REALLY HARD TIME BEING A NEW REPORTER

[Rachel Mcroy]

I have been having a really hard time being a new reporter I KEEP SCREWING UP and trying my hardest not to mess up but the more i try harder and more I mess up. Today I misread the time for a hearing and was late, now my firm is really upset with me and I can't blame them. But I'm sure they're sick of my excuses but I'm really am trying. Maybe some of you reporters out there who have been doing it longer can tell me if you have made repeared mistakes being a new reporter or a seasoned reporter... I would really like to hear what some of you have to say maybe it will help me from feeling so down.

[Janiece Young]

Rachel,
I remember when I was a green reporter and I had a problem reading back. I was really embarrassed. I called a friend of mine who had been reporting longer than I had and she said to me, "Do you think you're the only reporter who has ever messed up a read-back?" Now that I have AudioSynch if I am not sure about a certain spot, I just say, I want to double check this before I read it back, pop on my headphones and listen and read it back. That doesn't happen too often but every once and a while I have an icky spot.
One thing that I find really helps a lot to set the tone and make things go better is if I get to the job early. That way I can get set up, look the notice over, run to the ladies room and get the best chair. Hang in there. You can do it.
Good luck,
Janiece

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I remember one of my first jobs was a doctor at a VA hospital. I was so out of my league that it is not funny. I started crying on a break and called my office and had another reporter come replace me. That is probably why to this day I don'tt want to take doctor depos. Very traumatic situation for me.

Hang in there. With time comes confidence and with confidence you will realize you will make less mistakes. We have all been there.

[Erica Abbott]

Hi, Rachel:) Cheer up. As the others said, things will get better. Unfortunately, the only way for you to prove yourself to show the company that you are truly working your butt of is to just show them. You know, it's the same old thing; actions speak louder than words. Slowly, you'll start to fall in place and figure it out.

I can remember forgetting my power cord and I also made the mistake of being lazy with backing up things, and my computer crashed. That was a horrible feeling that I will never go through again! Not to mention the time I forgot my software key and my support contract was up and had to pay $700 on the spot. It's kind of funny now... sort of.

I am kind of an anal person, but I always found it easier if you have a checklist for every job. Maybe have a note by your door to make sure you have all the equipment you need. Then, have a little checklist that you check off before you send in the job. This should have things such as; double checking the caption/appearances, making sure you have your index, make sure you have no phonetics (or that you've done everything possible to get the names), making sure there's no untranslates, do a spell check, proofread and any other ones that you think would tailor to fit what you are forgetting or need to work on.

Some other advice would be to make sure you look up your phonetics as you go along, and not to try to remember to do them later. It will just slow you down. Also, if you do have to proofread yourself, print it out and do it with a marker. I am all for going green, but not when you have to sacrifice your job.

Finally, I have been working for almost three years, and I still add a half an hour to my travel every time. This is absolutely necessary for me, since I usually have no less than a 45 minute travel. This is really worth it. You might not know the place you're going to or might not have a caption or might just want a few extra minutes to set up and practice to calm jitters before a job or you may have to actually find where you are going when you get there (such as when you get sent to pesky hospitals with 10 buildings. lol).

Don't forget that we are special because we love what we do. Trust me, I have been in situations I thought "well, this is it," but then have prevailed. If you really want it, you will do the same.

Keep us updated. I'm always interested to see if things help. Just believe in yourself:)

[Kyung]

Are you making mistakes bec. you don't know or you making mistakes bec. you're not paying attention.

If you're making mistakes bec. you don't know, then ask. If you have questions ask your your agency or your fellow reporters here on the Nation. Find a mentor. Feel free to e-mail whenever you have a question.

If you're making mistakes bec. you're overwhelmed and in over your head, take a step back,a deep breath, slow down.

The first job I took, I told the agency I don't want to be overwhelmed. I want to take one job and get it done from beginning to end before I take another job.

There are so many different things, and it can be really hard. Remember this website is a great place to get your questions answered.

[Sharla Preciado]

Rachel, I've been working for a year and a half now, and I can relate to what you're going through. I am still learning things every day and sometimes make mistakes, but at the beginning I seemed to be making mistakes left and right and felt the same as you've described.

I remember thinking, "How long will it be before I can do a job from start to finish without having to ask any silly questions or make any ridiculous rookie errors?" And every time I thought I'd accomplished that, I'd find out later that there was something I'd screwed up or hadn't doublechecked. But after a few months, it got better, and I'm sure it will for you too, especially since you care so much.

I agree with what Tara wrote and have some additional advice to offer you. First, be sure you aren't taking on too much too soon. If you're having a hard time getting everything done right and on time, then you need to do less so that you can give each transcript enough time and attention to detail. I know that's hard when you're trying to make a living, but I'm sure you want to make a good name for yourself, so for the sake of your future earnings, you might just have to take it slow right now.

Secondly, have you found a good proofer? Using an experienced proofer may be just the thing you need right now. A proofer who's been working for many different reporters for many years is going to know the things you don't know yet and be invaluable to you. So do yourself a favor and consider spending the $.35/page (or so) to make sure everything is right, especially if spelling and grammar aren't your strong suit.

Oh, and when using a new proofer, until you get comfortable and know you can trust his/her work, don't forget to do a complete final proof after you get the transcript back. That way you'll know if the proofer did an adequate job or if you need to find someone else, and you'll also learn by seeing what errors of yours were corrected. And ALWAYS do one last spellcheck before sending it in! :)

Finally, check out Kyung's blog on "Things I wish I knew my first year out" and any other info you can find here or on other court reporting sites like Court Reporter Connect. I think Kyung's blog might even give some lists of things to doublecheck before submitting your job, if I remember right.

I'm glad you posted this and hope you get plenty of good feedback.

[Debera Anne Doran]

Hi, Rachel. I believe most of us undergo a learning curve. The working world is not like the school world. I can remember a few of my "oops" when I first started reporting. It gets better. Hang in there!

[Tara Martin]

Hi, Rachel. It sounds like you really care about doing a good job as a reporter. I made varying mistakes as a reporter (I am a scopist now, but may get back into reporting in the future). The main thing is what we learn from those mistakes and how not to repeat them. Be proud of yourself for completing court reporting school, quite an accomplishment in and of itself! Just remember you CAN do this job and you will build confidence. Best of luck to you! Don't give up! Just learn from the mistakes and move on with improvement!
Tara