Transcriptionist Carolyn shares her transcription story.
Transcriptionist Carolyn is a working transcriptionist from Florida and has allowed us to interview her and find out more about her and what she does in the transcription profession.
She is an incredible person with quite an interesting life! She has hobbies, personal interests, and happily devotes part of her time to her community. Come meet her!
Meet Carolyn: Transcriptionist, church musician, and wine lover!
Transcriptionist Carolyn Blakeslee lives in Ocala, Florida, and is her church’s musician for two services each Sunday morning. She is quite talented and plays the keyboards and organ. Then in the evenings, during the 5:30 p.m. Sunday worship service each week, Carolyn leads the band and sings, which she says is so much fun!
In addition, Carolyn enjoys blogging about wine, and her wonderful blogs are located at The Frugal Wine Snob. She also transcribes from her home as an independent contractor and works with various clients.
Let’s find out more about Carolyn, shall we?
How did you get started as a transcriptionist working from home?
I was a part-time transcriptionist for a year or so back in the day of dictation machines and microcassette recorders/players.
My current incarnation started in April 2019 — I lost my home and a staggering amount of personal property in Hurricane Irma. In the process of replacing furniture and such, I maxed out my credit. So I listed my guest room on Airbnb and started doing transcription!
Since I type 120 wpm and was an editor for 30 years in many subject areas, it was an easy transition. Launching into transcription has been a blessing for me. As a result, I’ve worked with some wonderful people.
RELATED: Frequently Asked Questions.
Which type of transcription is your specialty?
Right now I’m mostly doing legal transcription.
What are your favorite and least favorite types of work?
My favorites are hearings, depositions, interviews, and podcasts. And my least favorites are roundtables and focus groups.
RELATED: Podcasts.
Approximately how many hours a week do you work as a transcriptionist?
Well, it actually varies. Occasionally just a few hours, often 20 or more.
Do you believe that any training is necessary for general transcription?
It depends on the person. My background in editing has served me well, and I’m a crackerjack speller and grammar Nazi. 
What about training for legal transcription? Any thoughts on that?
Yes. My clients have been very good about educating me as to their (or their clients’) preferred formatting; i.e., a dash vs. ellipsis, etc. Generally all I need is a template or sample transcription and I’m good to go.
RELATED: Legal Transcription Training.
If you had a word of advice for someone considering transcription, what would you tell them?
It’s a great way to work at home and set your own hours.
Conclusion
You can reach Carolyn at CarolynBlakeslee@gmail.com to hire her services or chat with her. We sincerely thank her for sharing her personal story and giving her thoughts to our readers!