I have had several emails from court reporting students looking for a fair appraisal of what the job market will be when they get out of school. They are taking student loans and obviously schools need students and probably are painting an unrealistic picture of our industry. For years, the court reporting industry’s biggest problem was not enough reporters. Now, like most segments of our world, there are not enough jobs.
What is a student to do? Be realistic about your skills. My feeling, only the top students will finish, which is usually the case. They will land the limited amount of jobs being offered to new students coming out of school.
There are many new fields opening up that do not demand the time and money, ie, investment, that becoming a court reporter does. Be honest with yourself about your prospects. Call the agencies in your area to find out if they are hiring new reporters and what you can expect to earn. Do some research. If you are reading this blog, you are a step ahead of most in your class.
Good luck. It is a wonderful profession but like everything requires hard work and dedication.