missyc
Newbie
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« on: June 22, 2004, 09:20:25 am » |
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If you you've never done audio typing at work- how do you learn it?
A lot of the jobs i've see advertised insist on audio typing but its the whole chicken and egg thing again.
Where is best place to learn and practice it?
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Cozwaz
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« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2004, 09:51:38 am » |
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I am sure you can do courses in audio typing perhaps at Pitmann training schools or somewhere similar, perhaps you local college.
I first came across audio typing in my first ever job at the age of 18 - my boss at the time gave me a tape and I just had to get on with it! It is easy though and I am sure you would soon pick it up. Apply for positions that require audio experience, I wouldn't let the fact that you haven't got any audio experience stop you. I think knowing and understanding terminology, layouts and knowledge of type of business you are working in are more important (for example if you are a legal secretary)
I suggested to my MD that he used a dictaphone (I don't use shorthand), but he is far happier typing up his own letters when required, then mails them across to me for my opinion and to sort the layout out!! Oh yes and to get rid of unnecessary capital letters he puts in - he seems to love them!!!
Coz
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gee4
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« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2004, 11:02:27 am » |
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I learnt at college during my bi-lingual course. However I never really liked it and in fact never used it in any of my jobs. Personally I would never apply for a job where that was required. It's more of a secretarial duty than a PA one ... well I have found that anyway. My current role doesn't even require typing either!
G
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catsmeat
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« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2004, 11:19:19 am » |
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I learned as part of my secretarial course. I've used it sporadically over the years - some jobs were pretty much exclusively audio, others the boss liked the one-to-one approach. Current boss started with audio, but it became apparent that it didn't work for him, and now it's shorthand. As there are some very odd words in his work, it's useful for me to be able to stop him and ask him to spell stuff, rather than spending hours on the Net looking for a comprehensive directory of Orthodox religious leaders in the vain hope that I might find something approaching what I think he dictated!
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raindance
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« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2004, 01:39:36 pm » |
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I learned in my first job, MissyC - it was a sort of "sink or swim" situation. There's no magic to it. I would describe it as being rather like listening to a Walkman and typing what you hear. Every industry has its own language, or set of technical terms, and so you have to either know or pick up quickly industry-specific terminology.
I often think that people who dictate on audio are the ones who need training! It takes quite a bit of organisation and clarity of thought to be able to "see" a document or letter and to dictate it. Some people dictate the punctuation; others expect their admin staff to add the punctuation. And then there are those charming, helpful people who compose their dictation in strange places. My very first boss invariably dictated whilst he was travelling on buses and trains.
Raindance
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catsmeat
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« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2004, 02:33:27 pm » |
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Not to mention those who hold the dictaphone so close to their mouth, all you get is distorted mumble! I made one guy listen to his "dictation" so he could hear what I was up against, and his style improved tremendously.
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countrigal
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« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2004, 02:41:31 pm » |
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About 7 years ago I ran into this first hand. My new boss was the doc in charge of all the autopsy letters sent to families of patients who died as an inpatient at the hospital and had autopsies done. My medical background was dental, so I was kind of thrown in the deep end of the pool, but I learned. I actually prefer typing from audio than from hard copy, especially with the right equipment. I had a pedal controlled player, with adjustable speed, so I could set it to play as fast as I could type and it was a more continuous typing experience. It was also easy to back track and replay if I ran into anything I couldn't understand or know. Luckily, while I was learning I had a co-worker who sat in the desk next to mine who could put on my headphones and decipher those lovely new medical terms that I was having trouble with. My fav? Myocardial Infarction. The last word never sounded right but always sounded like bossie was cussing, which I knew he wouldn't.
In my present job, I have very little of that type of work to do, but whenever I'm given a hard copy of anything to type up I always wish just a little that they'd provided it to me on audio. It just seemed easier that way. And those folks who type it themselves and then want me to 'fix' it ought to be shot. If you're going to type it, at least try to use the template that is standard at this company! And understand the proper use of a table before using it, messing it up, and expecting me to fix it. Pet peeves of mine!
CountriGal
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spitfire78
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« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2004, 03:31:23 pm » |
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We hired a secretary about 5 years ago who admitted in the interview that she had never transcribed from a tape. All of the work she had previously done had been presented to her in hard copy form. She was quite nervous about it but she was a very experienced secretary. Turns out she had absolutely no problem picking it up. We expected to have to help her a bit at first, but she took off with it and never looked back! It's just a matter of getting used to it, but I don't think you'll have any problem at all.
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bethalize
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« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2004, 03:44:20 pm » |
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I didn't learn it, I just started and got better pretty quickly. It's actually easier than copy typing IMO because you can look at the screen and catch your mistakes straight away!
Bethalize
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newtofl
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« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2004, 05:29:56 pm » |
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Missy
I found the best way to learn is to just do it. I would go to the local library and get slow steno tapes so I could learn how to type while listening to someone speak. It took me a little bit to learn but I now use the dictaphone on a daily basis. I have 2 ways of receiving my dictation, one a tape which I use my machine on my desk and the other is through my e-mail which I have my headset and footpedal attached to the computer.
For the most part, I have no problems with the people who dictate. One guy imparticular tends to mumble when he speaks and sometimes I cannot understand him. I also transcribe recorded statements and sometimes have difficulty understand the people on the other end of the conversation. If I do not understand something, I leave a blank and send it to the person who sent it to me and they fill in the blanks (or tell me what to fill in).
Good luck
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