Transcribe Like a Pro

Transcribe Like a Pro

My book, Transcribe Like a Pro: Making Money from Home, has a lot of information in it to help you set yourself up to be a successful transcriptionist. However, here, I want to share more practical tips that will help you jumpstart your transcribing career whether you have read the book or not.

Sleep

Besides having the right equipment and the right working environment, you will also want to make sure you get plenty of sleep. Transcribing takes quite a bit of concentration and more energy than you may realize. And sitting in one place for long periods of time might make you groggy. This can be very dangerous. I've nearly fallen out of my chair before after not getting enough sleep. I could barely hold my eyes open. If this happens to you, take a 15- to 30-minute power nap to rejuvenate so you can safely return to work.

Hydration and Exercise

I can't express this enough; you will need to take frequent breaks even if you aren't sleepy. Transcribing can be an unhealthy occupation unless you grasp this advice early on. Although, you may not thinks so, you are dehydrating while you're transcribing at your computer. Be sure to hydrate often with water, Gator Aid, fruit juice, or other wise and healthy beverage choice.

Exercise is important as well since transcribing is sedentary work. Subscribe to a walk-in-place program on YouTube, buy a stationary bicycle or a treadmill, or take a walk in the fresh air. Make sure you're active for 30 to 60 minutes a day. 

Set Regular Working Hours and Take Frequent Breaks

It is very easy to get caught up in your work, but I think if you have daily (or mostly daily) work, you should have a regular work schedule. Whether it's 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or midnight to 8:00 a.m., set a schedule that works best for you. That's the beauty of work-from-home jobs. You are your own boss and can set your own working hours.

Also, take holidays off and/or a couple weeks of vacation to unwind. That's what people in the "normal" work world do. I realize it's more difficult when you work for yourself because you aren't getting paid if you aren't working. But maybe you could set aside a few dollars each time you get paid so you'll have that if you need it during your time off.

Finally, take frequent breaks. Sitting for long periods of time can make lots of body parts ache and your eyes very tired and blurry. So, about once every hour or so, get up from your desk and walk around the house, get that drink, look into your backyard to refocus your eyes. Take a few deep breaths while you're taking your breaks to get oxygen to the brain and energize your muscles.

Hire Help

And breathe - image courtesy of Valeriia Bugaiova via Unsplash

When you get busy with an extremely large amount of transcribing, it's a good idea to hire (or ask for) help. That help might be needed for housework, yardwork, laundry, meals, dishes, dog walking, or with the kids. You might also get help in the form of an additional transcriptionist. 

In this blog, I have written a free eBook that you can download. It's about 7 Freelance Websites where you can find freelance work for yourself. However, you can also use these same sites to hire skilled freelancers to help you with your transcribing workload. This is also a good way to continue earning an income or satisfying your clients while you're on vacation or taking the holidays off. 

I hope you have found these tips to be helpful. Of course, you can use these tips for any other form of desk work you might be doing. It's just a little bit of advice to help you work better. Take care and God bless.