What does a Business Transcriptionist do?

A business transcriptionist is a person who specializes in converting verbal communication to written text. There are several types of transcription, and some people in this field may choose to provide transcription services for a variety of industries, such as the medical and legal industries. A business transcriptionist, on the other hand, focuses on one market—businesses. Working with business owners and executives, he may transcribe everything from topics covered at business meetings to text for sales letters.

Business transcriptionists are not to be confused with secretaries, who may take dictation from their bosses. People in this field usually do not provide general secretarial services. Their sole job is usually to change speech into the written word. This may require them to transcribe the details of meetings, seminars, and focus groups, for example. Sometimes they also transcribe such things as accident reports, oral histories, insurance investigations, press conferences, and brainstorming sessions.

Business transcriptionists don’t typically sit in an office and take dictation. Instead, they usually listen to oral text that has been recorded on an audio device. They then transcribe the words they hear into a document that meets the needs of the particular business. They also typically format the document based on the instructions and preferences of the businesses that hire them. While some of the documents a business transcriptionist transcribes are short, such as business letters, a person in this field may also handle documents that are many pages long, such as financial reports.

An individual who decides to become a business transcriptionist may work for a company as an employee or set up shop in his own home or office as an independent businessperson. Usually, transcriptionists do not need a great deal of space in which to do their jobs. A person who decides to become a business transcriptionist may start with just a desk, computer, and transcription software as well as a set of headphones and a foot pedal.

An individual who opts to become a business transcriptionist doesn’t necessarily have to seek any particular training or education. Some people may learn how to do transcription from books or online materials. Most people, however, do seek some type of training. A person interested in this field may enroll in a transcription course at a community college, for example. Some companies that hire business transcriptionists may be willing to offer training to those who type fast and have some document-processing experience.