Imagine finding a new way of making six figures from your side hustle, working from home whenever it suits your schedule.
You might have heard of popular ways of making money from the side, such as freelance writing, data entry jobs, transcription, taking paid surveys, and many more.
But have you heard of scoping jobs? Scoping jobs are little known yet are high in-demand jobs that can pay you up to $2000/month as a beginner.
That’s what we’ll cover in this article.
Let’s dive in.
What is the job of a Scopist?
The job of a scopist is to edit transcripts from the courtroom. A court reporter writes out court proceedings then takes the script to a scopist to edit.
Even though very few people know about scoping jobs, they are apparently high in-demand online jobs.
You can make money from scoping jobs working from anywhere as long as you have access to the internet and some special tools we will look at later in the article.
Is scoping a real job?
Maybe you are wondering. Is scoping a good career?
Scoping jobs are real jobs and a good career to pursue. However, they are not getting rich quick kind of side hustles, and you can make a career out of it.
But to succeed, you MUST get the necessary training before you take up scoping jobs.
We’ll talk about the training and skills you need to become a scopist later in the article.
But first…
What are personality types suitable for scoping jobs?
I’ll be honest with you.
Scoping jobs aren’t for everyone, but they’re ideal for anyone willing to put in the time to learn and master the skill.
Do you have a natural aptitude for words, love to read, enjoy word hames, and crossword puzzles? You can make an excellent scopist.
You will also do well as a scopist if you’re dependable and task-oriented, meet deadlines, and able to sit in front of your computer for long hours.
If you’re also service-oriented, a self-starter, and a perfectionist, then you’re an ideal candidate for scoping jobs.
Experience and skills necessary for scoping jobs
Scoping jobs are challenging, but it can be a rewarding career if you purpose to succeed.
You need the following skills to become a scopist
- Good with grammar and punctuation – Your main work is ensuring scripts are grammatically correct.
- Emotional intelligence- some court cases can be downright disturbing. Scoping jobs may not be suitable for you if you’re too empathetic and sensitive.
- Ability to work under pressure – Some scoping jobs have last-minute demands and timelines. You should be flexible to put aside everything to do the work.
- Self-discipline – Just like any job, you should be able to work with minimal or no supervision and deliver an excellent job on time.
- Understand the basics of running a business – Scoping job is not only a hustle but a business that needs your commitment.
- Communication skills – You should be able to communicate with court reporters and ensuring you are up to speed with the job requirements.
How much money do scopists make?
Scoping jobs pay well, especially those that require a quick turnaround time (say less than 3 days). You can even make $500/per day.
However, for regular turnaround time, the average scopist rates per page are about $1 to $1.25, which takes between 2-3 days.
So, how much can you earn per hour or annually?
A newly trained scopist can earn between $14 -$20 per hour and can go up to $35-45/hour with experience. However, most prefer per page pay.
You’ll spend your first year gaining proficiency in formatting and learning the software. You should be able to make about $2000 per month as a beginner.
You can then make $2000 a week in subsequent years once you get comfortable with editing the fast-paced work.
A well trained and experienced scopist can earn $30,000 annually fresh out of training, and eventually $50,000 or more annually as your speed improves.
Different court reporters have different payment schedules, but most will pay you every 10 days or two weeks via a check or PayPal.
What tools do you need to work as a scopist?
Are you considering scoping jobs?
Then you need to buy specialized computer-aided transcription (CAT) software.
A few options include;
- Case CATalyst
- TurboCat
- StenoCat
- ProCAT
- Eclipse
- DigitalCAT
The commonly used software are; Eclipse and Case CATalyst. But you can learn more about them when you enroll in online scopist training.
You can use more than one software programs to take advantage of more jobs (but recommended for more experienced scopists)
Other necessary equipments include;
- Good quality headphones
- Good internet connection
- Secure computer or laptop.
- Antivirus software like Norton
- Accounting software for invoicing (many are free)
- Necessary supplies like printers, paper, etc. which you can claim on your taxes.
Scoping Jobs: The challenges, pros, and cons
Starting any business from scratch is challenging and takes a while to build your speed and clientele.
So here’s a pro tip… Start with baby steps.
First, fix your scopist resume and submit to clients. If you’re a newbie, you can offer a lower rate and promise to complete the task on time.
