Transcription for Beginners

I realized that there were plenty of transcription jobs out there but I honestly thought that they were medical transcription, and even though I have a degree in Medical Assisting, you need a special certification for medical transcription.

While searching for ways to earn an income from home, I came across some transcription opportunities for beginners. Many of them might like for you to have some transcription experience but many do not require experience. These companies need transcription of various audio files including interviews, voice mails, focus groups, and other things. I only had a small amount of transcription experience from years ago but I thought it would be something I could do.

I came across a list of transcription companies that hire with no experience at realwaystoearnmoneyonline. They also give a brief review of each company so that you know what you are getting into.

Before you begin applying for these transcription jobs, here are a few tips. First of all, download Express Scribe (google it, it's free to download). This program works great for transcribing audio files.  You can slow the audio down and rewind with the touch of a button. It may be tricky at first but once you get used to which buttons control it, you will move pretty quickly. A few companies require a foot pedal but not all.

Another thing to keep in mind: most transcription companies want you to transcribe a short audio file for your application. If you are new to transcribing, this can become quite time consuming. Also, most of these companies have a specific way that they want their files formatted and of course, each one is different. This takes time to read through their format styles and rules. I had one company respond saying that my transcription was great but I needed to change some of the formatting and send it back. *sigh* Honestly, I think the transcription part should be the main focus when applying for a company and the formatting can be tweeked once the applicant is hired. It is all very time consuming.

I applied at probably 8 different transcription companies and got a response from 3 or 4 (many of them say that it can take up to 2 weeks). Just a heads up, this is one of the responses I got:

Notice the waiting period? Yeah, 470 days!! 

I think transcription can be a great income generator, especially after gaining a little bit of experience. One company I read pays 90 cents per word. Per word! I type 90 wpm, so add that up! The only reason I haven't gone on with the application process is that I acquired another job outside of the home beginning next week however, I am still keeping transcription in the back of my mind in case this job doesn't work out. 

Anyone have any transcription experience to tell us about??

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I've been without internet for awhile here. Was hoping that the problem would be remedied quickly but it looks like it won't be back on until I land a job outside of the home. Obviously, if we have no internet, I can't earn a dime online. I can get online from my phone but can't “work” that way. I tried to post on here about 10 different times using the Blogger App but every time I did, I would get an 'unexpected error' and would have to force the app closed, wasting everything that I had typed via my tiny little phone keyboard.

All of this time away from the internet and this blog got me thinking and I am seriously considering whether I want to keep up this blog or not. This blog is centered around working from home. When I started it, I was working as a texting op making decent money, about as much as what a part time job outside of the home would make without the cost of daycare or gas for the car. The whole texting world kind of went down hill and I was making less money and less money every month.

I decided to make a change and switch to freelance writing. I was writing for Demand Studios and making some nice cash every week; articles were always there waiting to be written and at $15 a pop, I was doing pretty good. Then, out of nowhere, when I would search for articles to write, there would be no good ones left. They would all be articles about fixing a car or something that I had no clue about, and eventually I would log on and there would be no articles at all. I soon found out that Demand made changes to where only certain writers got access to the good articles first. I don't know how they chose who got first access but I wasn't on the list.

I had written articles on other websites such as Suite 101 and hubpages. I earned a little bit from Suite 101 but not nearly as much as I was earning with Demand, not even close.

I graduated college last year with a degree in Medical Assisting. As soon as I graduated, I began the task of job hunting for a 'real' job, outside of the home. I didn't have much luck and I took a break from job hunting due to some personal problems.

In the meantime, I was doing little odd writing jobs here and there via oDesk and elance but they were not steady and not anything that I could count on getting paid for on a regular basis.

I began job hunting again about a month ago, applying everywhere and anywhere that I could think of, even if it wasn't in the medical field. I need a job and need one NOW. I still haven't had any luck. Had an interview yesterday but not expecting a call back because my luck has been THAT bad. I often wonder what an employer thinks when I tell them that I've been a 'freelance writer' for the past 7 years. Do they believe me or are the secretly laughing in their head? Hmmmm

Now that our internet is off, I haven't been able to make any money at all. I've been thinking about blog posts to write and post when I do have access to a computer and it dawned on me: how can I continue a work at home blog when I'm not even working from home any more?

I have a total of 4 other blogs, including my newest one which is for the new business I have recently started B and D Novelties andGifts but THIS one has always been my biggest. I'm wondering, if I make the decision to stop doing this blog, will any of my readers follow me to my other blogs? Would you even be interested in what I have to say?

I'm still throwing some ideas around. In the mean time, go up to the “my other blogs” tab at the top of the page to check out my other blogs and leave me a comment to let me know YOUR opinion!

NaBloPoMo: Lucky

What is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you?

Even though I often feel down on my luck, I can't say that I have never been lucky or that nothing good has ever happened to me. I've had a lot of good things happen to me, it just seems like the bad outweigh the good most of the time. I could say that I'm lucky that I have such a wonderful mom. She is the only person that has always been there for me, no matter what. I can't say that about anyone else in my life. I can say that I was lucky to meet my husband (even though I may not feel like that all the time). He loves me despite all of my flaws and has given me strength and courage that I never had before. I could also say that I'm lucky to have my beautiful children, my pets, my house... there are many people who are a lot less fortunate than I am.

What else? I can say that I am lucky enough to have graduated college, even though I did it about 13 years late. Through all of the bad luck I've had lately, I need to get lucky in finding a job. Right now, I'm so desperate that I will take any kind of job. I've been really down on my luck, even with working online. I was making decent money with Demand Studios, but they changed how they run things. Now, only certain writers get first dibs on new assignments, so every time I log in, the que is completely empty. There used to be thousands of assignments to choose from, now there are none. I have little money making things that I do here and there, but have found nothing that even compares to a part time job, let alone a full time job. I'm still searching though. One way or another, I need to make some money either online or offline. What about YOU? What lucky things have happened to you?