Court Reporting Could This Be The Field For You?
One of the most difficult things you might do in life is find a career path. A career is different from a simple “job”. A job is a way to make money — it could be a career, but it doesn’t have to be. Many of the jobs we take are not long-term, do not require a lot of experience or training, and don’t have much potential for upward movement. You aren’t going to be climbing the ladder, which is exactly what you’re supposed to do when making your career. So: what’s a career field that almost anyone can enter with some training? A field that will offer good buy and different opportunities? The answer may surprise you — because it’s court reporting. Court reporters are within one of the most necessary career fields in the world — which means that it’s a good time to consider the possibility of court reporting. People don’t need things like fine food or clothes; they don’t need expensive cars or toys, which is why many industries are always dependent on hell well their consumers are doing financially. Court reporters are serving not consumers, but the public at large and the court systems. Courts will always need court reporters. So, how do you get into court reporting, and what does it take? Let’s find out.
What Does It Take To Become A Court Reporter?
If only you could simply decide to become a court reporter because you happen to be a good typist. But like many legitimate career fields, court reporting requires certification, namely by a court reporters association. There are several different court reporters associations that offer certification. There is the National Court Reporters Association, the National Verbatim Reporters Association, and the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers. Which association you choose to be certified depends on your wants and needs and what you want to do with your certification. Right now, the National Court Reporters Association represents about 20,000 court reporters in the United States. To put that in perspective, there were 21,200 stenographers in the U.S. as of 2012. At the same time, you need to understand that different programs may have different requirements — none of these associations are exactly the same as another. If you’re planning on becoming a court reporter, choose wisely.
What Do Certification Programs Require?
Although specifics may vary from association to association, becoming certified as a court reporter requires a few different things. You will need to go through an education program before beginning the certification process; the time required for these two tasks combined is usually around 33.3 months. Usually, you will be expected to accurately transcribe 225 words per minute, as well as 200 jury charge words per minute and 180 literary words per minute with at least 95% accuracy. This may sound daunting at first, but you can do it. It does require study and practice — expect to spend about 15 hours per week transcribing the spoken word to hone your skills. Should you become a stenographic court reporter, a stenotype machine is used to record the spoken word at speeds of about 225 words per minute — hence that expectation from many certification programs. If you want to become a court reporter, you may also want to look into things like deposition video recording. Courts are in need of deposition videographers as well as court reporters, and you may be able to train in this field as well, making yourself even more marketable to potential employers.
What Is The Outlook For Court Reporting?
The outlook for court reporting is strong. You don’t have to be confined to court, with about 70% of the nation’s court reporters working outside of court. It’s expected that in the years in between 2012 and 2022, the employment of court reporters will jump by 10%. Again, it’s an entirely necessary field, and a growing one at that — what’s not to like?
