The Top 3 Reasons People Fail at Transcription Work

There are probably as many reasons why people fail at transcription as there are people who think they want to do this as a career. But really, we can boil it down to just three simple reasons why people fail at transcription work.

Reason #1:  Lack of Proper Training

Unfortunately, the idea that the ability to type is all that is needed to provide general transcription services is all too frequently both said and believed. It’s simply not true. Without the proper training, you stand little chance of being able to provide clients or transcription companies with an acceptable transcript.

Reason #2:  Inability or Unwillingness to Follow Through

This applies not only to training, but to acquiring clients as well. If you don’t complete the training or give up after just a few rejections, you will never succeed. It’s a process of learning and applying what you have learned. Not everyone is going to hire you. That’s a fact in any online or offline occupation. You must have the guts to “stick with it” and try again. Ask any successful person how many failures they had before they became successful. Don’t be surprised when the answer is “I failed at everything I did…” Failure is just a launching pad to success.

Reason #3:  Lack of Self-motivation/Self-discipline

Failure to meet deadlines will kill your business quicker than you can whine, “Why?” If you lack the ability to get things done through your own self-discipline, you’ll fail. There will be no one watching over you. You must have a sincere desire to succeed and to exceed clients’ expectations. If you put things off until the last moment and, when the last moment arrives, some life emergency happens, what are you going to do? I’ve been disappointed many times by transcriptionists who had good skills, but were undependable. They were quickly dropped from the roster. Life happens. Most people will understand a sudden emergency, but failure to communicate and failure to deliver are the surest ways to failure as a general transcriptionist.

Not sure transcription work is your jam? Check out our free Transcription Foundations mini-course.

Your Turn!

Can you think of another shortcut to failure as a transcriptionist? Leave a comment below!