5 Things I’ve Learned Working as a Rev Transcriptionist

The following post was written by Ann B., a Revver located in the Washington D.C. area. Ann is a new transcriptionist at Rev, having just started in February 2017.

Maybe I always had a dream of being a court reporter. Maybe I wished I could be a fly on the wall in an interesting business meeting, college class, or legal proceeding. Whatever the journey was that brought me here, I have learned that Rev is a special place to work. Whether you are a new or experienced Revver, or considering working for Rev as a transcriptionist, I’d like to share five things that I’ve learned while working here.

5. Learning a new skill can open up your world

I was a stay-at-home mom looking to make a little extra money when I found Rev. Those first few jobs I did as a Rev “rookie” were a challenge, but once I got started, I was hooked. My typing speed got faster. My errors decreased. With each job, I learned a little more about regional accents, speech dysfluency, text expanders, speaker labels, and how they all fit into producing an outstanding transcript for our clients.

I began to feel like I was a part of something important. I looked forward to each new assignment with an open mind. With each job I finished, I began to realize I was creating something that was valuable and worthwhile for clients.

4. Honest feedback helps develop your skills

Graders. They were so unfair! Or were they? When I got my first few “bad” grades, reflecting my lack of knowledge of how we do things here, I was really down for a day or two. However, the honest feedback I got really motivated me to improve. I could have quit, but I wanted to learn how to do things the right way in order to get that prized, positive feedback from the experts.

Looking back, I understand now that those “mean” graders were only being honest when they told me that I didn’t use the speaker labels provided by clients, that I should proof my work when I’m finished, or that I misheard an important word in a recording. As a result, I developed a greater focus on my attention to detail and my grades quickly improved. I also learned the types of projects I enjoyed and worked harder to find them in the job queue.

3. Having a results-only workplace rocks!

Have you ever worked in a job where people got paid a lot of money to just show up and sit at their desks looking busy? I have. I’ve made lots of money working in jobs alongside people who didn’t really work at all. One of the great things about Rev is that you get paid for results. No one cares how long it takes you, as long as you meet the deadlines. No one cares what kind of computer you use, what your wardrobe looks like, how fast you type, or what college you went to. Want to work at 3:00 a.m.? We do that here. Want to work in your pajamas? We do that here. Don’t want to work on Mondays? Then don’t. Pick up the projects you want, when you want. If you change your mind about a project, you can let someone else finish it. If you worked on something for a little while and then quit for any reason, that work gets passed on to the next Revver with the goal of getting it done. It’s a win-win for everyone.

2. Helping others helps you

On one project, I was struggling with some audio and hit a random key on my keyboard by accident. I was taken to an area of the Rev forum (a private place for Revvers to share tips and ask questions) where people post audio that has them baffled. It’s called, “Lend an Ear”. I had no idea how it happened, but I quickly realized I had stumbled into a really helpful place. From then on, I checked out the Lend an Ear area every time I was trying to pick up a job or whenever I was taking a break.

As I listened to others’ challenging clips, I learned that I couldn’t always help, but there was almost always someone else that could. When I could help, I did (and still do). When I needed help, others were there for me. There’s a real community of people at Rev helping each other learn and grow. It makes me feel good when I can help my colleagues, and it only takes a minute or two.

1. Amazing content is available

The best thing about this job has been the content I have been able to enjoy while working. Check out the Rev home page to see some of the well-known clients that depend on us for accurate work.  As a transcriptionist, I feel very privileged to work on such amazing content and the level of trust that is given to us is a rewarding part of the job.

I have transcribed interviews with experts in science, history, and education. I have captured the colorful recollections of deceased relatives of clients, the treatment histories of beloved sons and daughters, and the thought-provoking words of inspirational teachers, journalists, and other gifted observers of humanity. In the past month, I have “attended” a summit of oral surgeons, a secluded braintrust of Middle Eastern experts, and a group of YouTubers scouting filming locations in Southern California. I have captured the gentle words of a therapist working with homeless youth, the life-changing questions posed by a Buddhist monk lecturer, and the heart-wrenching perspective of a survivor of an Australian wildfire. I am constantly amazed at both the variety, and importance, of the work that is being entrusted to Revvers.

There’s an old-fashioned saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I love working for Rev because it’s more than just a job. It really is an opportunity to serve others and to better understand the complexity of the human experience through our work. For me, that’s what makes Rev the ultimate freelance job.