Potential scoping student

[Debbie]

Hello. My name is Debbie, and I'm known as "FarAwayDeb" everywhere on the internet. I am seriously considering enrolling in the Internet Scoping School.

I have worked doing transcribing/word processing for law firms for over 25 years. For the past 5 years I have been working as a medical transcriptionist. So I have both legal and medical experience. Also, many years ago, I was trained and worked as a proofreader for Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company. (The Thomson Corporation purchased LCP in 1989.)

I've been searching the internet to find out everything there is to know about scoping before I scrape up the money for ISS. One question I have not found an answer to so far is: How are scopists paid? Is it by the line, by the page, or what?

I know I can learn to be a scopist, and since I am a hard worker and a perfectionist I know I can be a good, reliable one. My biggest fear is finding someone to hire me as a scopist when I have finished training but have no actual experience as a scopist. Any tips?

Thanks.
Deb

[Nancy J. Davilla]

Hi Deb,

I'm a student at ISS, as well. I'm fairly new; I'm going to be taking my final in the Notereading module this weekend. I have the same fear you do, hoping to be hired. I don't have any medical experience, but I am a legal secretary and have been for the past 10 years, so I have proofreading experience.

Scopists are paid by the page. If you do a search for actual scopist websites, you can check out their rates section and it will give you a better idea of what they charge.

The best of luck to you, whatever school you go with.

~Nancy

[Dory Nichols]

Hi Debbie! I have seen you on some of the MT forums :) I just recently started my scoping training with BeST and so far I really like it very much. I don't know anything about ISS so I'm afraid I can't offer any advice in that regard, but I wanted to wish you luck from one MT to another. I belong to another group on Yahoo for scopists and if you are interested I can send you the link to help with your research. The group is Scopists Support Group or SSG.

Dory

[Patricia Babits]

Scopists are paid by the page. It's usually about 1.00 a page for scoping w/o audio, 1.10 or so for spot checking to the audio, and 1.25 to 1.75 for full listen to the audio while scoping. People charge differently, but that's an estimate.

I think you would make about $20 an hour, but I'm not a scopist so they could answer better. I know the really good court reporters can scope 50 pages an hour, so you would make more per hour the better writers you work for. As a brand new scopist, you might have to start out scoping for new reporter. Their work might be more work for you, so less money per hour.