4 Productivity Hacks Every Transcriptionist Must Know

Speed is the name of the game and productivity is one of the winners. A professional transcriptionist understands that productivity hacks in transcription really do pay off. These productivity hacks propel the transcriptionist’s efficiency to a higher level allowing them to earn more while saving time.

Time is of the essence, especially in transcription work. There are a few things that can be done in order for a transcriptionist to maximize their earnings within the period of time that they are supposed to work. Since the payment is either per word or per audio hour, it is important to be able to transcribe the work in only a short matter of time.

These productivity hacks may work well for some but not too well for others. It is important to learn what other professional transcriptionists would do and learn from them. However, in the end, every transcriptionist has their own set of productivity hacks to help them so experimenting can be done along the way.

Here are four different productivity hacks that every transcriptionist should know:

1. Quality over quantity

When starting off, it is very important that a transcriptionist focuses on quality instead of quantity. Once a transcriptionist prioritizes quantity over quality, the transcriptionist might get used to this type of work. This could be a problem later on especially when trying to apply for more high-paying transcription jobs that require a better work outcome.

The first thing to do is for the transcriptionist to familiarize themselves with how to create better quality work. Once they get used to a certain standard of output, they can slowly introduce ways to make the method of transcription more efficient.

In the end, it is important that transcriptionists are able to come up with better quality outcomes in order for them to attract more possible clients. A transcriptionist is only as good as the quality of their outcome.

2. Research and understand

Before starting the transcription, it is important to understand what the transcription is about in order to be able to stream through the whole transcription without many problems. When transcribing something that the transcriptionist does not understand, it would be very easy for them to go off track and even misinterpret some words leading to a completely different result.

This is especially important when it comes to corporate transcriptions. Imagine mixing a million with a billion! This drastic mistake could not only cripple a transcriptionist’s career but might stop it completely.

It is important to clarify a few things with the client before blasting off and starting the transcription. If the client does not give enough information, this is where the transcriptionist has to do their part and research.

3. Use abbreviations in the first draft

It is okay to use shortcuts in the first draft. The first draft really is just for the transcriptionist instead of for the client. Of course, since time is of the essence, transcriptionists need to zoom through the first draft transcription with the use of abbreviations. These abbreviations can be edited later on.

The final transcription might take a few redos which is why transcriptionists won’t have to get it done right the first time. The importance of the first run-through is to basically convert the audio into text. These abbreviations allow the transcriptionist to keep up with the audio without having to go back again and again.

Here are a few abbreviations that can be used

• BTW - by the way

• TBH - to be honest

• DND - do not disturb

• IDK - I don’t know

• FR - for real

There are a few more modern abbreviations that can be used. Also, it might help to simply highlight these abbreviations through capitalization for them to be easier to spot later on.

4. Use tools

There are a few tools that help transcriptionists breeze through all the hard work and go straight to what needs to be done which is to ensure the accuracy and the quality of the transcription. These tools do range from quite a lot of things from grammar tools to other productivity hacks.

Here are a few transcription tools that promote productivity:

• Grammarly - This software obviously helps transcriptionists improve the quality of their work by correcting the grammar or misspellings as the transcriptionist types on. However, sometimes the wrong grammar should not be corrected as per the client which is why this tool should be used with caution.

• Foot pedal - This piece of hardware allows transcriptionists to make use of another part of their body aside from their hands, their feet. Using the foot pedal has proven to speed up the transcription process a couple of times over by allowing them to simply pause, play, fast-forward, and other functions instead of having to use the mouse. The orientation from the keyboard to the mouse usually slows down transcriptionists and this is why a foot pedal could serve them well.

• Audio-to-Text - Using audio-to-text software immediately transcribes a piece of audio file into a text file which then takes a chunk of the dirty work from the transcriptionist. The problem with this kind of software is that they are oftentimes very inaccurate which is why transcriptionists should pick one that works well. Izitext.io is the best option for transcriptionists in order to accurately transcribe the audio/video file. Of course, final edits are still needed but that’s just about it.

There are a few productivity hacks that other transcriptionists have that work best for them. Should a particular transcription productivity hack work better for some, they can either choose to retain this or look for something better. Of course, when something works best, it is important to continue to use this method.

The longer a transcriptionist has been transcribing, the more techniques they might have picked up. Looking at tips from other professional transcriptionists could help improve your transcription methods and could result in a more productive workflow. The more productive the transcription workflow is, the easier it would be for transcriptionists to make money.

Want to be more productive in doing transcription? Be sure to use www.izitext.io for automated transcription and convenient transcription editing.