Freelancing has been the trend for anyone who prefers to work on their own time. Rather than being a regular employee earning a minimum wage, you can accept as many clients as possible in freelancing. It allows you to make more than the paycheck you receive when you work in a regular company.

It's not that you aren't loyal to one; you just learned how to maximize and widen your earning capabilities. Moreover, I have no problem with that. Boosting income is not an option anymore. It is a goal!

I think relying on one income is not enough. You should always seek other sources of income to help you live a stable financial life. Of course, it's a faster, surefire ticket to reach your goals. However, if you have premium clients, that's another story for next time!

On the other hand, the pandemic brought an economic downturn, which led to a massive increase in job losses worldwide.

It's why many people sought out every option available to earn extra income for a living.

The internet was probably the best way to seek other means of income, not to mention it's free!

What comes into mind when you hear the word “scope?”

According to the Merriam-webster dictionary, scope means a range, an extent. As a verb, it can mean to assess or investigate, scan, or look carefully.

So, isn't it safe to say that a “scopist” is someone who scopes or research upon something?

Do you know that there is a work called Scopist? Ever heard of it before? Probably not. There's not even an exact definition, even if you look in any dictionary!

Well, it isn't known to many, but it does exist! It’s a freelance job turning notes and audio recordings into a full transcript for the court to use.

Through learning and honing your skills, you might become one of the most well-paid freelancers out there! 

So if you prefer to work at home but want to earn a decent income, check this out.

Let’s explore the world of being a scopist; what exactly is it and what it does, how to become one, what makes it different from any other freelance job out there.

Related readings: Easy Freelance Jobs Online for Beginners to Get Started With Right Away

What is a “Scopist?”

Not a lot of people know what a scopists is, nor what they do. Some of you might not even hear of it. (until you read this article or have heard of it from someone before!)

To get a better idea, picture a court hearing: The judge is at the center-front of the court. Then the accused and the complainant seated opposite from each other, separated by an aisle. There's also the jury surrounding the court. 

A court reporter is assigned to take shorthand notes (using symbols corresponding to letters, sentences, phrases, and words). It allows the reporter to write at a pace quicker had it not used the shorthand method. 

Reporter's notes are compiled and translated into raw written texts, and the audio recording of what had transpired in the court is handed to a scopist. 

The scopist interprets the raw written texts into an actual transcript and correlates it from the entire court hearing. Thus, a scopist reads and listens simultaneously and edits the raw written file.

What the scopist did is well-refined documentation or transcript of the event, which the lawyers used and relied upon as the case progresses.

What is the job of a scopist?

Scopist ensures that all the information written in the transcribed document, including the grammar, spelling, punctuations, and formatting, are accurate, authentic, and verifiable. 

Moreover, the scopist transcribes court notes and ensures that it is 100% accurate, doing the job of the scopist crucial over the life of the case.

Is there a demand for Scopists?

YES! There is a high demand for scopist because not many people knew about it.

Furthermore, supply for scopist is not high, that's why there is a demand. There are only a few notable scopist working nowadays; they are rare, yet like a diamond once you found one.

It's also relatively one of the high-paying freelance jobs online.

What is the difference between a scopist and a proofreader?

Scopist vs. Proofreader

At first glance, it may not be easy to point the difference between a scopist and a proofreader.

What's the sense of a scopist when there's already a proofreader? Wouldn't this be just another tedious task that not one man can do?

Well, consider this points.

Do you now have a clearer view of the difference between the two literary editors? Although they are interrelated—it corrects and edits, but proofreading alone is not scoping.

Scopists vs. Transcription

Hopefully, it now makes sense to you that scoping and proofreading are interrelated. But let's not forget that there is another field we shouldn't miss.

Just as how scoping relates to proofreading, so does transcription.

How much money does a scopist make?

On average, a scopist makes $1.25 per page, and this would still increase as he/she gathers relative experience over time.

According to Salary.com, an average freelance scopist earns around $39,317 full-time. However, if you are an on-demand scopist, you could earn up to a whopping annual income of  $56,785 a year!

Some scopists even earn up to $500/per day depending on how urgent the work. Most reporters required the job done asap, especially when the case is ongoing or highly critical and urgent.

How to become a scopist?

Again, a scopist refine and structure the raw written information. Therefore, the first thing to do in becoming a scopist is to expand your vocabulary. The fastest method in expanding your word bank is to read. 

It may be a journal, article, news report, or book. Read and enjoy the contents, and most significantly, try to observe how they structure their words. Authors have different writing styles, and through reading, you get to explore how they construct their writing. 

You might not notice it, but over time you can tell the difference. Lastly, enjoy what you are reading. Don’t read just because you want to get the job done. You’ll end up exhausting yourself and waste a lot of time.

Reading offers you the chance to live beyond your reality. It expands your vocabulary not only on becoming a great scopist but a better human being.

Skills needed

To become a scopist, have a self-assessment check to spot the following characteristic a potential scopist must possess.

For instance, technical skills such as encoding, accuracy at spellings, proper punctuation, and time management.

These technical skills are non-negotiable for scopist, considering how crucial and delicate the details are for information users. Thus, these skills are a necessity if you want to make a good scopist.

But, there are soft skills too, you must not oversee. These are the ability to solve problems or critical thinking, honesty, patience, quick and sound judgment, among the few,

A scopist exhibits honesty. It is the scopist's responsibility to transcribed valid and verifiable information.

Lawyers would depend on the transcript of a scopist; thus, the information transcribed should be accurate and honest. Scopists also possess good judgment, especially when they refine the information handed by the court reporter. Considering they have to properly assess every detail (whether relevant or not) given to arrive at a good transcript.

