May 25th, 2024 – Best Places To Find Work As A Scopist
One of the questions I found myself asking when I began this profession, and one I see is still being asked today is, “How do I find work as a scopist?” Arguably, one of the most important questions!
This is the hardest part, I think. Not only do you have to find people who are actually looking for a scopist, but you have to convince them of your worth when they truly have more than enough options to choose from. It can be incredibly difficult, and discouraging.
I can offer you a couple of things here. First, I can tell you my experience, where I looked, and how I found work. I can tell you why I chose these methods, and how I found them to be when it came to finding reliable work. Second, I can tell you about everything I found when I was doing research. There are a lot of methods I found that I didn’t use, and I will explain to you why I didn’t use them. But you can have your own opinions and ideas and choose to do whatever it is that you want to do.
In My Experience
In the beginning of my career, I was not so picky about where I went looking for work, but I was cautious. I chose some fairly obvious places, but they were helpful, nonetheless.
Facebook Groups
Everywhere I looked and everyone I spoke to suggested the Facebook groups. That’s where you are going to find like-minded individuals in the same situation that you’re in. I did feel comfortable in the groups, as most of them you need to answer questions to be admitted into the group to ensure you’re there for the right reasons. This did make me feel more secure, regardless of how I feel about Facebook in general.
The rumors are true, and the stories are real: there truly is a lot of work to be found in the Facebook groups. There are some general groups for all scopists/proofreaders/court reporters. However, there are also specialized groups that are geared towards professionals who work with specific software like Case CATalyst or Eclipse. You can find the links to those groups listed below:
Job Board – Steno/Voice Reporters, CAT Scopists & Experienced Proofers (8.7K members)
Triple Threat Scoping Job Board (5.9K members)
Scopists & Proofreaders – NCRA (5.4K members)
Scopist Needed Today (2.3K members)
CaseCatalyst RealTeam Scopists and Proofers Available/Needed Today (1.4K members)
Cold-Calling
This one is not for everyone, and I know that. Personally, I’m an extrovert, so this was not something I struggled with. But this truly is an excellent way to get your name in front of the people you need it in front of. E-mails may be easier, and more comfortable, but it is unlikely that you will receive work from something so far from personal.
I know how I would react. If I receive an e-mail from someone who is trying to get me to employ them, that is a very easy delete. However, if someone calls me, then I am more likely to engage with them, ask them questions, or give them a chance to tell me why they are a good match for me or what they can do for me.
You can find names and emails of court reporters from a quick Google Search, but you can also find this information with an NCRA membership on the PROlink.
I chose this method because I liked having the opportunity to actually speak to people. If they turned me down, they turned me down. It’s not always an issue with you, but it might just be that they’re not very busy and don’t have a need for a scopist. I did receive some work from cold-calling, but I also received a few, “I’m not really looking for anyone right now, but I can give you so-and-so’s e-mail, she was just talking about looking for a scopist.”
Marketing
This is not a fast way to gain clientele, but it can be effective. I don’t recommend this as the basket you put all of your eggs in, but it is a great tactic to have going on in the background of your other, more effective methods. Marketing can include things like running an active, professional Facebook or Instagram account. It can also mean putting out regular content like blogs or newsletters in order to continually provide information for your clientele to consume.
If you are able to show you have a wealth of knowledge or information that people can draw upon or need you to have, it makes you a more desirable candidate. I chose this method as a way to advertise myself because it was easy, it was fun, and it was something I knew could gain an audience. I have seen some interesting content, and spoken with really interesting clients via Instagram!
NCRA Job Board
This is another one that is not going to be reliable one hundred percent of the time, but it will be worth checking back every once in a while, in case something good does come up. There, you can find postings for captioners, court reporters, freelancers, officialships, scopists and proofreaders, and transcriptionists. The most common postings are for Court Reporters, but there are other listings available as well.
I like this method because it doesn’t require a lot of commitment, and there are some useful things that get posted there. As well, it is a reputable source, so I know I can trust what comes off of there.
There is a theme to how I broke up these categories. LinkedIn has some pros and cons, but it is a place I used and found work available. There is a LinkedIn job board you can check out, but your better bet is to make a good profile and do some networking. Find others who are in your field, people who are looking for your services, or just other people in your industry. Make sure to send a straightforward, but personalized message. Build a network, gain some credibility, write posts, contribute writing to the articles, and get your name out there.
Similar to the above, I didn’t hate this method because it wasn’t a lot of commitment, but it did give me a lot of opportunities to show my personality when I was sending messages. I liked being able to create my profile, and I like having a place to contribute to articles as well as post my own. I don’t put as much stock in LinkedIn as others do, but that’s simply a reaction to my own past experiences with that particular website.
