The decision to pursue any career—whether it is a first, second, or third time—is never easy.  You initially have to consider how this choice will fit you, and how you will fit into the career.  Questions of job security, wage competition, and how this choice will affect your lifestyle and personal goals are natural and good questions to ask. 

Your decision to become a reporter in any of its capacities should be weighed carefully.  Court reporting students need to meet deadlines, handle pressure well, and concentrate for long periods of time.  The academic rigors are similar to any post-secondary education and will include courses in legal and medical  terminology, language skills, and computer technology.  Students at StenoTech are intelligent and computer-literate, with an above-average understanding of the English language. 

The most important aspect of a court reporter’s education is the work you will do on the stenotype machine.  The machine is with you from day one, when you are introduced to the theory, until your graduation day, when you are blazing away at 225 words per minute.  As one student has said, “You learn to hear with your hands.”  Once you have grasped the theory and completed your academic courses, your time will be focused on attaining that speed.  You can expect two hours of practice every night, after taking classroom dictation in such categories as jury charges, medical and multi-voice testimony. After all, learning to hear with your hands cannot happen overnight.  But there is hope!  We have had several students gain this speed practically overnight; they completed the program, which generally takes two and a half years, in just 18 months.

So take the time to learn more about the programs here at StenoTech.  The hard work pays off:  the industry boasts of a 0% unemployment rate, allowing reporters the flexibility to work as often or as little as they like.  This is a career that will grow with you, travel with you, and, most importantly, satisfy you.  If you enjoy a challenge and the elation of success it brings, perhaps a reporting career is for you.