Self Taught Scoping

[Kimberly Baltunis]

Can I get some feedback on self taught scoping? I have the scoping version of DigitalCat and am a CR student. I have looked at Scoping Schools, but am leary of plunking down more cash for a short term profession. I really just want to scope while finishing CR, but obviously want to do the best job, and be marketable.

so the question is, can I figure it out on my own with the information in CR school, or should I attend a Scoping Traning program as well.

Thanks for any info.

[Vicki]

Hi Kimberly,
I scope using Eclipse software and am learning CR at home (online). I self taught on the Eclipse software and it's very user friendly. My mom is a CR and she got me started on scoping. There is still a lot that I have to learn about the software, but the basics are quite easy to pick up. It's the little nuances that you learn as you get your feel for it. Just thought I'd let you know how it worked for me.

Thanks,
Vicki McGinnis

[Kimberly Baltunis]

Thanks Vicki, I am looking at getting some un edited and the edited version of some transcripts so that I can get going, I did learn some software this last weekend so that will help too.

[Devon Roberts]

Hi Kimberly,

If you have not already purchased the Lillian Morson's English Guide for Court Reporters (LMEG),
that should be your next investment.
There are a lot of little things to know and learn about scoping. If you would truly like to learn
those things in the most cost-effective manner, I would recommend checking out the different
courses which I provide through Scoping Made Affordable (SMA).
Here is the link to that information. http://www.joyfulscoping.com/SMACourses.html

You can purchase each course separately. There is also a course on marketing.
If you have more questions, feel free to let me know at [e-mail].

Blessings,
Ms. Devon Roberts

[Stephanie C.]

Ms. Roberts:
I was wondering if SMA offers placement exams. I am currently enrolled in medical transcription school and hope to graduate within the next 3 months or so. I have had a really hard time finding employment as a medical transcriptionist as it seems that even after you're certified everyone wants 2 - 5 years experience; as you know, you can't gain experience if no one will hire you. I attended court reporting school in '95 but the school closed so I was never able to graduate but learned the theory. I then went to work for a court reporting firm at which time I scoped very briefly for one of the reporters. I then went to work full time for a law firm and have been working as a legal secretary for over ten years now. I feel with my legal background, medical transcription training and the fact that I attended CR school and worked for a court reporting firm gives me a great advantage in the scoping field. All that being said, I really want to get started in a field where I can put my training to use and start recovering some of my expense which leads me back to scoping. Again, would I have to pay for the whole course through SMA or can I be tested to see if I can get by with taking only part of the course.

[Joyce Davis]

If you're a court reporting student, you probably know what you need to know to be a scopist, depending on how far along you are. With good ears, excellent punctuation skills (with the help of Morson), a good vocabulary, and a flair for detail (skills reporters need too) you're on your way.

Also important is mastery of your softwary. Scoping schools don't teach you software.

Good luck. I think scoping is excellent preparation for an aspiring court reporter.

joyce davis

[Devon Roberts]

First, I want to apologize to Stephanie because I did not see your post until now.
So I apologize for not responding but I will now receive notifications regarding this thread.

With that said, I wanted to clarify that Scoping Made Affordable (SMA) does train scopists on the CAT programs through a variety of methods. Some through direct phone call instruction, some through files created for training purposes, practice files to edit with and conference call trainings.

Feel free to send any questions regarding the SMA training to [e-mail] because I do not always have time to visit the forums. Thank you.

Ms. Devon Roberts
www.joyfulscoping.com
[e-mail]