To all the newbies trying to get a start in this business - Tara

I have been doing transcription for the last eight years out of my home.  I started with psychiatry for the company I was working for in-office and then was fortunate enough to get to do it at home.  However, I had never done transcription before this point.  I started checking into jobs online and since I knew I didn't have medical experience, I really didn't bother applying for any jobs in that field.  I would apply for transcription jobs outside of the realm of medical.  Companies want to know that you have experience in transcription, not necessarily experience in all these "fields."  They don't want to have to take the time to make sure someone knows the proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, styles, and overall how to make the voice look good on paper.  Also with no transcription experience, typists are usually pretty slow until you have done it over and over every day to build your speed which in turn for these companies makes your turnaround faster and a lot of them do have rapid turnaround times.  In the last eight years, I have worked for a company doing general transcription with letters and reports, I have worked for companies doing conference calls, interviews, etc., I have worked for a company doing law enforcement interviews, I have worked for two companies doing Social Security Disability work (psychiatry), and I have worked for a company doing Workers' Compensation (psychiatry).  I have worked for at least four companies that do the conference calls/interviews etc.  My resume is awesome because of all the companies I have worked for in the last eight years simultaneously.  I am now finally getting my MT degree and hope to land a job in the medical field eventually.  Not to say that I'm going to get a job right off the bat because I don't have medical experience, but I would definitely say my chances are going to be better than you newbies because I have eight years worth of transcription experience in general.  Please don't be disgruntled by all you see and hear about this profession because I would never ever quit unless MT's just no longer existed.  If you want some recommendations as to where to look for these general transcription jobs, send me an e-mail and I will respond.  This is a great job to get into, even if you aren't doing medical transcription.  Just doing transcription itself to be at home and save expenses is great.  Good luck to all of you and please don't feel that this is the end of the rope.  Just get some experience, even if it's not medical, and hopefully that will be the road for you to start in the career you chose!!