Being in the business of delivering high-quality transcripts, we have systems like the four-step process that allow us to produce the best and accurate transcripts to every business and individual in need of our service.
As you might know, the fourth and final step of this process is the Quality Check. It serves as the final line of defense, where we validate the file and proofread it again until we achieve a transcript with 99% accuracy.
The people behind the quality check hold a significant role in our transcription process. To be a Quality Check specialist (QC), you need to be the cream of the crop and be the best at what you do.
But what does it take to excel in your job as a transcriptionist?
Take it from the four Scribie QCs who were more than happy to share tips that can help your career in the transcription industry thrive.
Scribie’s Professional QCs Share Their Thoughts
Recently, we surveyed a handful of QCs to understand how it’s like to be in their shoes and to enlighten us with tips that any transcriber can benefit from.
These are the thoughts that four of our QCs, Debbie, Maria, Vanad, Judith, and Isy, had to share.
Watch out for Homonyms and Spelling Differences
A common mistake that our QCs often encounter is similar sounding words with different meanings.
It can be confusing to determine the difference between words like “Your” and “You’re” when listening to the audio.
Aside from similar-sounding words, Debbie also points out to take into consideration American spelling as not everyone is looking for a transcript in American English.
A usual correction I have to make are words that sound alike, like there, their, and they’re. Another one is correcting words when the spelling is different, not American spelling. An example would be favorite to favourite.
Beyond language differences, we ought to carefully consider grammar. Maria points out the improper use of apostrophes. For similar sounding words, it’s something that she’s encountered more than once.
Some usual corrections I’ve had to make were: Your vs. You’re, It’s vs. Its, Till vs. ‘Til.
As for Judith, she says spelling is an issue. Here, she provides an example of words that are either adjectives or phrases.
Another correction is when to spell words as one word or two words like everyday vs. every day, any more vs. anymore, etc.
Research & Use Resources
Context matters a lot.
Our QCs recommend that you research and use resources like Google to help you come up with an accurate transcript. It’s useful for understanding and checking the context of the finalized work:
Words of wisdom from Maria:
Make sure that you review your final work and use your resources like Google as much as possible.
What Judith thinks:
The critical skill or ability that’s especially useful is research ability/verifying every word or every phrase. So googling everything to make sure that there is such a term or a word or a phrase and that it is the correct spelling/definition.
Isy added:
Sometimes more creative searches on company websites are needed to clear up any confusion around new terms.
Vanad suggests staying up to date with the current trends to help you be familiar with relevant topics being discussed in the audio file.
Stay Focused on Listening & Have Patience
The ability to type fast as you listen to the audio file can help you get the job done, but it doesn’t end there. You need to produce high-quality transcripts, and to achieve it, you need to have the patience.
Being a Scribie transcriptionist entails you staying focused as you transcribe on every file you’re working on.
Debbie recommends patience while you listen to the whole file if you have trouble with a specific part of the audio file.
A critical skill or ability would be listening of course, but being patient is important too. Sometimes you have to be patient and listen to the whole file to help with blanks at the beginning.
Vanad believes that listening and focusing is half of the job when transcribing.
I believe the one skill that’s quite useful for a QC is listening with full focus. If you are able to focus and listen to what is being said, I believe more than half of the job is done.
Put Accuracy First
Scribie aims for quality over quantity.
Scribie’s goal is to ensure that all transcriptions made are highly accurate. You may be transcribing a bit slow at first, but remember to focus on the accuracy of your work above everything else.
Starting out slow is normal, according to Judith. It takes time, but you will get the hang of it. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
My advice is to be accurate and on point as that is the basis for file payment. You will be slow at first, but you will be faster the more files you do. So carefully choose the files you work on.
Attention to detail is vital for getting the best accuracy possible, says Maria.
Pay close attention to details, consistency of terms, check speaker tracking, and names before submitting.
If you see that a sentence doesn’t make any sense, consider double-checking it as it’s most likely an incorrect word or phrase is causing it.
Give Your 100% and Enjoy the Work
Lastly, if you want to succeed as a transcriber and advance as a Scribie QC, you need to give your best at all times.
Maria encourages those who want to become QCs to do their job wholeheartedly. If you enjoy being a Scribie professional, you will love your job and never see it as a chore.
Always do your job wholeheartedly, have a sense of discipline, and just enjoy the work.
Isy recommends setting goals and enjoying the work:
I also recommend QCs to set themselves daily or weekly goals and try to hit the bonuses because these are a huge incentive and really give structure to working freelance. Most importantly, try to enjoy the diversity of the content you work with because many of our customers are creating amazing podcasts, interviews or lectures that we are helping them document.
Over to You
Transcribing can be a meticulous process, and you need to have a keen eye for details.
When you’re still getting yourself familiar with transcribing, don’t feel pressured to finish the file immediately just to get it over with.
Quality Checker or not, keep in mind that as a Scribie transcriber, you have the responsibility to provide a high-quality transcript that will satisfy the clients to keep them coming back for our service.
Are you interested in becoming a Scribie professional? Join the Scribie professional community now!
