Stenographers are men and women who specialize in transcribing spoken messages, speeches, and conversations accurately and quickly. The majority of stenographer jobs are in legal courts, where court reporters record statements, hearings, and rulings. Television stations, telephone relay centers, and other offices that require precise legal transcription services may hire professionals.
Every word spoken during a proceeding must be recorded a court reporter. Using a standard computer keyboard, even the most skilled typists would struggle to keep up with such a demanding and difficult task. Stenographers frequently use stenotype machines, which are keyboard devices that allow users to quickly form syllables, words, or phrases pressing multiple keys at once. To ensure proper grammar and spelling, court reporters proofread and edit stenotype machine transcriptions.
Other court stenographer jobs may require professionals to use audio equipment to record a proceeding while taking careful notes on who is speaking and the reactions of defendants, judges, and jury members at all times. After a hearing, a court reporter will create a detailed transcript based on his or her recordings and notes. Some court reporters record what is said, as well as who says it, into a handheld recording device that can later be replayed and translated.
Outside of the court system, some stenographer jobs can be found. Stenographers are frequently hired television stations and broadcasting centers to provide closed captioning for live and recorded programs. Relay centers employ other professionals to transcribe telephone conversations for deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens. Attorneys’ offices, insurance firms, government meetings, and a variety of other settings may occasionally hire a freelance stenographer on a contract, as-needed basis. Stenographers may also accompany deaf clients to school lectures or conferences to provide immediate written translations.
The majority of stenographer jobs require highly skilled typists with at least a high school diploma. Most professional stenographers, particularly those who work in court reporting, learn their trade at community colleges or vocational schools. Intensive classroom instruction and practice in simulated court hearings are part of training programs that can last anywhere from one to three years. To become licensed stenographers, some states and countries require graduates of such programs to pass a written and practical exam. Although additional certification is not usually required, some professionals choose to take certifying exams offered accredited organizations in order to improve their credentials and chances of finding stenographer jobs.