Hey everyone. Welcome. In this lesson, we’ll talk about gaining experience before applying to companies. It’s helpful to have some firm transcription experience under your belt before you start applying to major transcription companies.
The first place I earned some experience was through volunteer work. I did a transcript for a nonprofit podcast, that gave me some experience and a referral. The next place that I gained experience was through overflow work. Some transcriptionists gain experience by working for what I call transcription mills, which include low-paying freelance sites or very low-paying transcription companies. I know that it has worked out for some transcriptionists. An example of a company like this would be: Amberscript.
It’s common in the freelance world to do your first project Pro Bono to gain a referral. The caveat is you only do it once, and then you move on to paying work. There are many podcasters and other businesses out there that you could offer to do one transcript for free and then perhaps either get them as a paying client for future work or have them agree to be a referral for you if they like the work.
Overflow work is more difficult to come by, but it can help you gain a taste of working for companies without having to go through the formal application process. Overflow work is when you are paid to transcribe a file for one-time work. It’s usually for another transcriptionist or a smaller company that needs some extra help when they’re really busy. Sometimes, overflow work can lead to gaining a contract with the company. But usually, it’s just a good source for getting referrals and experience.
The best place to find overflow work is through transcription forums, work-at-home forums, LinkedIn transcription groups, or Facebook transcription groups. You often will have to be an active member of these forums or groups to have access to overflow opportunities.
As I mentioned earlier, you can gain experience by finding opportunities on freelancer websites, but these often pay poorly and are highly competitive. There are also some transcription companies that pay less than $40 an audio hour that some transcriptionists work with before applying to other companies. If you decide to go this route, apply to new companies as soon as possible so you’re not stuck in low-paying contracts.
