How do you know you're ready for the CSR?

[Stephanie Fernandez, RMR]

I finally passed qualifiers last week, and I don't know whether or not I'll be ready to take the CSR in June. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to tell whether or not you're ready.
Thanks for your time.

[Stephanie Fernandez, RMR]

I took the test and passed, but I just returned from my first job, and it was a total nightmare. I think I'm going to stop and go back to school. There was an interpreter there, which I didn't expect, and it was really difficult trying to take them down when they're both speaking. Even the witness had a difficult time with and asked them to speak one at a time, but they wouldn't. When I asked the attorney to repeat himself, I got yelled at. And worst of all, it was supposed to go all day, which my agency wasn't notified of either. Fortunately for me, the interpreter wasn't notified either, so they had to schedule another depo.
This was an awful introduction to the work. I don't even feel like I want to do this anymore.

[Diana Sasseen]

Oh, Stephanie, so sorry to hear your first job was such a nightmare. Don't let it set you back. Get back on that horse asap. Some depos are great, some are not. Hopefully your next one will be better.

If you felt that your speed wasn't up to what was needed, practice (you should be practicing anyway, even with that CSR), but perhaps it was just a lousy depo. The atty yelling at you is uncalled for.

I wish you great luck on the next one.

[Stephanie Fernandez, RMR]

Thanks. I've been practicing a lot. I've passed several mock RPRs at school, and I've kept up my practice routine at home.
But this was just awful. I'm thinking I should just go back to school.

[Diana Sasseen]

It just kills me to hear someone so discouraged after one depo. There are awful jobs out there; sadly you got one on your first time out. How about this: Go to school on the days you don't have a job, but don't stop working completely. I really think the longer you stay away, the more that anxiety will build and the more likely you are to never return.

Just curious - what state do you live in?

[Stephanie Fernandez, RMR]

I'm in California.
I know this isn't going to get any easier, which makes it more difficult to figure out how to handle the situation. I don't want to go out there and take jobs I can't handle and risk losing the record, but even if I stay in school, the real world will still be very different.
I just feel so frustrated. I've been so excited about starting, and right out the gate, it was just a miserable experience.

[Diana Sasseen]

You have to do what's right for you. I just hope you don't give up. If you're passing mock RPRs, you've obviously got some good speed going. I wish you all the luck in the world and I look forward to your future post about how great your next job went!

Diana

[Stephanie Fernandez, RMR]

I just wanted to thank you ladies for all the support. My first depo wasn't a great experience, but I just got back from my fifth, and so far, I've left every depo thinking it was the best one yet.
Thanks again :)

[Diana Sasseen]

Stephanie,

So happy to hear you jumped back in the ring and things are looking up. I hope you have a long and happy career as a reporter!

Best of luck,
Diana Sasseen

[Sharla Preciado]

Stephanie, I'm sorry to hear your first depo was so tough. You can't let a difficult first depo stop you, though. It's totally understandable to feel overwhelmed, but remember that you probably felt overwhelmed each time you went to the first day of your next speed class, but you kept at it and conquered it and went on to the next speed.

Keep practicing to keep your confidence up and to keep building speed...but let me encourage you to keep taking depos, too.

My first depo I was told would be a nonappearance. Instead, there were 4 attorneys who had flown in out of state to take the deposition of an expert witness in a medical malpractice case. His expertise was in anesthesiology during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, and it was the densest material I'd ever heard. My dictionary obviously didn't have most of the words they were saying, even relatively common things like Harvard University. One of the attorneys was looking over my shoulder and seeing all the untranslates. He interrupted a few times to clarify what was said because he thought I wasn't getting it if it wasn't coming up correctly on the screen. It was so embarassing! We went all day and didn't take a lunch break, and I thought I was going to die! It took HOURS and HOURS to edit that job and many tears as well. My point is: I got through it. I got through it just like you'll get through yours. And I've had other hard days but never another day like that one.

Every day in this business you come up against something new or face an attorney with a new set of peculiarities when you thought for sure you'd seen 'em all! If the attorney yelled at you, he was just a jerk. If you didn't handle your requests for them to slow down or not talk over one another the way a seasoned reporter may have, that's because you're not a seasoned reporter. Don't get down on yourself for those things. Your agency knows you're new. Tell them what happened, ask for advice.

Instead of saying to yourself, "Today was so bad, I never want to do this again," you can choose to say, "Today was so bad, but now I know that if I can handle that, I can handle anything!"

[Diana Sasseen]

Stephanie,

Why don't you say generally what area in California you live in. Maybe one of us is in the same general area and can meet with you or try to help you along.

Just a thought.

[Stephanie Fernandez, RMR]

Thanks. I really appreciate all the support.
I'm editing my work right now, and it looks like I got it down pretty well (with some very messy portions where the interpreter and the witness both answered in English). I was really afraid I wouldn't have the record, but I think it was just unpleasant and not the total failure it felt like.
I'm still not really sure how to approach the next job, but it helped seeing that I got more down than I thought.
Thanks again. I hope to post about a great job with polite attorneys someday soon. . .

[Diana Sasseen]

YAHOO!!! I'm glad to see that your transcript is better than you thought. See, you are good!!! Just a lousy bunch of scenarios all rolled up into one lousy job. You go, girl! Be sure and post about your next job so we know you made it over the hump. Reporting is a great career. You will be more confident with every job (with those occasional lousy ones mixed in). You will be proud of yourself. Take the next job you're offered. Forget about this one. And the next time an attorney yells at you - which actually is rare, but happens - just detach your machine and hit him with your tripod. Okay, only in your mind's eye. I have been known to flip off an attorney with my hand under the table. No one but me knows I'm doing it, but it's a great stress relief. Just be sure it's not a glass table.

Best of luck!!!!