Court reporting in Austin is a great industry to work in. According to Salary.com, the average salary for an Austin court reporter is nearly $47,000 - not to mention the fact that U.S. court reporting employment as a whole is expected to grow by 18% through 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, whether you’re just starting out, or are looking to change your field mid-stream into court reporting, launching a new career can be scary - especially if you’re not even 100% certain it’s right for you.
So how can you make sure Austin court reporting is a career path you should pursue? Here are some ideas to help you.
Do Your Homework Into Austin’s Court Reporting Industry
Spend some time researching the Austin court reporting industry. For instance, check out job boards and law firm “career” web pages to see what kinds of opportunities are available and whether they sound interesting to you.
Talk to an Austin Court Reporting Professionals
Reach out to court reporting professionals in Austin. You can find many of them simply by using a search engine, connecting with them via LinkedIn, or asking your network of family, friends, and colleagues if they know any court reporters in Austin.
Once you have a decent list of contacts going, call or email each one and tell them you’re interested in breaking into the Austin court reporting industry. Then ask them whether they’d consider talking to you about their experiences.
While you may get a few rejections, many people love talking about themselves and will happily tell you their thoughts and offer some guidance, as well. This is highly valuable information because it’s coming from people who know first-hand about the Austin court reporting industry.
You can ask them questions such as:
- What’s your favorite part of being a court reporter in Austin? Least favorite?
- What’s an average day like for you?
- How did you break into the Austin court reporting industry?
- Did you go to school for court reporting?
After you interview each court reporter, make sure to send a “thank you” note or email. If you do end up pursuing a career path in court reporting, these contacts may serve you well in the future, so it’s important to leave a positive impression.
Enroll in Court Reporting Classes in Austin
If you’re still not sure whether court reporting in Austin is right for you, sign up for a class. While it will be a bit of an investment in terms of time and money, you’ll walk away from it knowing whether the field is really right for you.
