The online world exploded under the impact of Covid. Whilst covid was one of the toughest times to live through for many people alive today, it brought the benefits of online. Not only can you work remotely as a Miami court reporter but you can also certify completely online.
Advantages of an Online Court Reporting Course
Most of us now know the advantages of online courses. After all, who wants to sit in commuter traffic several hours a day? Moreover, with an online course, you can manage your study time more easily along with your other commitments.
Aside from ease and flexibility, certifying as a Miami court reporter online also costs you less. Each court reporting course is clearly different but generally costs somewhere between $5,000 and $20,000 a year.
Although, bear in mind that this depends on whether you do the certification or the full Bachelor’s degree. Either way, an online course costs a fraction of that and you can even find some certification courses online for around $500.
Another benefit is that you can choose to go faster and certify within a few months. Naturally, that depends on you but it can be done. This means that you’ll be earning some income more quickly which can also go to further studies should you wish to proceed to a Bachelor’s degree.
When studying online to become a Miami court reporter, it’s worth bearing in mind the disadvantages to navigate. For instance, how will you make sure that you check in with your fellow students? What discipline do you need to put in place to attend the online forums and chats? Getting involved with others helps you build a network which is invaluable for your future career.
To keep you motivated, it’s also interesting to remember why you should choose court reporting as a career.
- Varied career options
- Strong job prospects
- Flexible working hours
Varied career options
As a Miami court reporter, the obvious choice is to work with the law courts. Nevertheless, you can also opt to work as a webinar and convention reporter or as a broadcast or webcast captioner. There’s also a need for communication access real-time translation (CART) providers to convert speech into text for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Strong job prospects
The legal industry needs new people to join as many of its reporters are at retirement age. This means that you’ll be in demand as a Miami court reporter. Moreover, you can generate a lucrative salary with time.
Flexible working hours
If you’re studying online, there’s a high chance you’ll want to work remotely also. Not only are there possibilities for flexible working hours but also for remote working as a Miami court reporter. Interestingly, if you choose to become a freelancer, you can also certify in other states if you wish, giving you access to a wider portfolio of potential clients.
What You Learn as a Future Miami Court Reporter
As you launch into your career as a Miami court reporter, you might want to reflect on what you’re going to learn. The fundamentals of the role revolve around writing, listening and editing. For this, you need a passion for the written word and for accuracy.
Studying to become a Miami court reporter also means knowing your grammar inside out whilst also learning shorthand and typing skills. The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has a minimum typing speed you need to meet in the final exams. As you might expect, they also need you to know and apply the NCRA Code of Professional Ethics.
In fact, ethics and the ability to be impartial are critical skills for any Miami court reporter. To give you an idea, any slight mistake on a transcript or advantage to either party will void a court proceeding. Moreover, court reporters need to stand firm when attorneys put pressure to get transcripts ahead of time. They are under enormous pressure but they might need reminding of the process at times.
Other important aspects you’ll learn before becoming a Miami court reporter include:
- The foundations of the legal system
- Specialist terminology
- Digital tools
The foundations of the legal system
A Miami court reporter isn’t a lawyer but it helps to understand the basics if you want to transcribe quickly and effectively. Not understanding what’s being said in court proceedings makes it hard to type accurately.
Specialist terminology
You’ll also learn key medical and industrial terminology, as well as legal terms, that can also help you. Furthermore, it’s good practice once you become a Miami court reporter to read around the subject before court proceedings to become familiar with any new terminology.
Digital tools
It’s critical for court reporters to leverage the right digital tools to turnaround their transcripts quickly and effectively. These tools include, for example, voice-to-text and computer-aided transcription (CAT) software, stenomasks and a stenograph connected to a laptop.
Don’t Let Location Stop You From Becoming a Miami Court Reporter
Studying online is a great option if you want flexibility and a more manageable budget. Now that you can study to be a Miami court reporter completely online, you can even launch a remote career afterwards. In short, you can manage your career from home and become a successful reporter of your making.