Did you know that seven out of every ten court reporters in the United States are employed outside of the court system? Even if you love watching legal dramas all day, there are more career options out there for a certified court reporter than simply transcribing cases day in and day out.
Finding a court reporter training program is easy. Finding a court reporter job after all is said and done might be the more difficult part. What other career options do you have with a set of transcription and stenography skills? Luckily, employers in many fields are always looking for people who can provide fast, accurate, and effective records of important communication and information materials. Here are just a few paths you might consider:
- Broadcast Captioner
With transcription skills, you can provide captioning of live broadcast events, like political debates or sports programs. Get paid to watch television! - CART Provider
Along with broadcast programming, in-person events that involve speeches often require Communication Access Realtime Translation, or CART, for the deaf and hearing-impaired. - Freelancer
Rather than sitting in court all day, you can try finding a court reporter position with a legal team or business that needs their meetings and proceedings to be recorded quickly and accurately. - Webcaster
Providing transcription as a webcaster is another business-related option. Companies that work with people and materials from around the globe are continually looking to the Internet for better communication. Reporters can be an asset to ensure efficient communication quality, especially in fields like finance that are constantly in motion.
Court reporting and stenography skills are highly valuable in a number of fields, not just legal ones. Certified reporters will be able to capture anywhere from 180 to 225 words per minute with a 95% accuracy rate. Businesses and broadcasters alike are always in need of fast and effective typists for communication and content. In fact, employment opportunities for court reporters are expected to grow in the near future — as much as 10% before 2022.
Whether you’re just thinking about entering a training program or you’re a seasoned veteran, there’s a lot of potential for court reporters and stenographers to move between legal, business, service, and entertainment industries in order to keep the job fresh and interesting.
