Oftentimes specialized labor utilized by government or courts of law is a pretty recession-proof career path. Though many industries are failing right now in today’s economy and lots of people are struggling to find work, there are many industries that are growing at an above average rate. A court reporter career fits both of these categories to a tea. To choose a court reporter career is a decision that will earn you a very specialized skill that sets you quite a bit apart from others in the job market.
Court reporter job description profiles can vary. Court reporters are responsible for transcribing court proceedings verbatim for public record, so their job is extremely important. Not even the fastest typist on earth could transcribe court proceedings accurately enough to obtain a court reporter career; as court reporters are often expected to transcribe well over 200 words per minute. To do this, special technological methods are used that only specialized training can teach, making a court reporting career full of location options and oftentimes a very lucrative career. Here are three different technologies used in court reporter careers that accredited schools train.
Court Reporting by Stenotype
Stenographic court reporting takes advantage of a special stenotype machine that looks kind of like a lap top computer. Stenotype machines contain keys that represent a group of letters that formulate phonetic sounds common in speech, and match them against a dictionary of words that allows them to transcribe words when combinations of phonetics are pressed simultaneously. Those interested in a court reporter career must learn how to maintain their phonetic dictionary, add new words to it when necessary and how to type quickly enough after becoming familiar with the keypad’s special phonetic layout. This type of technology is also used in television closed captioning.
Court Reporting by Voice Writing
Another court reporting method utilizes different scopes of technology related to voice recognition software. A microphone built in to a device that looks like an oxygen mask on an airplane is used to dictate speech into a computer. The computer uses voice recognition software to translate the dictation. Those interested in a court reporter career must learn the ins and outs of the software and take adequate notes regarding the names of who is speaking in order to later edit a verbatim transcript.
Court reporter training will usually teach both of these techniques, including principles of audio recording, as most court reporters use microphones to record the meetings or hearings they transcribe as a failsafe or additional means of obtaining an accurate transcription. There are over 60 different accredited court reporter career schools that offer classes in person or online to teach the specialized skills needed for a court reporter career. According to the US department of Labor statistics, those pursuing a court reporter career can expect to make between 35 and 64 thousand dollars per year, with the median salary being about 50 thousand dollars per year, and the industry is expected to grow substantially in the coming years.
