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How and Where to Find Best Paying Scoping Jobs

September 4, 2022

If you want to know all about how and where to find the best paying scoping jobs, this very helpful article will come handy.

It explains a lot about scoping, how to find the best paying jobs and some of the websites you can use.

Why Scoping Jobs?

The American court system is the backbone of supporting the rule of law in America.

The court system ensures that any charges levied against a resident of our country allow for that individual to have a trial by jury.

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This backbone of judicial prudence is more than a judge, jury, attorneys, etc.

It is comprised of other equally important roles to ensure that justice prevails.

Some of those critical roles include the court recorder, bailiff, clerks, etc.

One important role in the court system is the legal documentation provided.

A critical role that ensures that all of the legal t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted is a Scopist.

Let us, therefore, go behind the walls of justice to learn more fully about a Scopist and how they interact with the court system.

Personal Story

My dad was a salesman for a major cleaning supply company.

He was on the road quite a bit and had to travel to various cities within our state and visit a variety of supermarkets.

He would share with the store managers any new products and attend to the displays in the stores.

Often, he would leave on a Tuesday and return home on the following Friday.

Even when he was home, he was in his basement office doing paperwork.

He would always tell me that the job wasn’t completed until the paperwork was done.

This “loose end” is still true today.

The same is true in most areas of our lives.

It is especially true in the court system that depends on paperwork to capture outcomes and orders from the bench.

What is a Scopist?

A Scopist is an independent contractor who is part of the legal transcribing process of capturing the details of trials.

Their role in the judicial system is not new but the position has been an integral part since the 1980s.

Their position requires them to take the final transcripts of trials, which include the various proceedings as well as depositions, and create the final legal documents.

The proceedings that they capture and commit to paper can be non-legal as well as legal.

Typically, the Scopist receives the stenographic notes of the court recorder and audio recordings.

What Does a Scopist Do?

A Scoptist’s job begins when he or she receives from the court reporter an unedited draft of the transcript that has been captured during a variety of court proceedings and processes.

Along with the stenographer’s notes, the Scopist will also receive an audio recording of what took place.

With the notes and the audio recordings, the Scopist then transcribes the written words to paper and formulates a written transcript that must be completely accurate and free of spelling punctuation, and formatting errors.

Scopist Freelancers

Scopists are not employees of the court system.

They are freelancers and work independently.

Consequently, as freelancers, they must aggressively pursue Scopist’s opportunities and interact with individuals in the court and professional realm to build their portfolio and their reputation.

Scopist Pay

Being a freelancer, a Scopist can advertise and set their pay schedule.

As part of their hourly rate or flat fee rate, they must take into consideration their time, use of their equipment, investment in their profession through the purchase of technology and software, and providing further overhead.

Often a Scoptist will charge per transcripted page.

Depending upon the experience and education, a Scopist can command a salary of anywhere from $30-$44 an hour.

Of course, where the professional Scopist lives is a big part of what that professional can advertise as your asking hourly rate.

How to Become a Scopist (Training)

There are several ways that a Scopist can be trained in this important position.

One way is for you to learn from another Scopist or court recorder on the capturing of the minutes and the expectations of transcribing.

Another way that an individual can learn how to be a Scopist is to enroll in an online course. An online course can cost $2,000 to $3,000 and is completed over a 6 months timeframe.

One other way that an individual can receive training to be a Scopist is to attend a physically located school and attend classes.

Attending a Scopist school in an actual classroom setting will be more expensive than the online counterpart.

Tools Need for Scoping

The tools required to be a successful Scopist include having a dependable computer, PC or laptop, a microphone, audio equipment, and a comfortable workplace environment.

Other tools or features that may be beneficial for the Scopist to perform their job would be the use of a foot pedal that can be connected to the audio equipment.

This would allow Scopist to fast forward or rewind the audio portion of the transcript.

Software Required for Scoping

To facilitate the transcribing process, there is software available for the Scopist.

The top 5 Scopist software brands include Stenograph, EclipseCAT, StenoCAT, ProCAT, and DigitalCAT.

The CAT stands for Computer Aided Transcription and can be an investment cost of around $1,500.

How to Market Yourself as a Scopist

Being a self-employed contractor requires that the individual aggressively market themselves and their skills.

A good course that teaches Scopists how to perform the duties will also provide a course on how to market yourself in regards to looking for Scopist opportunities.

A quality online course to be a Scopist will include the teaching and providing of how to market your home-based business, finding clients, utilizing various online resources, creating a website, etc.

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Also, the online course may include teaching about the business side of the company (bookkeeping and taxes), gaining legal status for your company, and how to invoice clients.

7 Best Sites to Find High Paying Scoping Jobs

1. Indeed

One of the premier employment sites that are accessible online is Indeed.