From My Research
The following are sources I have seen mentioned time and time again on various websites, blog posts, and referrals. However, I have never personally used these sites. I will explain why.
Stenovate
I have seen this talked about everywhere. It has been mentioned in the Facebook groups, it’s on Reddit, it’s on multiple blog posts I’ve read from other professionals, etc. However, I just never truly trusted it.
First, it’s not free. I don’t mind websites that require a membership, especially if they are reputable. But I never truly trusted this website, and therefore, I didn’t feel comfortable spending my money on the membership.
Second, things like this:
Every time I open this website, I see things like this. To me, this is just a red flag. A website that is meant to be professional, and asks you to spend money, there should not be any type of error like this. Now, I just couldn’t get past it. I have seen errors like this in e-mails and on websites meant to scam people out of their money. Mind you, I am not saying that is what Stenovate is doing, because I can’t possibly know that. What I am saying, is that I’ve never seen a good-intentioned website with these mistakes.
I welcome any feedback from people who have used this website and can attest to it’s legitimacy. I would love some explanations for the issues I have seen, and I would be happy to hear from anyone who has found work off of Stenovate. I’m more than happy to be wrong about this website. Leave a comment down below!
Job sites (Indeed, Monster, Fiverr, etc)
This is another one that I have seen advertised as a way to find Scopist jobs. If you look on these websites, you will see postings for jobs that are looking for scopists. However, again, this is not a source I have used before, and therefore cannot comment on their effectiveness.
I will say, I chose not to use them because I wasn’t sure how legitimate these postings were. I don’t know what the worst-case scenario is if they’re not real, but I wasn’t about to find out. It just didn’t seem like the place a court reporter would go looking to find a scopist. I know court reporters, and not a single one of them has ever said the words, “I found this incredible scopist on Indeed!” So, I just wasn’t convinced. Does that mean they don’t work? Of course not! You’re welcome to test these theories out for yourself. You can tell me all about it when you’re through.
Professionalscopists.com
I have seen this one floating around the internet a little bit, but I didn’t find sources that I deemed particularly reliable talking about it. With my own research, it seems to me that this is an agency that takes work from court reporters and doles it out to scopists.
As with any agency, I imagine you would need to do some sort of test in order to show you are qualified. They ask for your email and resume, as well as references. If you are just starting out, this may not be the method for you. First, because you won’t have any references to draw upon. Second, they ask specifically for, “Highly experienced scopists and proofreaders.”
I didn’t go through their hiring process so, I don’t know for certain what they would expect. But I know that it isn’t something I found helpful because it didn’t seem personal enough for me. I want to be able to have a personal, long-term relationship with my court reporters. I don’t want to be just another cog in the wheel.
Stenosearch.com
This is just my opinion. It is the basis for why I made the decision that I did, it is in no way a blueprint for what you should or should not do.
I did see this website advertised in a lot of places, and I checked it out on more than one occasion. But looking at it, I just couldn’t make myself trust it. Maybe this is judgmental, maybe I’m outing myself. But I’m trying to be honest here.
This is what the website looks like:
When I see this, it looks dated to me. It looks like websites you would have found in the ’90s when the internet was just starting to be introduced to the common household. And if this seems dated, then how can I trust the information they provide is going to be up to date?
The ad placement, the graphics, the menu. It just seemed older than it should be, and it made me hesitant to trust much of what came from it.
On top of that, when you click the link for the homepage, it’s blank.
They either don’t have or you can’t access a homepage. This is not a green flag.
Now, you may be thinking, “Well your website’s not all that either! Maybe you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover.” That is exactly what book covers are for, so you can judge the content. However, I understand your analogy and I recognize that this is just a bias that stems probably from some level of vanity I have. I can’t say my website is the best one out there either, but I know the look of this particular website is not one I trust.
In Conclusion
There it is! That is my list of places you can find work as a scopist, and some options you have in the future. If you’re stuck and you’re trying to find new reporters, I promise, they’re out there. You just have to know where to look!
In regards to the places I chose not to use. I have no intention of negatively critiquing any of these sources, I simply wanted to give my opinion about why I chose not to use certain avenues when pursuing work.
I hope you found this post helpful! If you did, make sure to leave a comment down below! If you have suggestions for other places that people could find work or where you have been successful, let me know! Or, if maybe you want to defend some of the places I chose not to use, I’d love to hear from you too. If you had a good experience with any of these places, I would be happy to hear your story!
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