Now, be prepared for some rejections, but don’t give up. Keep prospecting, and soon you’ll start getting clients and making a pretty decent amount of money.
Here are some pros that should motivate you.
- Freedom and the flexibility to work from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection.
- An additional source of income that can supplement your day job
- You can turn it into a full-time job once your revenue stabilizes.
What about the cons?
Here’s the thing, scoping jobs give the freedom and flexibility to work within your own schedule. But that doesn’t mean you can control it 100%.
- Some scoping jobs can be demanding and have a short turnaround time (same day to 3 days). It will require you to adjust your plans.
- You will have to dedicate a considerable amount of time familiarizing yourself with how court reporters work and how they shorthand.
- It can get lonely, depending on how busy you are. However, clients who demand a short turn around time are usually willing to pay more. So take advantage, make more money, and build your reputation.
How do scopists get clients and/or find scopist jobs?
The internet has made it very easy to find scoping jobs.
You can market yourself through your Facebook account and other freelancing sites, and I will cover shortly.
- Indeed – Sign up to Indeed, create a killer profile, and subscribe to email alerts into your inbox. You’ll get various scoping jobs on indeed.
- LinkedIn – Make a resume-based profile and network with legal professionals/reporters and scopists.
- Glassdoor – Is a job search engine where you can even find reviews from various employees about a particular company before you apply.
- Dice – This is a hot spot for STEM jobs, but you can find scoping jobs under the technical category. They also give tips for first-time freelancers on how to land jobs easily.
- Mediabistro – It focuses on communication experts but occasionally features scoping jobs. You can also connect with a career coaching expertise to help you edit your resume and create attractive LinkedIn profiles.
- Jobs Google – It’s a catch-all search engine for all scoping jobs from popular freelancing sites and other job search engines. The trick is to enter the right keyword in the search, and you’ll get a running list of all scoping job offers.
- Monster – Moster is no longer a top search engine but still an excellent place to find scoping jobs. You can upload your resume and get as many scoping jobs as you.
- CareerBuilder – It matches users to specific jobs based on keywords you use on your scopist resume, using a unique feature called Hire Insider.
- JobisJob – JobisJob lets you browse job opportunities according to categories. It has more than 90K legal jobs, including scoping jobs.
- Scopist agency – Scopist.com is restricted to employment positions for scopists, transcriptionists, and proofreaders. You can also find more information at the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and Depo.com.
Time management tips for being a scopist
- Always spend most of your time Networking – even if it’s just 5-10 minutes every day.
- Set aside time for work and train your friends and family not to call you during working hours.
- Be available for client work; it helps you build a reputation and eventually receive higher-paying work.
- Learn how to organize your work so you can easily trace files efficiently
- Track all your incoming and outgoing work and deadlines.
How to become a scopist/a court reporter scopist?
There are various ways you can become a successful scopist, but the most popular are;
- Mentorship with a court reporter or another scopist
- Joining a scopist training program
Do you know of a scopist or a court reporter willing to train you? It’s a cheaper way to train because it costs little or no cost at all.
However, this may not be the best for you, especially if you’re starting. You need a specialist to train you through a comprehensive scopist training program.
The Internet Scoping School (ISS) offers the most comprehensive and detailed program you need.
Internet scoping school cost is $2500 for the entire program paid in a single payment. You can also break the cost into an individual payment plan within 12 months.
Why is ISS the most recommended scopist training?
- Linda Evenson (Course Creator) has over 35 years of experience as a scopist
- The scopist training goes beyond how to become a scopist and teaches you how to build a successful career as a scopist.
- It gives you lifetime access to support.
- You will always get FREE content upgrades of the initial training.
- You become a member of a private Facebook group with other students and graduate. You can always ask questions, give and get advice and referrals.
Want to learn more about Scoping?
Online scopist training
You can join ISS FREE online mini-course to learn how to become a scopist, take the work skills quizzes to determine if scoping jobs are a good fit for you.
You can then decide if you want to commit to a full online scoping training and start your career in scoping.
The full scopist training course takes about 6 months or less to complete if you dedicate 15-20 hours a week.
Advice for newly trained scopists
Get the proper training before doing the work. It will save you many years of trying to learn everything by yourself. It’s worth your time, effort, and cost.
Once you begin working and establishing your clientele, then you’ll have a career that can take you far into your dream future.
