Stenographer

Overview

Who is Stenographer?

Stenographer means a professional who has the ability to transform English or any other local dialect into a coded language referred to as Shorthand and then retranslate it into the original dialect as quickly as 200 words each minute. Stenographers record details utilizing shorthand and a steno machine. This is the only occupation that is least affected by the arrival of technology, as this is a career in which you have to do all the work on your own. The job of a stenograph is to be there at every location where spoken words are noted and documented.

Typical day at work

What does Stenographer do?

A stenographer is a person who works in a courtroom and transcribes spoken words into a steno machine, which is a form of shorthand typewriter. Stenographers act as personal secretaries, personal assistants, and note takers in courts, police stations, and government offices, taking dictations and recording speeches.

Job description, Profiles, Roles and Duties:

• Document verbatim court hearings, legislative sessions, committee meetings and other hearings using computerized recording devices, electronic stenographing machines or stenomask.
• Making notes in shorthand or short hand machine or a stenotype which prints letters on a paper tape.
• Document symbols on computer storage media and use transcription assisted by a computer to convert and show them as text.
• Arrange for copies of the proceedings to judges, attorneys or the public on their request
• Note down the recorded proceedings according to the formats established
• Give the court clerk's office a legible copy of documents of a court case
• Probe speakers for clarification on inaudible statements
• Carrying out daily administrative errands like maintenance of data files and handling paperwork
• Update and store court session brief notes
• Document filings and other legal proceedings for lawyers
• Answer to requests to read parts of the proceedings already registered during court sessions
• Authenticate the precision of transcripts by checking copies with judges against the original records of proceedings and the accuracy of the judgments
• Observe, receive and get information from all relevant sources
• Be updated technically and apply new skills to your job

Abilities & aptitude needed

What are the skills, abilities & aptitude needed to become Stenographer?

To become a Stenographer, you really have to be dedicated and hard-working. Stenographer's job requires thorough knowledge of the Shorthand accompanied with an aptitude for the rules and minutiae of the language involved.

While working for various departments, stenographers are exposed to secret information from the office/institutions.  Therefore, along with the necessary skill set and basic qualification, some of the personality traits that are required by the applicants organizations are credibility and trustworthiness.

Stenographers should have good focus, ability to listen and write, and close attention to detail. You should be familiar with stenotype machines and Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as Chase Software Solutions' court reporting programmes, Court pages, ReporterWorks, and OMTI ReporterBase.

Courses

Which course I can pursue?