Sarah lives just outside of Augusta, Georgia and grew up about 80 miles away in central Georgia. He has two adult children, one along with his wife is stationed in Korea and the opposite is studying on the University of Georgia. “Since 2019, I’m married to an exquisite man who retired from the military just before I met him,” says Sarah. “I like reading, watching TV and cooking.”
– How did you choose to start out offering transcription services?
It’s actually a wierd story. In 2008, I used to be working for a construction company after which the housing bubble burst and so they decided to drag out of the industry. I used to be unemployed for some time, but that was when Obama was paying almost everyone to return to highschool, so I did. I received an AAS in Accounting but was unable to search out work in or near the small town where I lived on the time. I used to be taking a transcription class in college and desired to learn more. A Google search led me to Odesk (now Upwork) and that is how I discovered my first client, a transcript of the TV show “Restaurant: Unimaginable”. From there the whole lot just blew up.
– What skills are required for somebody to do that job?
Typing fast helps you do more and earn extra money, but crucial thing is knowing the proper written English. Just take a look at Facebook today and you will see that the majority people in America have not absorbed the 12 years of English they were taught in class. There isn’t any point in quick transcription if the output is invalid and unusable.
– There are a lot of programs that do that task, roughly effectively. Do you utilize any of those programs to allow you to?
AI software is by far the larger hurdle. I can just get it right the primary time faster than I can correct the AI software output.
– You might be very successful in Upwork. What makes you more successful than other freelancers who offer similar services?
I think I even have fair rates and I’m not abroad. Some clients want American employees, and I even have excellent rankings at Upwork. I’m not the most affordable, but I’m definitely the most effective.
What skills does a freelancer should be successful?
Usually, a freelancer have to be motivated. I’ve come across a number of individuals who think they wish to be freelancers, but then don’t force themselves to truly sit down and do the work. It’s really not for everybody.
– Have you ever had the chance to work full-time or have you usually desired to be a freelancer?
I worked for MANY years before I discovered freelancing, but after I had a baby it was more necessary to me to be at home along with her as much as possible. Since I discovered this chance, I even have not been anyone’s worker and I’m in a position to create the schedule I would like. I never missed a significant school event, not a single recital, presentation or speech. This has all the time been very necessary to me.
– What motivated you to start out freelancing probably the most?
Again, having a baby was crucial thing for me to work for myself.
– What are your successful habits?
I suppose my “habit” could be that I treat it like several other job. I start work daily at the identical time and work until I finish the whole lot for the day. I check for brand new work daily when needed and be in contact with all my clients.
– What was the most effective piece of recommendation you received originally of your freelance profession?
I never got any advice; I’ve never known anyone who worked freelance before. It was a wing and discover the situation.
– Have you ever worked on any independent platform aside from UpWork?
I began with Odessa, which was bought by Upwork. I have been to a number of others as well, but the whole lot there has develop into a scam, so now it’s just Upwork and word of mouth.
– What are some great benefits of an independent lifestyle for you?
I can work when I would like (or not work when I would like). I can set my very own hours and only take the projects I would like. No one tells me what to do or methods to do it, and I often tell them after I do it. It is so significantly better than being an worker!
– And what are the disadvantages?
The one downside for me is that I even have to work on Upwork where nobody cares about cheaters. Upwork is so filled with them that if I had an alternative choice I’d go elsewhere.
– What was the toughest decision you needed to make as a freelancer?
To be honest, I am unable to consider any hard decisions.
– To achieve success, a freelancer must even have some soft skills, akin to communication, organization, time management… Which soft skills were the largest challenge for you?
Apparently, when people read the news, they adopt the tone, and my tone is not all the time the most effective because I’m factual and do not all the time use all of the unnecessary subtleties. I’m right down to earth and direct, and other people just don’t love that, especially once you tell them they do not have the talents to do this sort of work.
– What helped you most to develop into a successful freelancer? Your education, some books, courses, forums, instructions on freelancer platforms or something else?
As my industry could be very much related to the English language, my biggest profit was having a seventh grade English teacher whom I loved. I never had problems with the topic but this teacher really showed me why and the way necessary it’s to make use of correct written English and I just learned all the principles; it got here easily to me. Most individuals don’t see the difference between “Let’s eat grandma” and “Let’s eat grandma.”
“If you happen to could start all yet again, what would you do in another way?”
I’d start sooner!
– What’s your biggest motivation?
Unfortunately, I even have to pay the bills.
– What do you’re keen on about your job?
I wish to learn something latest daily, not all the time fun things, but I even have some clients with very interesting topics.
– How necessary is continuous skilled development?
I really want to learn a number of more kinds of software, especially those who handle subtitles. I’m just older and never particularly concerned with learning something latest!
– What are you most grateful for in your independent journey?
Once more, I have to say that I’m most grateful that I used to be in a position to stay home with my child while he was growing up. Most individuals do not have that capability, and I used to be lucky to search out a distinct segment that catered to it.
– What’s the most effective approach to organize multitasking and personal life?
After I’m done with work, I’m done. I can reply to emails from my phone here and there, but I do not let it interfere with family/friends. I even have a room where I work and that is my office where nobody bothers me. I think that having a delegated place to work could be very necessary; helps in self-motivation.
– If you happen to had to choose one quality that’s most vital for a successful freelancer, what wouldn’t it be?
Self-motivation: nobody will make you do it. You should wish to do it yourself.
– What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t marry the primary guy! No, just kidding. I’d tell myself to start out early, perhaps go that profession path in class. I desired to develop into a court reporter, but no school near me offered a course like this, so I must have done more digging to make it occur.
– Best advice for those considering a profession as a freelancer?
The perfect advice I can offer is to ensure that it’s something you’ll be able to really commit to. Be prepared to start out at a extremely low rate until you prove your value, but then there aren’t any limits!
You possibly can contact Sarah on tel info@professionalfast.com AND http://www.facebook.com/profasttranscripts
Sarah Mason’s post appeared first in Freelancelife magazine.