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Change Your Perspective When You Volunteer Your Time

Change Your Perspective When You Volunteer Your Time

When was the last time you volunteered? Whether it was to build houses, care for shelter pets, or participate in a mock deposition, you can change your perspective when you volunteer your time. For court reporters, there is also the benefit of sharing your experience with others who may be interested in a career in this changing field.

Change Your Perspective

As a volunteer, you see the world through different eyes. Feeding the homeless made me appreciate having food and shelter, luxuries I had taken for granted. Building homes made me appreciate the work my parents did to buy and keep our home. And for one court reporter, the joy was seeing students learn about the deposition process, including a mock deposition. [Source]

Benefits of Volunteering

There?s something positive to be said for spending an afternoon with high school or law students sharing your experience as a court reporter. It connects you not only to other people but to the community. Too often I feel like we?re too busy to pay attention to what is around us when the reality is that what is around us may be even more important than our small world of home, school, and work.

The benefits of volunteering include a feeling of accomplishment, connecting with others, learning new skills, and making a difference in someone else?s life.

Promote Your Industry

If you?re asked to volunteer, think of it as an opportunity to promote your industry and collaborate with others. Whether you like being in the spotlight or not, you?re the center of attention and a representative for other court reporters. Listen to what others are asking, answer them or point them to resources like the NCRA, and connect with them via LinkedIn so you can continue the conversation. Who knows, you might find a new friend, mentor, or client!

If you?re a court reporter seeking new opportunities or an attorney in need of a Phoenix court reporter for an upcoming deposition, we?d love to talk to you. Call us today.

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Reasons to Become a Court Reporter

Reasons to Become a Court Reporter

I often utilize social media to connect with other professionals, including being part of a Facebook group for court reporters. I recently asked, ?What was your reason to become a court reporter?? and was amazed at the different answers. Here?s a sampling for you. Leave your reason in the comments; we?d love to hear from you!

Reasons to Become a Court Reporter

Family member. Reporters keep it in the family! Some said their father or mother was a reporter while another woman said her sisters were reporters. Still another said her mom didn?t want her to be a teacher like her sister so she became a reporter! Seems it?s a family business.?

Words matter. A love of words and language was popular among the reporters who answered the unofficial survey. It makes sense since reporters need a vast knowledge of industry-specific, legal, and/or medical terms to be able to do their work.?

Money. Quite a few respondents said simply that money was the motivating factor to become a court reporter. I thought that was an honest answer. One said her sister?s standard of living changed when she became a reporter and she wanted the same for herself.

?Second career. After 20+ years in one career, I might consider retiring but for those motivated, they?ve chosen reporting as a second career. They?re back to school and are ready for a new adventure!?

Love of the steno machine. There were some folks who said they love the keys and secret language of the steno.?

Flexible schedule. For those that have a hobby like playing golf or are needing to care for family, court reporting offers a flexible schedule and above-average earning potential with salaries starting at $40,000 or more.?

Variety. Many reported being tired of being tied to an office doing the same work over and over. They love that they cover different types of cases in different places; no two days are the same and they love it.??

Introvert tendencies. If you love being the quiet person in the room soaking up the conversation, consider a career in court reporting!?

Military assignment. Two men said they were assigned by the military to be court reporters. You don?t find many male reporters! While there are approximately 32,000 reporters in the U.S., only about 10% are male.?

Sounded intriguing. 14 years ago I heard a commercial for a fundraising walk that was 60 miles in three days. Sounds crazy but I signed up and completed it that year and again the next because the commercials were intriguing to me. It was the same for the reporters we asked; they heard a commercial and thought it sounded like an interesting career.

If there?s one takeaway in asking the reason someone became a Phoenix court reporter, it?s that they are passionate about their work. I love when people love what they do. It inspires me and I hope it inspires you too!

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Tips for Heating Up Your Court Reporting Business for the Phoenix Summer

Court Reporting Business for the Phoenix Summer

Have you lost the spark and passion you once had for court reporting? It might be time to take a look at what you?ve accomplished, where you want to take your business, and then step away for time off. Not sure if time off is in the budget? It should be and here?s why.?

