Category: Jobs and Employment
Hi all. I recently graduated from college with a degree in Liberal Arts, which means I have lots of interesting academic knowledge under my belt, but not much in the way of marketable skills. I do have some previous work experience and a pretty good resume, but so far the job hunt's proven less than fruitful. I've been looking into some more skills-based training to make myself more employable and came upon the field of stenography and court reporting. I've done some research and it doesn't seem like the jobs in that field would be very difficult for a blind person to do. Obviously some adaptations would have to be made (I'd probably attach a Braille display or laptop with screenreader to my Stenograph machine for example), but for the most part it seems like it'd be a good field for me. Does anyone on here work or have any experience in this field? If so, what advice would you give someone considering court reporting as a career? What schools did you attend, what sort of equipment do you use and what are some chalenges you've faced? Any input at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.
Hi, I looked into court reporting when I was in high school. At that time, It was a 2-year degree. I once had a nice conversation with a court reporter. She did think it was feasible. But she thought it was a field that was becoming more obsolete due to computer and digital recording technology. This was back in the nid nineties though. You may want to discuss this with a vocational counselor. If court reporting doesn't work, try something else like medical transcription, medical billing, or some sort of customer service. Court reporting is a pretty specific skill. If you're concerned about a lack of marketable skills, I would maybe think about building a broader skill set that would transfer easily to other areas.
I was recently given a job offer. I got it by interning for the company through a situational work assessment at my DVR office. Surprisingly it worked.
I have a Bachelor's degree, and know how hard it can be to land a job if you're blind. Basically, you should prepare to work a lot more for little or no pay. A degree with no relevant experience just doesn't cut it these days. Believe me, I had to do a lot of volunteer work, two internships, and two years in AmeriCorps to build my resume. You also may want to look at applying for some federal jobs. I would have considered this route if I hadn't been offered a position.
Back to the original topic, I'm not sure how easy it would be to attach a braille display machine to a court reporting machine. Back in the day, they were like typewriters. Nowadays, they use computers, but testimony goes so fast, that it'd probably be much more efficient to use a screen reader. I've even heard of court reporters speaking directly into a machine that turns audio into onscreen text. Perhaps you could find a court reporter's message board. I don't know much about the procedure these days. I would avoid taking any court reporting work online. You'll want to discuss your challenges face-to-face with your instructors. Plus, that personal connection will really help you when you start applying for positions. Hth, and pm me with any other questions.
I actually thought that most cases are recorded now, either with a regular tape recorder or digitally, and then transcribed via computer at a latter date. If that's the case, you may wish to look into court transcription.
I'd agree with Tifanitsa. I hadn't thought of that. Maybe she's right. I didn't ralize testimony was transcribed at a later date. Don't fall asleep on the job. From what I hear, you have to type or record literally every word that's said.