Broadcast Captioning

[Yvonne Speck]

Hi CSRnation. I want a career in Court Reporting. I am intrigued with Broadcast Captioning. I live in the Los Angeles area. Can you please advise what is starting salary for Broadcast Captioner and what is the median salary. Once certified, is it difficult to find a job? Also, any recommendations on the best schools for this. Some of my possible choices are: Cerritos College, Cypress College, and Downey Adult School.

[Glen Warner]

Hi, Yvonne.

Welcome to CSR Nation!

Over on the Depoman forum, there is a thread in the Student Boot Camp section from a student that also wants to become a captioner. Can't recall the title of the thread at the moment (I'm writing this off-line), but there were some good answers in there as far as the state of captioning today, including a response from Jill Driscoll.

I cannot advise you on which school to go to; you should locate Tami Frasier here on CSR Nation. She taught her son, Clay, the Stenomaster theory for three months, sent him to a school near their house, and they forced him to sit in on the theory class.

He got bored, and tested out -- at 60 WPM.

Now, about two years later, he's a working reporter, at the ripe old age of 22, having passed his CA CSR exam with five errors, total.

Anyway, Tami considered at least two of the schools on your list, which is why I recommend that you talk to her.

In addition to captioning, I recommend that you also consider CART work. As for why, here's a relevant quote from Bece Kidder, another CSR Nation denizen:

Just so you all know CART is recession proof. There are so many students enrolled because (of) the economy I am working my butt off. Unfortunately I haven't gotten into a routine yet and my speedbuilding has gone by the wayside a bit. :(

Good luck, Yvonne.

--gdw
------------------------
"For a Good (steno) Time ...."
http://www.cheapandsleazy.net