How to Select a Transcription Job on Criteria Other Than Money?

In this guest post, Sue Lail tells you how to select a transcription job on criteria other than money. Want to guest post on this blog? Read the guidelines.

I have spent the last seven glorious years working from home as a transcriptionist. Of course, the industry has been ever-changing, as have the technology and the companies that employ MTs, too. However, after a 7-year career with my current company, they grew and grew and grew until I didn’t recognize them anymore. I needed to work; this is not a hobby for me, so after having been with the same company for seven years, how was I going to find the “right” job?

It is no secret that transcription jobs are not paying what they used to, but if you are like me, it’s what you’ve done for a very long time and know it like the back of your hand. So, if you find yourself looking for a different job for a host of different reasons, you might want to consider this approach when taking the leap. As unconventional as this may sound, the dollar amount is not my number one criteria any longer. If you discover anything from reading this, I hope that you know money is important; you need to take care of your family, pay your bills, and eat, but because of the industry we’re in and its current state, the pay is not exceptional right now, so other criteria need to be employed when seeking the next transcription company.

Because money is not always the marker of a good job, I began to think of other reasons why changing jobs was so important to me. Knowing that the money was not going to be better at one place or another, it couldn’t be the criteria for testing for jobs, so I began to create my own “list of criteria” that was not financial, and came up with this list. You will notice the words “want” or “need” are italicized so that I was able to further weed out positions that I would not be interested in.

1. Middle-age/mid career – Need 401(K) or retirement plan stat!
2. Lost paid vacation and benefits last year with present job –Want these benefits again!
3. Flexibility – Need flexibility, but respect the job is a priority.
4. Current company too large – Want to get back to a smaller company with a family feel, if possible.
5. Transcription platform not MT-friendly – Want and Need to have a better, faster platform.

I admit that at one time I tested for 7 companies at once; had interviews and offers from three, and turned them all down. The reason? After completing testing and chatting with the recruiters I began to notice a pattern – They call you, tell you what they pay, what the benefits are and a few words about the client you would be assigned to, and say, “So, do you want the job?”…sounding more like a sales pitch than an opportunity to work for a company, and I just didn’t like the feel of those interviews. To me, an interview is a 2-way communication between the company and the MT, an opportunity to explore and ask the right questions. I found that even when I asked questions, they were responded to by at times, canned answers. I liked these recruiters; they were friendly and kind, but suddenly I felt like I was buying a used car, not finding the right job. I even had one interview for a position with a home-based transcription department that would have paid a tremendous amount of money; however, you would be chained to your desk (even in your own home) several hours at a time with no real rest breaks, AND it was not portable…something that is also very important to me. At this point, I realized how unimportant the dollar amount was and how important other things were.

Once I employed the above techniques for finding jobs, I noticed that I was applying for a lot less jobs and “positions” instead. Suddenly, “small company” and “paid vacation” would jump out at me when reviewing advertisements for MTs.

Most recently I was getting ready to go to a family outing on a Saturday and was in a bit of a hurry, but I just had to complete a transcription test because I saw an ad that said “small company, family feel,” and “paid vacation.” The line rate was also available, but it was about average, and in fact, slightly less than I was making, but I knew that if I was happy and felt good about where I worked and the people I worked for, I could make the difference up in no time flat with increased productivity.

Within five days of applying, I received an e-mail. I had passed the practicum portion of the examination; they wanted to interview me. Much to my surprise, the first interview with the recruiter lasted over an hour and the entire interview went off without a hitch. I had a second interview that afternoon with the account manager, which also lasted a full hour. The thing that was so different was that the position was not “offered” to me, as had been the case so many times. I was actually being “considered” not “offered” a job; a really big difference because I knew they were not doing a “mass hiring” – they actually wanted a few good MTs, and now I was being told that I might be one of them.

I was subsequently offered and have accepted the position with this smaller company. As for the money, it is very important to me as much as the benefits are going to be, too. However, considering the pay across the board is about the same, by changing my criteria from looking for “competitive line rates,” which are few and far between, I found a position with a company I think I am going to be very happy being part of; just like it used to be seven years ago.

Byline: Sue Lail is a telecommuting MT from Cape Vincent, NY. She is hoping to eventually write full-time. She wanted to share her experience with other MTs who may be in a similar position and give a fresh approach to finding a new job. She welcomes your comments and thoughts in this regard.