New York Court Reporters Blog

Many court reporters have been interviewed by my court reporting agency over the years. My court reporting firm interviews a few aspiring court reporters a month even in these rough times. As a court reporting company owner, I try to always have at least one new reporter who I can train and get going in a career in court reporting. It personally allows me to give back to a profession, court reporting, which has given so much to me. And, of course, I end up with a great staff court reporter. Every court reporting agency has default statements and some short easy depositions to get a new court reporter going. With some hands-on help, you would be surprised how quickly you can get a reporter up and going.

When I interview a court reporter, my main interest is somebody who will work with our court reporting firm. However, if I don’t think there is a good fit, I will always give them information where to go. I hear all the time how the court reporting agencies are turning a deaf ear to new court reporters. They are the future of our profession and they need some help now. Court reporting has been very good to many of us, and now is the time to reach out, give of your time and yourself, and help a new court reporter get started.

Getting a job with a court reporting firm in this tight market involves a lot more than in the past when there was a real shortage of court reporters in the court reporting industry.

A court reporter has to sell themselves, make their resume stand out very clearly from the rest. I have been focusing on the initial email which is the first impression, and the vehicle which will make a court reporter agency owner want to look at the resume. Personalize, personalize and let me stress again, personalize that email so that the person receiving it wants to get to know you a little better.

How to personalize the email. For starters, know something about the court reporting firm the email is going to, ie, look at the website and make reference to information you learned about the firm from their website. I can’t stress enough how a little personalizing goes a long way. Say something nice and relevant about the website, ie, it was helpful because of or interesting because of or good design. Give a compliment. That goes a long way.

I am looking at an email I received today. Instead of Hello, try Hello, Ms. Feldman. And, yes, please use the right gender. Most of the emails I get are addressed wrong. Tell me about the experience you have with the type of work we do. And I don’t think I have ever seen anybody list the professional organizations they belong to, ie, state and national court reporter groups. More tomorrow.

I have been doing a lot of thinking these days about how I would go about getting deposition work as a new reporter and also an experienced reporter. What would make me stand out from a crowd of many looing for job opportunities? I would certainly take notice of anybody who showed a genuine interest in working with my firm and had reasons that went far beyond a pay check. I always appreciate somebody who at an interview shows knowledge of our firm and it staff.

I also spot check the transcripts and paperwork that goes through the office. I am very much aware of who fills out the paperwork properly and gets it in on time. I do not want to see my employees have to spend valuable time and effort trying to get something in that should be done without any followups.

I also spot check transcripts and I am amazed sometimes at the sloppiness that I see in reporters trying to get more work from us. The reporting community is much smaller than many think. Many of us turn up at the same meetings, and obviously discuss reporting and reporters. It is hard to get a good reputation but it is even harder to get rid of a poor one.

Since I get so many requests each week for work, I think jobs in our industry must be the topic most of us in the court reporting profession are interested in. Not so long ago there was a real shortage of court reporters. Now the tide has changed. There is less work due to the economy and also due to new technologies being used to lower rates.

I believe being successful in a court reporting firm, meaning getting work and good work, is based on many factors, like pieces of a pie. Skill is always important. I remember a reporter who had every conceivable letter after his name. Put out a wonderful transcript. However, we received the most, do not send him back, than anybody. He was just too intrusive and bothersome.

It is important that reporters understand how and when to ask for information. I always tell new reporters to make a list of spellings they need and when everybody comes BACK from a break, get the information you need. Do not start writing until you have your spellings or whatever. NEVER wait until the end of a deposition when everybody is running out. Also, lots of spellings can be taken off an exhibit BEFORE you put the sticker on. Once that sticker is on, that exhibit is gone. There are so many little things that court reporters can do to help a deposition go smoothly and have a happy attorney who will remember their name and request them back next time around.