After graduating from court reporter school, getting a license, and starting your new career, what might a typical day’s work look like? Those who are considering embarking on a new career should consider more than a job description that’s summed up in a few sentences. Learning a bit more can help you determine whether or not it’s suited for your personality type as well as your career goals. Let’s take a look at the job of court reporting so you can decide if investing in getting educated in this area is right for you. Schools who teach the required skills advertise throughout the internet but what’s the job really like? 

People who like fast-paced work and who have a keen eye for detail are best suited for this type of work.  And, court reporters are professionals that can do more than work in court rooms alone. They often work in other locations and work both before and after courtroom proceedings to ensure that the transcripts they’ve worked on are complete, accurate, and secure. 

The court room might be the most likely place for someone in this vocation to spend their time but other job opportunities also exist, such as: transcriptions for various events and conferences as well as captioning positions for live and recorded television shows that require text for the hearing impaired. You may work directly for someone, may work for an agency, or you may be a freelance court reporter that works from home as well. 

The job can offer flexibility and plenty of opportunities. Job placement rates are high and unemployment among qualified court reporters is extremely low. In a time where many people are concerned about job security, finding a career that offers you security in an unstable economy is akin to peace of mind. The career choice is also interesting as well as well-paying, which makes getting educated and attending court reporting school a worthwhile investment. 

What’s taught in Court Reporter School? 

Court reporting training may have been referred to as stenography school in the past, but there’s a lot more to this profession than learning to use stenography equipment. 

You will learn use of stenography equipment, electronic reporting, or voice writer software package applications at accredited court reporting schools. Being able to use the required equipment and software for creation of transcripts is important of course, but court reporters also need to learn other skills as well, so that they’re best able to perform their job. 

Skills taught at court reporting schools could include: 

  • English skills
  • Shorthand
  • Law foundations
  • Legal terminology
  • Speed building
  • Policies and procedures relating to document and information security
  • And more

It can take on average two to four years to complete your course and become licensed. Skills taught at court reporting school will prepare you for an exam that qualifies you to work in this profession. After passing that exam, you’ll need to follow local guidelines to keep your skills updated in order to maintain that license. 

Finding Work 

There are direct employment opportunities, agencies, and plenty of freelance opportunities as well. Once you’ve built the skills and expertise required for this profession, you can work just about anywhere and for a decent salary as well. 

Note: Many court reporting professionals choose to become notary publics as well. Having these skills complement one another and can provide further career opportunities.  The court reporter program you enrol in could also provide job placement opportunities, making it easy for you to get employed quickly after graduation and passing your exam. 

Skills Needed 

You’ll need to accuracy skills. You need to be able to think fast, especially if doing real time reporting in a court room or at a hearing and you’ll need to be able to use reporting skills flawlessly. Those with these skills can get lucrative positions.  There’s zero room for error in this field when you’re doing live reporting. A court reporting and stenography school will help students build the foundation of skills needed and then help them practice to build speed while ensuring accuracy. 

If your job consists of more than straight stenography, you’ll be able to put plenty of skills into practice. It can be a very interesting job, particularly if you’re interested in the legal field as well as criminal justice. 

If you’re doing voice writing, you’ll need to learn how to use speech recognition software. Not all court reporters use stenography machines any longer and as technology matures, new skills can be acquired to help you to continue to have marketable skills in this field.

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