My Story...

I started my journey into the world of transcription in 2006. Prior to that time I worked as a music teacher and behavioral coach, but after the birth of my beautiful daughter Zion I decided that it was best for me to try to work from home. I'm sure many of you out there understand. It is just so hard to trust your little ones with people that you don't know.

So after much research on the internet I stumbled across a few links that were mentioned in this post. I think that the key to my success early on really was just researching. I just loved to research anyway so that was really up my alley. I had fun doing it. I tried to learn as much as I could about companies to test for and maintaining a work at home business.

Another great site that I spent a lot of time on was WAHM.com. The information there was also invaluable.

So for those you wanting to get started I definitely recommend that you investigate, research, and network. These elements were all crucial to my success.

I did manage to get contracts (transcription talk for companies who subcontract out work to freelance workers) right away. In fact, one thing about transcription work is that you will find that a lot of us transcribers have many contracts at one time. We don't discriminate. It's better to have choices of who you want to work for than be stuck working for one company that suddenly has no work available, especially in this economy. But of course you shouldn't spread yourself too thin.

So my first jobs were through overflow work (helping other transcribers who needed help from time-to-time). It was a great way to get my feet wet and learn a little about the different styles of transcribing and formats.

When I got my first contract I was stoked. The pay was squat compared to what I make now, but hey you have to start somewhere.

And really from there the rest is history. I just kept typing and moving up to companies with better pay. I gained some personal clients along the way, too.

Since that time I gave birth to a few more kiddos and that just forced me to be more creative in how and when I worked. For example, I couldn't do 24-hour turnaround work as much with babies around. I also had to get very creative about when I work. I often pull late nights or work very early mornings. Of course, I try to get as much done as I can during nap time, too. The choice is mine and I love that I get to choose when I want to work and when I want to take a break.

It has been a fun yet challenging road getting to where I am today with my career. But I have learned so much and I am proud of myself for taking the steps towards something new. I am excited about where my future will take in this fields. As my kids get older and I have more time to work, I am sure things will soar.