Through this website, the individual can promote their talent and skill as a Scopist as well as promote their overall business.

Additionally, because Scopist can work remotely, they can go to the Indeed website and search for employment opportunities.

All they need to do is go to Indeed.com and utilize the search bar to find a job. Leave the location blank and conduct your search.

A variety of opportunities will present themselves.

Also, Indeed offers a feature in which you supply your email address and when positions become available, based on your search, they will generate an email to you regarding positions as they become available.

2. Associations

Similar to other professions, Scopists have an association that you can be affiliated with. That affiliation is National Court Reporters Association.

Although not a specific Scopist Association, being a court reporter’s association would give the individual joining this association the opportunity to meet court recorders and use that opportunity to broaden their client base.

Additionally, the association offers a variety of resources to help the Scopist with their business, any need of continuing education, certifications, etc.

3. Visit Law Firms

Another primary way of getting your business and development of your client base is to take the opportunity to go around to the various law firms located in your community.

By taking a day out of your busy schedule, simply go to the various law firms, ask for a meeting with one of the members of the firm or leave your business card and professional information with the receptionist.

Perhaps, a follow-up email to the contact at the firm to share your company’s information and what services that you offer is indicated.

This could be a good opportunity to plant seeds and with the possibility of those seeds sprouting in the future through the gaining of clients.

4. Linkedin

Another way to advertise your business and services is to register with Linkedin.

This is the extremely popular business directory that individuals can utilize in either advertising their services or seeking the services of another business professional.

LinkedIn simply requires that the individual register their company on the site along with their contact information.

This well-connected business website is available to members and non-members alike to search the registrants on the website for the services that they require.

Click here to check out LinkedIn

5. Professional Scopists

Professional Scopists is another website that is a resource for Scopists.

This website is a resource in which the Scopist makes a membership application.

Once the Scopist has been vetted and accepted by Professional Scopist and Expert Proofreaders, Inc. you will receive your password.

The beauty of this website is that it lists available job openings for which the accepted member can make an application.

The website indicates that the job listings are continually updated and posted throughout the year.

The site is available to the Scopist 24 hours a day.

All the individual Scopist needs to do is log onto the site and then view the availability of the jobs listed for Scopist.

The website is a commissioned base membership in which the website receives 10% of any completed jobs obtained through the site.

The fee is assessed by page and on the first and the 15th of each month a statement is issued by Professional Scopists.com.

To assess this site click here.

6. Scopist.com

Scopists have their website. This website allows for the professionals to list their services and this service is provided at no cost.

Additionally, the site also allows court systems and legal firms to inquire or post-employment opportunities on this site for qualified Scopists.

Click here to access that site for listed job opportunities.

7. StenoSearch

Another invaluable resource for the budding Scopist is to register their company and their services with Steno Search.

By clicking here, you are taken to the landing page and are provided a variety of links to available professional services that are listed and utilized by court systems.

On that listing is the link for Scopists which takes you to a map of the United States in which the individual looking to hire a Scopist can click on a specific state or do searches in another way.

The directories are categorized by the specific systems used by the Scopist.

Specifically, it could be a Case Catalyst Scopist directory, DigitalCAT Scopist directory, ProCAT Scopist directory, EclipseCAT Scopist directory, etc.

When the individual looks at the CAT category that they want then the return offers them several Scopists that are available in a variety of states.

Check out the following articles for more career paths that pay well:

Scopist Jobs FAQs

What Personal Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Good Scopist?

A good candidate for the position of being a Scopist is someone who enjoys typing, has good listening skills, and is proficient and exact when it comes to the proper use of grammar.

Working disciplines would include being detail-oriented, enjoying using the appropriate words, and can adhere to deadlines.

What Are the Ways to Learn How to Be a Scopist?

There are a variety of ways to learn this profession.

Some of those ways include learning how to be a court reporter, learning from a Scopist or court reporter through on-the-job training, attending formal online training classes, or physically attending classes.

You Can Do It

If you have a love for typing, could be classified as a perfectionist, enjoy writing, and take pride in that writing which is free from grammatical mistakes, then perhaps a Scopist is for you.

Additionally, the advantage is that a Scopist is an independent contractor.

Therefore, they do not have to work in a cubicle or office setting but can work remotely.

In other words, they can work from home, on vacation, anywhere where a laptop computer can be carried.

This may be an ideal job for you if all of this appreciation for quality work and working on your own is something that you have dreamed about doing.

Conclusion

It seems that with any job it is not completed until the paperwork has been properly filled out and filed.

This is extremely important within the legal system and capturing the various conversations and rulings that were verbalized and stenographically captured in a variety of court proceedings.

The completion of the paperwork makes it clear to all involved what was stated and decided so that all have a thorough understanding as captured in the writing.

A Scopist job is a prime example of a job that is only finished when the paperwork has been accomplished.

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