Go out and get a breather.  Take a 5-minute break and come back with fresh mind and refreshed eyes.  Have a look at your copy or writing, you might even have a second opinion about it!
4. Give yourself sufficient time: Rushing to finish a blog post or any kind of writing is bound to have some errors or mistakes.  If possible leave your writing for a day untouched and then proofread the next day.
5. Run the spell checker: Once you are done reading your copy run the spell checker that comes with your word processor.   Running the spell checker will highlight obvious typos, too-long sentences and give suggestions to improve your copy.  It will also check the grammar.  Don’t rely on the spell checker alone.
6. Get someone to proofread and edit: This is in fact practiced in an industry like transcription.  A transcriber types out the dictation which is then proofread and edited by a proofreader.  What is not so obvious to one may be sounding the alarm bell in another.
7. Improve your grammar: This is really the crux of the matter.  Simply improving your grammar will improve your writing which needs less editing and proofreading.  Thereby resulting in lesser errors in the final text.

Finally, don’t worry too much about imperfect copy and blog post.  Write with a passion and mission, then all else is forgiven.  Your errors and mistakes prove you’re only human.

Is perfection in blog post even necessary?  How do you proofread your writings?  Please share your tips for all to improve.

Related posts:

1. How to Become a Transcriptionist – The Ultimate Guide
2. 6 Reasons Why Bloggers Need Perfect Grammar for Success
3. Passionate Living: A Simple Guide to Doing What You Love

photo credit: Lazurite

1. First impression is the last impression

There is a possibility that a particular post of yours maybe the first post someone reads on your blog. Thus he or she will form his or her first impression from this article only. With even a couple of grammatical errors that person will form a bad impression of you and your blog!

2. Content is king

It’s so cliché to say this but, content is king and so producing content which is right in every possible way is important. Content has to engage the reader and not distract (and disappoint) your reader with minor grammatical errors and typos.

Unless you are a photoblogger or videoblogger (even then you know you should have transcripts), all you have to attract traffic and keep them is your content.

Your knowledge of grammar dictates the way you write, the way you express yourself and the way your present your views. Isn’t that what blogging is all about?

3. To show you care

Your post may not be the most interesting story, news or article. It may not even be on popular topics. But, you can show that you care.

It is easy to see when bloggers do not really care about the topic they are blogging about. Don’t let grammatical errors be the reason why people don’t read your blog.

4. Clarity

As a blogger you have to convey your message clearly without ambiguity. Readers and visitors don’t have all the time in the world to decipher what you are trying to say. They want instant messages and instant results, even.

5. Authority

When you perfect your grammar you will have confidence in your writing. Your confidence in using the language will shine through your writing. Only when you are confident with the language can you then derive authority and leadership.

6. Credibility

Credibility comes almost naturally when you write perfectly formed sentences with clarity and confidence. Visitors, seeing how much you care about your content, acknowledge your integrity and credibility by becoming regular visitors and eventually subscribers to your blog. You have become a credible source of knowledge, news and/or views.

Resources:

Daily Writing Tips: English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know

Search Engine Guide: Top Ten Grammar Errors That Haunt Web Pages

Copyblogger: Six Common Punctuation Errors that Bedevil Bloggers

Confident Writing: The Ingredients of Credible Writing Style

Related posts:

1. The Dead Poets Society Guide To Creative Blogging For Success
2. Needle in a Haystack: A Guide to Proofread Copies for Foolproof Results