Intro

[Al]

Hi, everyone,

I'm new to CSRnation but I've been a court reporter for a while. I enjoy sharing with students and with young professionals what I have learned from my successes as well as my failures over the years. I look forward to contributing where I can here in the 'nation.

[jayne]

I would enjoy hearing about your experiences in court reporting. Do you have any tips to share with students?

jayne

[Al]

Hi, Jayne,

Visit www.polishingthepearl.com or www.albetzreporting.com (case studies) and you will be able to read quite a few stories. Also, my book is available on-line for purchase and it's an excellent book, I'm told, for students. It's called Polishing the Pearl; the Art of Professional Performance. If you are coming to the NCRA midyear in Boston, I'm speaking on my favorite subject, Outfluence, on Sunday morning, April 6th.

Here are the tips that I have for students: spend as much quality time at the machine as you can possibly stand. Don't expect overnight results, except in this sense: you will be working toward a WPM increment and struggling like crazy, then all of a sudden seemingly overnight you'll pass the speed test you've been working at. Remember that those little neurons and synapses are working hard to coordinate for you deep inside your body. When they do, look out! All good things come with time. Keep practicing.

The comedian Steve Martin says that people ask him all the time what they have to do to get to Hollywood. They expect him to say well, here's how you get an agent, or here's how to pick a script, or here's how you evaluate a project. No. That's not what he tells them. He tell them this: get so good that they can't ignore you. In court reporter speak that means, in my opinion and based on my experience, become the best court reporter you can be. Strive for realtime, because if you're a good realtime writer, that means you have the ability to always say yes to service requests. 99.9 percent of the time anyway. That's what will secure your future, the ability to say yes. The ability to perform. If you're that good, they can't ignore you. You're too valuable.

Read. Read everything you can, even things that don't interest you terribly. Experience life. Sightsee, get to Broadway, learn about opera, write articles for your professional publications, write articles for your own enjoyment. Learn to play an instrument. Fill your head with information.

Finally, I encourage you to read Polishing the Pearl.

How's that for starters? Good luck in your studies.

Al