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Court Reporting, Closed Captioning

Posted: Jun 20, 2013

Has anyone considered taking a court reporting course and learning to use a stenography machine? I've been looking into jobs doing closed capationing and I'm intrigued. The money looks to be pretty good. But, I look at a steno machine and think....OMG, there is no way I can learn to use that.

I'd love to hear from anyone who knows how to use a steno machine and can you let me know if it is really difficult? The job I have now doing transcription is a great job, but since SR took over we are running out of work on a daily basis and I'm thinking it is time for a career change. I have considered nursing, coding and now court reporting.

Thanks for any advice!

;

Its not just learning to use the machine - it is also

[ In Reply To ..]
the speed at which you can use it that matters. Look up the requisites on how fast you have to be in order to become a court reporter that anyone would consider hiring. It is fast, and close to unreachable for the standard person. good luck.

220 wpm with 4 speakers - camt

[ In Reply To ..]
Did the college course for two years. Made it to 80 WPM 2 speakers. You have to pass a state test ( administered in LA here in CA so I would have had to fly there). Not to mention the cost of the steno machine and software that converts the code to written word. You are looking at in upwards of 5,000 just to start up...that is IF you pass the test. So you can invest 4 years of theory and speed classes for nothing! CA testing was only good for CA and one other state, can't remember. Each state requires their own testing. To find a job you would have to move to another state..assuming you pass their test. You need to be independently wealthy to pay for all of it then IF you get a job you have to supply the lawyers with what they call an "asky" which is a disc with the transcript on it that YOU initially pay for but I guess charge them for. Very expensive field to work in. Most of the student I went to school with had their parents paying their way. I had two little kids and could not invest the time and money just to hope I passed the test.

Scoping - (see msg)

[ In Reply To ..]
I suspect "scoping" (which I think is cleaning up the raw transcript the court reporter produces) might be a more affordable occupation to get into.

However, I get the impression that court reporting is also a shrinking field, because they're partly being replaced by video recording for depositions and such like.

and courts are going digital for transcription as well - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
phasing out court reporters. There are steno forums and they are all fighting mad about it because of the investments they've made.

Checked into it and the program took 4 years. - PetesSake

[ In Reply To ..]
I was also told that it is a dying art. Not wanting to leap from one dying career right into another, I decided to try something completely different.

Thanks Everyone! sm - tiny

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for your insight and ideas regarding court reporting. There definitely seem to be pros and cons. It seems like the only recession-proof job at this point is going to be doing direct patient care.

I did find an on line program that costs under $6k, including your machine. Then, found another one through a college in California, tuition $51,000. It seems you have to pass the exam, but do not need a college degree to do this. I'm still intrigued by the whole closed captioning process. I'm not sure what to do, but like most of us, I am just looking at other options.

Thanks Again!

Fifty-one thousand investment? - For a maybe job?

[ In Reply To ..]
Did you mean $5,100?

Not a typo.....sm - tiny

[ In Reply To ..]
The average cost is $45K as a resident, I would be out of state, so my tuition would most likely be higher. That's for the 2-year program.

That's way to much to pay for a court - reporting course.

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Court Reporting, Closed Captioning - cr student

[ In Reply To ..]
Hello -

I have read some of the responses and want to tell you that not everything posted is completely accurate. I would advise you to go to the National Court Reporters Association's website and read about the profession, there is also a forum within that site where you can talk to students and existing court reporters. There is also a great site on Facebook entitled 'Encouraging Court Reporting Students' - a great place to gain info from exisiting CR's and students.

Fifty-one thousand? - Really?

[ In Reply To ..]
My physician assistant program only cost $30,000, and it included a Master's Degree.

I would recommend doing a lot more research into training programs.

learning steno - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I started a court reporting course at a business college after I graduated from high school. It was interesting learning to use the machine, typing in shorthand. It takes A LOT of practice. It was recommended we practice 3 hours a day. I think we had to reach 225 wpm to graduate. I reached about 160 and couldn't get above that.

Two girls in class zoomed through their speed tests and graduated early. One guy completed all his classes but was still attending, trying to reach the speed he needed to graduate, even after trying for 2 extra years.

The equipment is very expensive. The computerized steno machines plus the software was around 3000 dollars back then in the 1990s, probably more now. Plus you have to buy practice cassette tapes, paper for the machine. I got discouraged and didn't finish.

I've regretted not trying to follow through with it, but I've heard so many freelance court reports who used to be making 60,000 to 80,000 a year are now fighting over jobs, now that VR has gotten so popular. Closed captioning is now being offered at the same business college I attended instead of the older "court reporting" program.

Just depends on how much time and money you have to invest in it.

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