How this 51-Year-Old Woman Makes Money Doing Part-Time Transcription at Home

Have you worried about not having a college education and being "too old" to pursue a career change in life?

Shelly felt the same way! She already had a busy life with a full-time job. But she wanted the security of having a skill to bring in extra money when she needed it. Shelly found General Transcription: Theory and Practice™ -- and it changed her life!

Excited to learn how Shelly went from stressed to successful? Read on as we asked Shelly to share her experience with us!

Tell us a little about your background, Shelly! What did your life look like before TA?

I have been a medical transcriptionist for a little over 20 years, and I love it! I hold a full time job doing that, but sadly, so much of my work was being outsourced and my income was dwindling. I wanted a part-time job, but didn't have the time or the money to go back to school and earn a degree in something.

With my odd schedule doing my regular job, it was hard to figure out when I could work a part-time job outside the home.

When did you start doing general transcription, and what made you decide to learn it?

I had dabbled in general transcription (GT) in my first job many, many years ago and enjoyed it. I wanted to see if there was a job I could do part-time that would use the skills I already had of typing and proofing.

I had read about GT on a work-at-home website and stumbled on Janet's course there (lucky me!), so I didn't really even have any experience in GT before starting the course.

What was the most challenging part in getting started?

Convincing myself that at 51, I wasn't too old to learn something new. Once I got out of my own way and realized it's never too late, it was much easier (and a lot more fun!).

What was/were the most valuable thing(s) you learned during the course?

I learned a lot about grammar and comma placement. General transcription is a lot different than medical, because general has a lot of conversational dialogue. It was strange at first, but once I found my rhythm, it got easier.

How long did it take you to find your first client? How many clients do you have now?

Since I started the course in order to procure part-time work, I was looking mostly for a company to contract for, rather than have my own company and clients.

Once I graduated the course, I just used the list that was provided at the end of the course, made some notes, did some Google searches, and polished up my resume to be more GT specific.

I sent it out to about five companies to begin with, and heard back from two of them within the week. I tested with both companies, and once that went through, they hired me as an independent contractor for them!

The entire process took about a week or a week and a half. I'd say the entire process, from the beginning of the course to employment probably took about 3 months.

What advice would you give anyone thinking about becoming a general transcriptionist? Is it worth the money for training?

My advice would be to pay for the course in a step-wise fashion before you commit to the entire thing. I had a background in transcription, so I already had training and experience on having "the ear" and using a foot pedal, and the rhythm of that.

But the formatting, grammar, comma placement -- that was all new to me. I'm not sure how it would be for someone just starting transcription with no experience.

By starting slowly, doing it a step at a time, you haven't committed too much time or money if you realize that it's just not for you. It does take a lot of patience, a good ear, and the ability to sit for long periods of time.

What does your life look like now? Anything else you’d like to share about your journey?

My life now consists of having a full-time job, as well as two part-time jobs. I love doing general transcription! Every report is different! I have typed everything from interviews with movie and television stars, job interviews, webinars, and church sermons.

Every time I log in there's something different, and that makes the job a lot more interesting and fresh! I am able to make the amount of money that I was looking for when I started the course, and even a little bit more some weeks.

Finally, I would say this. I was in a place where I was worried about losing my full-time job, fretting every time my hours were cut. I thought I had no opportunities out there since I didn't go to college, didn't have a degree, and really no specialized skill set. What I learned by taking Janet's course was that I do have a skill set.

With just a little honing and tuning, I am now able to breathe a little easier and feel proud of accomplishing something new and challenging at my age. Now, if my full-time job runs out of work, I just roll on over to my other desk, and do some GT jobs. No more panic.

Our Take

We are so happy for Shelly! She faced her fears of being too old and being stuck in a rut to actually being confident and happy! With general transcription, she learned she could not only make extra money on the side, she could do it on the schedule she chose. Talk about freedom!

And Shelly isn't the only transcriptionist with a success story! Caren Stewart became a transcription success like Shelly!

Your Turn!

Have you been looking for a change but have been too hesitant to make it happen? Ready to leave the drudgery of Mondays behind and find happiness with a new job? Leave us a comment to let us know what is holding you back.

New here? Think you would make a great transcriptionist? Try our free mini course, Transcription Foundations. Shelly's success story could be yours!