Education · 1 of 4

The path

Two routes: type the transcript from a recording, or write it live on a steno machine.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   English matters most. Typing speed is the skill you can start building today.

2. 2

   Pick a route

   1 to 2 years

   Transcription: a college certificate in court transcription (Ontario recognizes programs at Durham College, Centennial College and the Ontario College of Business and Technology). Stenography: a captioning and court reporting program, such as the online diploma at NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology).

3. 3

   Build speed

   Ongoing

   Stenographers train until they can write about 225 words a minute with near-perfect accuracy. Most of the program is drills, and many students take longer than the official length.

4. 4

   Get certified or authorized

   Weeks

   Ontario transcriptionists pass the test in their program, get a security clearance and pay to join the authorized list. Alberta stenographers certify with the Alberta Shorthand Reporters Association.

5. 5

   First jobs

   After graduation

   Courtroom monitor for a provincial government, a transcription company, or straight into freelance.