Review Year-to-Date

?You can?t know where you?re going until you see how far you?ve come. Sounds like something from an inspirational poster but it also holds truth. Now is a good time of year to review your Phoenix court reporting business since the beginning of the year.

  • What goals did you have in January and what the status of those goals today?
  • How are you holding yourself accountable for professional development goals?
  • What was your earnings estimate? Have you met or beat it? If not, why not?

As you look at what you?ve accomplished year-to-date, give yourself credit where you?ve met goals or made improvements. Adjust the rest so it is attainable or take it off the list. You aren?t going to heat up your business by stressing over things out of your control so control what you can.?

Take Time Off?

When was the last time you took a day or a week off from work? It might sound counterintuitive but one of the best ways to recharge your mind is to take time away from the office. Studies show that when we take vacation time we?re actually more productive when we are at work. It?s akin to needing sleep for our bodies to function properly; our minds need time to relax and refresh. [Source]

Come Back Renewed and Focused

Even when you?re on vacation your mind is solving problems and improving creativity with what you?ve already been thinking about. Need a new office design? Stop thinking about it and the ideas will flow. Not sure how to land your ideal client? Step away from your desk for the afternoon; your mind will connect you with what you need to know to find that client. The truth is that our minds need time off to just blow off steam just like we do. When we return we?re refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the month and year.

Heat up your court reporting business for the Phoenix summer by taking inventory of what you?ve accomplished so far this year, what you want to get done, then relax and return focused on what?s most important in your business and your life. We can?t wait to hear about your adventures!

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Scheduling a Deposition in Arizona?

Herder & Associates provides court reporting services statewide throughout Arizona and enjoys an excellent reputation in both the legal and reporting field throughout the Southwest.

At Herder & Associates, we specialize our services to fit your every need.?? Let us streamline your scheduling challenges of?your next deposition by calling us now at (480) 481-0649, and you will know the peace of mind that comes with relying on the most professional and respected court reporting and litigation support services available.

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Court Reporter Facts and Myths

Court Reporter Facts and Myths

When we say, ?court reporter,? what?s the first thing that comes to mind? Is it someone sitting at a steno machine in a courtroom? Do you think it?s a dying profession? We?re here to share court reporter facts and myths so you can learn and share more about this exciting and growing profession.

Myth: The only place you will find court reporters is in a courtroom.

The digitization of the courtroom has meant a decline in the demand for reporters in courtrooms and higher demand outside in business, sporting events, politics, and civic meetings.

You can find our reporters working from home as real-time reporters and closed captioners.

You might find them working as travelling freelance reporters in rural Arizona counties where there is a court reporter shortage.

Others can be found transcribing recordings from town hall, HOA, or Board meetings or live seminars and webinars.

Wherever there is a need to translate the spoken word is where you might find a court reporter.

Myth: There are more than enough court reporters.

The truth is that there is a court reporter shortage happening right now. Outside Maricopa County there are court cases that require an in-person court reporter by law. That often means sending one of our Phoenix reporters to cover the case. While it is a cost-saving measure for courts in our state and across the country, it?s often challenging to find a reporter willing to take the case.

Not only is there an increased demand in the legal field, but in non-legal fields. Couple that with a decrease in court reporting school enrollment and it?s a potential for a major court reporter shortage in the not so distant future.

Myth: No one wants to be a court reporter.?

If we?re going to get through the shortage, we?ve got to be working together as an industry to spread the word about the benefits of court reporting. We find that the more we?re sharing our experience on blogs and social media, more people are interested in this career.

While being a court reporter takes a special set of skills – focus, attention to detail, punctual, organized, accurate and fast transcription – many people don?t know the benefits of being a court reporter. Because there is such a high demand and low supply of reporters, the earning potential right out of school is higher ($40,000 average) than for many four-year degrees. With a bit of experience, reporters can earn in the six-figures all while making their own schedule.

For those seeking an exciting career working with a variety of clients, we think court reporting is a great choice! Do you have more court reporter facts and myths that need busting? Contact us today; we?d love to talk to you!

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Current Events Impact Court Reporter Demand

Court Reporter Demand

The recent Executive Order travel ban left many immigrants and refugees stranded at airports or worried that when they arrived, they wouldn?t be allowed to enter the United States through Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix and airports across the country. Immigration lawyers and activists made themselves available to those with questions and even as the ban is sorted out in court, we wonder how current events impact the court reporter demand.

