These simple tips from the Maryland Court Reporters Association will help deposition reporters strengthen their skills no matter how much or how little experience they have.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Court reporting practice drills are not our idea of a fun evening but they are a necessary part of developing our skills. Huseby court reporters have many ways to keep their professional abilities sharp, but nothing works like sitting at the machine taking a statement.
Realize that when it comes to court reporting practice, more is not necessarily better. The quality of your practice is more important than the time spent. Court reporters who regularly spend even just a few minutes doing intense speed or accuracy drills will improve their skills more than other reporters who may practice longer but don’t pay attention to the work. Put all distractions out of your mind and focus on getting the best transcript you can. Practice sessions should be more intense than a typical deposition since you are pushing yourself to develop new skills.
But Practice is Boring!
One of the leading reasons court reporters say they avoid practice is drills are monotonous. To avoid this, find ways to make changes to your sessions so the work doesn’t become quite so dreary.
Try alternating speed drills with practice drills rather than trying to push both at the same time. Remember the hallmark of a good reporter is accuracy rather than speed. Ideally of course we want both, but don’t be so focused on getting your speed up you let your keying become sloppy.
Every time you hear a word you don’t know how to write, make note of it. Many reporters carry notebooks around for that purpose. It doesn’t have to be a word you hear in a deposition. You might hear it on TV or in casual conversation. Create a keystroke for that word and include it in your practice sessions.
Try Keying Realtime
We understand that some court reporters don’t want to make the jump to realtime and that’s fine. There is plenty of demand for court stenographers in non-realtime positions. However, even if you don’t want to take realtime assignments, consider trying it during your practice sessions.
Court reporters who make the jump to realtime are often surprised how much their speed and accuracy increase. Even though we think we are pushing ourselves as hard as we can, realtime reporting forces us to go further. You will discover new reserves of energy and new levels of concentration once you are forced to produce a realtime transcript.
These tips are of course not limited to just Maryland court reporters. The advice we’ve presented here will help any of our reporters improve their skills. As your speed and accuracy improve, you may become eligible for more prestigious and lucrative assignments.
