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There are many jobs now that will allow you to have an idyllic setup. And no, you won’t have to build your own startup. There are plenty of relatively simpler jobs out there who can let you live a flexible, location-independent life, such as being a remote transcriptionist. And with that realization, perhaps you would now like to discover how to become a transcriptionist.
It has become common these days, and more and more people are becoming digital nomads: that is, people who work wherever they are located, who don’t need to go to an office, and who don’t even need to be in the same country as their boss or client. They work on their deliverables and do their jobs remotely with their computers, smartphone, and an internet connection.
While being a digital nomad isn’t for everyone, it has converted many a cubicle dweller into its more flexible, location-independent setup. It has helped in the rise of coworking spaces around the world.
It has even helped give birth to a new kind of tourism, called work-tourism. While most people associate tourism with holidays a person makes while he’s off work. With work-tourism, the promotion of a destination isn’t just about the leisurely activities you can do there while on a traditional holiday.
Work-tourism promotes a destination based on how ideal it is for mixing business and pleasure.
For digital nomads, this is precisely what they aim to do in their travels: have the ability to work and earn an income. Also be able to live leisurely in a beautiful or exotic destination and experience its culture.
Among the most popular remote jobs for digital nomads is becoming a transcriptionist.
For various reasons: the learning curve for transcribing isn’t a sharp one, so many people can start doing it; it can pay well; there is a demand for it.
If you’re looking to get into the digital nomad lifestyle and don’t know where to start, you should consider starting out as a remote transcriptionist.
Even if you’re not looking to travel the world and would rather stay at home as much as you can, you should still consider transcription as a career. It’s a job that allows you to work wherever you are, and that includes being able to work in the comfort of your own home.
One of the best things about working as a transcriptionist remotely is the amount of flexibility it allows.
You can design the kind of remote transcription work setup that perfectly fits all your preferences and eliminates any deal breakers.
Want to work at home for the first two months of the year, but head off traveling for six months in Asia? Definitely possible with a transcription gig.
Do you hate cities and would rather settle in a rural community or perhaps the countryside? You can still earn money from being a transcriptionist even if you’re far away from an urban jungle.
For all these reasons, there is a clamor for aspiring digital nomads to understand how to become a transcriptionist.
But what exactly is a transcriptionist and what does a transcriptionist do?
A transcription service is essentially a service that converts spoken word into a written or typed document. As a transcriptionist, you will often be given an audio recording, and your job would be to listen to the recording and type everything that you hear.
Often transcription services are needed in legal cases, for research purposes or for general business. There is also a growing and lucrative industry called medical transcription or healthcare documentation that employs numerous digital nomads around the world.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a transcriptionist?
- You are able to live the digital nomad life.
As a transcriptionist working remotely, you can jump into the freelancer lifestyle quite quickly. And if you are an excellent transcriptionist, you can have a generous income that will allow you to travel while you work.
- You control your own time and schedule.
When you offer transcription services, clients expect you to submit your deliverables at a certain time. These deadlines and the quality of your work are the things they care about. How you get the deliverable done and where you get it done is immaterial to them and entirely up to you.
If you’re a morning person, for instance, you can opt to do all your transcription work first thing in the morning. But if you find that you function better at night, you can stay up late to finish transcribing an audio recording and upon submission, you can sleep in the entire morning.
This kind of flexibility is hard to come by with traditional jobs and stands as a unique selling point for becoming a digital nomad, specifically as a transcriptionist.
- You need self-discipline.
As a freelancer, I’ve had those days when I just don’t feel like working. I tell myself I’m drained, I’m exhausted, I need a break. But there are deadlines to meet and commitments to uphold so I have to physically force myself to get the job done, even if I feel mentally and emotionally drained.
That’s the thing about freelancing and working remotely: without a boss or a client who cares about your method, it’s completely up to you to complete a deliverable, which means you can only rely on your own self-discipline to get the job done. If you are working remotely in a non-office setting, there can be so many distractions around that can throw you off schedule, or keep you from working on your actual work.
If you’re going to be a successful transcriptionist working remotely, you’ll need to have self-discipline and a strong work ethic.
- It can get competitive out there.
There are so many transcriptionists out there and as a beginner, it might feel daunting to compete against experienced seniors for the same jobs. But don’t be discouraged – remember that there is an increasing demand for transcription services around the world and across numerous industries.
How to Become a Transcriptionist
- Answer this question: is transcription the right kind of work for me?
Before you get started fulfilling your digital nomad dreams as a transcriptionist, you must first answer this critical question. Because you might want the benefits of working as a transcriptionist, but if you don’t enjoy the work itself, you might not be able to last.
So don’t quit your job just yet and vow to become a transcriptionist. Take a few classes, read about what it’s like to transcribe audio recordings for a full-time job, and then make an informed decision if you want to push forward.
- Equip yourself and build your skill sets.
Sign up for courses online on efficient and effective transcription. Follow blogs on the subject and read what experts have to say about the matter.
Invest in a decent laptop and make sure you have a reliable internet connection.
Even if you’re at home or plan to work in different places around the world, it’s helpful to build a setup that helps you be productive wherever you are. Think of it as a curated workspace that you take with you wherever you go. You can set up on your couch or kitchen tables just as easily as if you were in a coworking space or remote island beach resort.
- Connect with other transcriptionists.
As with any profession, it’s important to network. Join online forums where transcription professionals converge to talk about their work, share tips, and possibly even share leads on new gigs and clients looking to hire for projects.
- Build a portfolio of your services or your resume.
Before you start offering your services to potential clients, you need to make sure you’ll be able to present yourself and your work and skills in a way that will be impressive to them.
Pay special attention to how you build your resume and while you’re doing it, have your potential clients in mind. Think about what they’re looking for in a transcriptionist, what would impress them about a candidate, and make sure the answers to these questions can be found on your resume.
- Start looking for your first client.
Once you’ve learned transcription and have a resume ready, you can start looking for your first client. It might seem daunting at first and it might feel like you’ll never be able to get a gig, but that’s always how it feels when you’re doing something for the first time.
Be persistent, put in the hours into looking for clients, send inquiries and offers with enthusiasm, and in due time, a client will be impressed by your skill and attitude.
Don’t rush things: take your time. Try not to compare yourself to other aspiring transcriptionists you might have become acquainted with.
Be resilient. Keep trying and trying, don’t give up, and eventually, you will be able to find that first gig.
Are you ready to work remotely as a transcriptionist? We hope this article helped! Share your experiences in the transcription service industry below and don’t forget to share this post on your social networks for other aspiring digital nomads to see.