If the instance of immigration and refugee cases increases, court reporters will be in higher demand.

For a city like Phoenix that has the 10th highest population of undocumented immigrants, the travel ban and possible subsequent orders, makes us wonder how many more court reporters we may need to cover immigration or refugee cases. With 250,000 people undocumented, that?s a lot of folks to process through an already busy court system. And that?s just in our city. Let?s not forget border towns and suburbs.

It?s not only a potential challenge for the court system which utilizes digital recording rather than live court reporters, but it?s a problem for the court reporting industry.

Even when proceedings are recorded, someone has to create the transcript.

Let?s say the courts could process 250,000 cases, which is unlikely unless legal teams and judges work around the clock for months, there is still a court reporter shortage happening across the nation, not just in Arizona. Even if we were able to send work to remote reporters or bring in freelance reporters from other states, the cost could be astronomical. That?s assuming they?re available and not covering immigration cases in their home state.

While it seems, at least for now, the travel ban issue has resolved itself in higher courts, there are other events that impact court reporter demand.

The court reporting industry is driven in part by the insurance industry. According to Ducker Worldwide, the better the economy, the more legal activity and therefore the higher the court reporter demand. If the economy continues on an upward trajectory, we will likely see a growing need for reporters. Couple that with the rain storms in California and an extended winter in the eastern United States, and you?ve got the perfect storm of increased insurance claims, court cases related to property damage, and higher demand for reporters.

For those that think court reporting is a dying profession, we?re here to tell you it?s a growing field in need of trained professionals before there?s a crisis in the courts. Interested in learning more? We?d love to talk to you.

Source

Iranian immigrants welcomed to Arizona as federal court weighs travel ban

Court Reporting Industry Outlook Report by Ducker Worldwide

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Phoenix Court Reporter Defeats 7-day Jeopardy! Champion

National Court Reporter Association member Jill Rausch, a broadcast captioner from Phoenix, Ariz., unseated a 7-day Jeopardy! champion when she competed on the television show that aired on Feb. 7.

Like most court reporters and captioners, Jill brings a unique combination of skill and knowledge to each and every proceeding. Jill spent eight years as an elementary orchestra teacher, followed by seven years working in vocational assessment, and one year behind a boutique hotel front desk before embarking on a successful career that started with court reporting school. As with all successful reporters and captioners, she has an excellent work ethic, crucial to meeting the rigorous daily demands of these dynamic fields.

In addition to the highly-specialized technical skill of verbatim real-time translation of the spoken word to print and caption, court reporters and captioners require a broad knowledge base. Jill has proven to be an astute and adaptive professional, also specializing in vocational assessment, organization, orchestra, orchestra management, guidance counseling, as well as being an accomplished musician.

Due to the daily exposure to cutting edge technology in every imaginable field, reporters/captioners need an ever-expanding and evolving knowledge base to be effective in carrying out their duties to serve the public, the Court, and members of the Bar. It is a vocation that is truly integrated across the entire spectrum of business, education, healthcare and technology.
We are proud of Jill and her amazing accomplishments. “I’ll take awesome professionals for a thousand, Alex.”

Whenever you are considering hiring a court reporter or captioner, be sure you are dealing with the most experienced and trusted in the industry.

In Arizona, that’s Herder & Associates, 480-481-0649 www.CourtReportersAz.com

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LinkedIn Tips for Court Reporters

LinkedIn Tips for Court Reporters

As a Phoenix court reporter you may wonder if social media websites like LinkedIn are right for you. We think that without a doubt you should have a professional presence and strategy to not only showcase yourself as the expert in court reporting but to also attract new reporters to the field.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is more than just a social media website. In fact, we?d argue that it?s not really social but more of a referral networking site where professionals can meet and learn about each other.

It?s simple to get started. Just complete your profile to 100% using the guided prompts provided.

You will want to have a resume available for reference as well as a list of people with whom you want to connect. The more targeted you can be in connecting with people, the less likely you will see spam posts. Unfortunately, with 400 million worldwide on the site, you may receive requests from spam accounts. Simply deny the request and mark, as prompted, that you don?t know that person. If they are a problem, you can block and report them.

