Now is the perfect time to transition into a more exciting and lucrative career. In the midst of a recession, it becomes easy to see what industries are the most stable by examining industries that are thriving. Many are transitioning from jobs they’ve been laid off from into new careers entirely in thriving industries. Many are choosing court reporter training as a means to a new career because it has a shortage of workers and offers great salaries because the labor is so specialized. Court reporters have the extremely important job of transcribing court proceedings or government meetings verbatim. Since many court reporters are responsible for handling over 200 words per minute, even the fastest typist on earth would need to undergo court reporter training for the career. Special technological methods for transcribing are taught in court reporter training. Because the labor is so specialized and courts exist in almost every city, court reporter training can mean a great career with flexible hours and a great salary. Here are three different technologies discussed in court reporter training to give you a better sense of the profession.
Stenographic court reporting involves the use of a special stenotype machine that resembles a small computer. Stenotype machines contain keys that contain phonetics instead of letters to transcribe common in speech. Words appear on screen when different combinations of phonetic keys are pressed, matching the sounds to a dictionary of words. Those interested in court reporter training must learn how to maintain their software as well as how to use the stenotype. Many other careers use a stenotype, such as business meeting transcribers, congressional transcribers and transcribers for film and television, as this type of technology is also used in closed captioning.
Another method taught in court reporter training utilizes an entirely different technology related to voice recognition software. A microphone built into a device that looks like an airplane oxygen mask is used to dictate speech into a computer. The mask silences the stenographer’s voice while the computer uses voice recognition software to translate the dictation. Those interested in a court reporter must learn the software and valuable note-taking skills used later to edit a verbatim transcript.
Court reporter training usually teaches both of these techniques, including principles of audio recording, as most court reporters use microphones to record in conjunction with transcription methods. There are over 60 different accredited court reporter career schools that offer classes in person or online to give students the specialized skills needed for a court reporter career. Court reporters usually require certification and state licensing, but qualified trainees will possess a valuable skill. According to the US department of Labor statistics, those pursuing this career can expect to have a court reporter salary between 35 and 64 thousand dollars per year, 50 thousand dollars per year as the median salary. The industry is expected to grow 18% in the next 8 years.