Learn from scopists themselves

Observe a scopist or try to offer your assistance when they perform scoping for a client.

Experience is the best teacher so take note of what they usually do before and after scoping, how they plan to do the job, and how they efficiently manage their time simultaneously while writing and listening. 

Grasp the fundamental skill they do and think of how you can incorporate them in a smart, efficient way.

This might be the cheapest form of training you can get, and although it’s good to make the most out of what you can take for free, it’s still much recommendable to take a formal education on becoming a scopist since these will all eventually pay-off one day!

Best Scoping Training/Course/School

Ultimately, enrolling in a training program would provide comprehensive tools and techniques in becoming a good scopist. You’ll get to experience official scopist training provided only at training schools that can strengthen your skills as a scopist. 

Online schools have made themselves available for the convenience of those who want to learn and to reach out to those who want to be scopists one day.

Aside from that, this is also an initial investment in your scoping career. Internet Scoping School (ISS), BeST Scoping Techniques, Accolade Scoping Education- these are all a few prominent online schools for scoping.

The Accolade Scoping Education (ASE)

This school offers recorded classes so students can view and learn during their free time. 

The school also has a program for one-on-one interaction for enrolled students to hone their skills. Plus, it also offers training for court reporters on how to become a scopist to help them expand their career and freelance options. 

This is indeed a prominent online platform receiving much positive feedback for equipping students with the appropriate skills in becoming a good scopist.

Internet Scoping School (ISS).

The National Association of Court Reporters recommends ISS for training and hands-on approach they shared with their students. It also offers the most comprehensive training in an online platform with veteran instructors to help students! 

This school offers lifetime access to each module, plus tight support and updates regarding tuition fees and content for enrollees. They have claimed that students wouldn’t need to enroll a second time to complete their training.

BeST Scoping Techniques. 

If you’re the type of student who prefers learning at your own pace, then this school would best suit you. They have claimed themselves to be the platform offering scopist training in a self-paced manner. 

This means that they allow you the opportunity to grow, hone and acquire the skills of being a good scopist at your own pace and in your own time. 

They provide students a complete set of any necessary course materials, files for practice, and study guides. Veteran scopists teach students from this online platform making them one of the best online schools for scoping.

Where to apply

It's time to pump up and update your profile! To become a scopist, you must know where to pass your application form or portfolio.

For starters, you can make an account on LinkedIn, a global platform for employment, allowing job -seekers to post their resumes and employers to link up their vacancies.

Professional Scopist, a network of scopists for court reporters recognized nationally and there is also Upwork, the leading freelancing platform.

Must-have tech gears

Lastly, your scoping career wouldn't succeed if you don't invest in tech gears where you will live your whole life as a scopist.

These tools are what you will use for your whole scoping journey.

Computer or Laptop

This would probably be the most basic requirement: you need to either have a good computer or a laptop to run the software necessary for scoping.

Scoping software

Also known as CAT or computer-assisted transcription software, it enables the user to produce transcriptions in real-time.

1. Stenograph – this popular scoping software offers the necessary tools and features that are most relevant to scopists and proofreaders alike. Stenograph enables the scopist to work efficiently.
2. StenoCAT Scopist Software – one essential quality of StenoCAT is that if you’re short on funds or have been trying on a wide variety of software,  you have the option to lease the software yearly. It’s also equipped with editing features and automatically detects any error in typing.
3. Eclipse Edit Scoping Software – Although this software program costs higher than other scoping software, this program excels from other software because it’s simple and straightforward, allowing scopists the ease of access in using this program.

Headphones

In investing in budget headphones, choose the noise-canceling ones; take time to assess whether you will be comfortable in a wireless or the in-ear type. Both may vary in price, depending on your budget, but it's much better to choose the medium that offers convenience for you. After all, this is a worthy investment.

Speakers

If you might not prefer the use of headphones thus, a speaker is an option.

Foot pedals

This gear enables the scopist to do one major thing: focus on working with the raw written text to control the speed, volume, and fast-forwarding or reversing the audio.

This enables the scopist to be efficient in the task at hand. Although they are not very much necessary, some scopists would go a long way for convenience.

Wrapping Up

Above all, becoming a scopist might be a relatively new field for you in the world of freelancing. Since there are not many people who knew about it, will you take the leap and try it out?

Scoping is excellent freelance work that pays well. It might be difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll probably find yourself enjoying the wonders of scoping. As you grow and hone your skills over time, you might be able to help and inspire other aspiring scopists as well. 

Knowledge is infinite, which means there are endless opportunities for scopist to learn and grow in expanding their knowledge on every subject matter to serve a wide range of clients. The knowledge and experience a scopist had acquired over time will be their strength and guide into becoming a much more efficient scopist than they were before.

A good scopist should learn to broaden their watch on the subject matter over time; that is, they can easily oversee the entirety of their transcription, spot any missing or mistaken information, and fine-tune it to arrive at a refined transcription.

However, don't force yourself just because money is good on the scopist side. Ensure to gauge your expertise and hone your skills to decide whether this is a new endeavor you would like to explore.

Remember, the best job is the one that you enjoy doing, even for a side-hustle. It should be something that even if you're tired to death, you would still do it anyway because you love it!

Also, in choosing the online training program that you’d want to learn from, choose the one that best fits your learning capability—one that is convenient and allows you to learn at the best of your ability.

In the end, you’d get the last laugh from the satisfaction of how well you did in your journey of becoming a good scopist.

What matters most is the process of becoming what you want to be. After all, there isn’t an easy way to everything in life, so you have to choose the one worth all the sacrifice. Cheers to hustling and boosting our finance!