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the premier website for professionals to connect. With more than 400 million strong, according to their website, you have the opportunity to reach people around the globe from the comfort of your home office. If you?re nervous about getting online, we want you to understand what LinkedIn really is and isn?t.

What began as an online warehouse of resumes and recommendations for job seekers has become a place for connecting professionals to each other for any number of reasons.

  • Become a resource. A connection of mine is a writer for a major news publication and will often ask for referrals to people she can interview for articles.
  • Business owners connect to prospective clients and resources like accountants, tax professionals, marketing companies, and more.
  • Connect with other court reporters in Groups to share your experience.
  • Publish unique articles about your experience.

In addition to your profile and recommendations, which are critical to getting started on LinkedIn, we encourage you to find groups related to reporting, freelancing, and legal teams.

For you as a court reporter, we?d love for you to share updates and links to relevant articles about the industry like this blog post and others that talk about the benefits of being a reporter and the shortage we?re experiencing in our industry. The more we get the word out, the better for all of us.

Court Reporter Shortage

According to Ducker Worldwide, by 2018 there will be a shortage of at least 5,000 court reporters nationwide including an Arizona shortage of an estimated 120 reporters. [Source] This makes it extremely important that you maintain a presence on social media and share blog posts like this one to your network to attract new reporters to the two remaining court reporting programs in the state of Arizona.

You never know when you might connect with a prospective client or someone interested in becoming a court reporter!

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Humanity Above Self

The Rotary Foundation was awarded “World’s Outstanding Foundation 2016”
Rotary has donated more than $3 billion on projects that promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, support education, save mothers and children, and grow local economies. The Rotary Foundation was given a 100% score for Accountability and Transparency by CharityNavigator.org

Sound like something that you want to be a part of? Join me for breakfast some Wednesday morning to meet our dynamic membership. I welcome the opportunity to introduce you. – Marty Herder

https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-foundation-named-worlds-outstanding-foundation-2016

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Office and Techie Tips for Court Reporters

tips for court reporters

Is your office chair giving you a back ache? Are you tired of trying to keep track of your passwords? Are you using space on your computer for client documents? It?s time to embrace our office and techie tips for court reporters.

If you?re like us, you?re too busy running your business and taking care of clients to worry about finding the best technology. With the right tools in place, you can grow your business and become more efficient in the process.

Ergonomic Workspace

After a day of reporting your office chair can feel so uncomfortable that you might not want to return the next day but clients need you so what can you do? Set up an office space that suits how you work best and find the right chair and desk combination for you!

  • Do you work best in a room lit with sunlight? If you?re an early riser, make sure your office is lit by morning sun.
  • Do you have aches and pains in your back? Consider an ergonomic chair or even a standing workstation so you?re comfortable when you work.
  • Can you have a home office with a door? Trick your mind into thinking the work commute is the walk down the hall to open your office. Business closes when you shut down the computer and close the door when you leave. You may find that you?re sleeping better when work is staring you down 24/7 from the dining room table.

Most importantly, make sure your computer is placed where you?re most comfortable to avoid those aches and pains. If that means placing it on a riser, then that?s what you need to do!

Efficient Process

Are you constantly forgetting Phoenix area appointments or wondering where you put your planner? It?s time to think about using an online calendar like Google to track meetings, work, and family time. The best part is that your Google calendar can be shared with others so you can plan events with clients or family and you?ve both got it on your computer and smartphone.

Tired of keeping track of passwords?

Protect your identity and private documents when you have different passwords for every account — emails, medical insurance, car and life insurance, banking, investment, and social media. It can be tempting to use the same password but you?re risking identity theft! Try LastPass password manager to protect your online presence.

Running out of space on your computer?

Don?t waste computer space when you use clouds like Google drive or Dropbox to save and share documents. You can also have access through Android or iOS.

Working remotely?

Check your flight status with Flightaware or sign up to receive updates from the airline so you never miss your flight. If you?re driving, forget printing directions and use Google Maps, Waze, or other GPS apps on your phone to get live traffic reports.

The more comfortable and efficient you can be in your business, the more you can work with clients to deliver quality transcripts. We?re here to support you!

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