Typing Work And Transcription Jobs

A close up of a person typing on their laptop

Would You Like To Work From Home Typing?

It’s a fantastic thought, isn’t it, working flexible hours from home? Earning a bit of extra money in your own time without having to leave the house. No petrol costs, no train or bus fares, no traffic queues or having to come home alone late at night. No scraping the frost from the windscreen at 7am, no having to say to your friends that you can’t go out to the latest student night at a club in town because you’ve got to go to work.

Can you type? Most probably.

A typing job could be the answer to your conundrum of wanting to work from home but not knowing what type of work to do.

University students can earn (no doubt much needed) extra cash by simply typing from home for a few hours a week and the beauty of it is you get to choose your working hours. So if you’ve got lecture and seminar commitments, essays to write, friends to meet, bars to go to, you can factor all that in and use the rest of the time to earn extra money from home by sitting, well, wherever you like, and typing.

What Types of Typing Work Can I Do From Home?

Many typists who work from home do transcription work. Transcription jobs are where you are given a piece of audio to listen to and you need to type up what is being said, sometimes word for word, sometimes just the key points.

There are many transcription firms that take on lots of audio from clients (such as researchers, doctors, and lawyers) and then send those audio files out to home transcriptionists who transcribe it before returning it to the transcription company.

Take Note are one such company, offering typing jobs from home ideal for students.

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What Skills Are Needed To Be A Transcriptionist?

So how do you get home transcription jobs in one of these remote transcription teams? Some have a few requirements and then you simply sign up and wait for your first audio to arrive. But the success of these transcription companies is down to your skills as a transcriptionist so you need to be competent and organised in a few areas:

Have you got a good command of the English language?

Well, if you’re a university student, your English is going to be of at least a satisfactory standard.

How is your spelling and grammar?

Be honest with yourself here. Even the best of students and graduates can have problems with spelling and grammar. If it’s not up to scratch, completed transcripts that are full of spelling errors could be sent back to you for correction. A few hours typing work can turn into many hours and possibly result in you missing a deadline and no pay.

How fast can you type?

Some companies have a minimum speed requirement. Take Note, for example, have a minimum speed requirement of 70 words per minute. Other companies won’t stipulate a typing speed so this could give you a foot in the door if you think you can’t match a high word per minute count. It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that if you are slow at typing, transcription jobs may not be for you. You might not be able to reach tight deadlines and the slower you type, the more your hourly pay rate decreases because you are taking so long to type the words.

Are you really available at the times you’ve said you’re available?

Transcription companies work to tight deadlines and could send you some audio through to transcribe with a fast turnaround. This is fine if you’re sat at home, waiting for potential work, but if you decide to go out with friends, after saying you are available, you need to let the company know. Generally, you will only need to commit a few hours per week so it is very easy to fit a home typing job in around your studies.

What Equipment Do I Need For Transcription Jobs From Home?

Obviously, for a transcription job you are going to need a Laptop or PC. You will also need some comfortable earphones and preferably a quiet room so you can concentrate on what is being said. A fast internet connection is necessary so you can email your attachments and also download any audio sent to you.

Sometimes, transcription companies use their own software but if you decide to start doing any of your own freelance transcription work, Express Scribe is an invaluable piece of software that makes it easy to stop, start and rewind the audio. It also has lots of other useful features.

Is There A Minimum Age For Typing From Home Jobs?

No, which makes home based typing jobs a great option for students of all ages! However, some transcription companies require their remote typists to have educational qualifications such as GCSE English or a degree.

How Much Can I Earn Working From Home Typing?

Rates of pay for transcription jobs vary greatly between different companies and some will increase your pay as you become more experienced or if you can produce a quick turnaround for an emergency piece of work.

As a general guide, you can expect to earn around £15 per hour for a typing job from home.

Some transcription companies pay by the audio hour (which is why it’s beneficial to have a good typing speed), others pay by the audio minute or by the page. Being paid by the page is useful if someone is a very fast speaker. You will be paid more for your typist work.

A woman sat cross legged on her bed with her laptop on her lap typing

Are online typing jobs legit?

You should NOT be charged for registering with a transcription service for an online typing job!

Steer clear of any company that charges you because they are probably a scam. We check all job postings on our site and ensure that all jobs are legitimate, meaning we can bring you the best opportunities.

If you are a busy student or graduate and want to be completely flexible, doing bits of your own freelance transcription on an ad hoc basis, read our E4S page about useful Tips for Online Freelancing. This page gives you some online freelancing agencies for finding home typing jobs and other freelancing work you could take on from the comfort of your own home, and gives you some tips about how these sites work. From these freelance sites, you will also get a good idea of the current going rates for online typing jobs.

Work From Home Typing Jobs

Typing jobs from home are available all year round, so you can apply now! Search the latest typing jobs below or have a look at the Take Note profile for more information.

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