Dear Nancy:  I've been reporting for nearly 30 years. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I don't know if it's because my kids are grown and gone or just what it is, but I'm finding I'm just not “loving” court reporting the way I used to. I don't want a career change, as I certainly don't have the energy for that. I just want to recapture the feeling of excitement it once offered me. Got any ideas?
Signed, De-energized Bunny

Dear De-energized Bunny:  Aah, I remember the days when I thought I was the Energizer Bunny. Then my batteries ran down.

Like you, I have been a reporter for more than 30 years. Most of the time I've loved my career; at other times I was tired of it. In every instance I got back on track by getting into something new. I started reporting in the 70's, began using CAT in the 80's, got fired up about CART in the 90's, and in 2001 I started a completely new business providing services to court reporting firms. I've been reenergized each time by taking my career in a new direction.

Take a look at what you've done in the last ten years. Is there something new you might like to explore? How about a new credential -- the RDR, or the CRR -- tackle the speed contest, or take NCRA's new Realtime Systems Administrator course. Every time you set a new goal and achieve it, you'll feel good about yourself and your profession. If you've spent 30 years as a freelancer, learn about captioning or CART. Volunteer for your state association (I guarantee, they'd love to have you!), get on the board. Mentor a student. Come up with a seminar and present it yourself.

Bottom line, challenge yourself!

All of my suggestions entail (probably) stepping outside your comfort zone and meeting new people -- exactly the way to invigorate yourself and add pizzazz to your life.

Give it a whirl. March to a new beat. And if all else fails, play Energizer Bunny Beats at www.energizer.com. It's a blast!

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Dear Nancy:  I'm about ready to graduate from school, and I'm getting nervous about interviewing for my first job. How do I know where to work, what kind of work to accept, which agency is right for me?
Signed, Ready to Work

Dear Ready to Work:  When I interview recent graduates and new reporters, I have a checklist in mind. It'll give you a clue about what agency owners (well, me, at least!) are looking for in an applicant. (Did I say clue ? That's a subtle way of saying “Pay attention! This is the important stuff!”)

Are you early to your interview? dressed professionally?
Do you smile? converse freely? ask questions?
Did you complete your court reporting program?
Have you taken the RPR? When was the most recent time?
Are you familiar with current events? do you read books? volunteer?
Are you willing to show me your transcripts?
Are the title and certificate pages prepared with care?
Can you tell me the number of pages you can produce each week?
Are you flexible in terms of when and where you can work?
What goals have you set for yourself?
Do you belong to your state and national associations?
Have you attended an association meeting or seminar?

What are some questions you might ask a firm owner?

Will I have a mentor or trainer in the office?
Do you have scopists or proofreaders on staff?
Is there someone on staff who can help me with CAT questions?
What percentage of their reporters are association members?
What credentials do their reporters have?
How are jobs assigned?
How often and how am I paid? Percentage split or flat-rate per page?
Am I paid on invoice or once the invoice is paid?
What is your minimum charge or attendance fee?
Are expenses such as parking and tolls reimbursed?

Once you do get the job, know your limits. Don't accept more work than you can transcribe on time. That's crucial. Communicate with the scheduler; say no to assignments when you must. Once you're a bit more seasoned, you and your agency will be able to gauge how much volume you can handle reliably. And treat the agency owner as a client: They are your customer, and you always want to please them. “Assigning the book” is a critical decision for every agency every day. They sweat blood trying to ensure the reporters they send out will satisfy the lawyers they're working for. Once you have become a regular, seasoned member of the staff, your agency will expect you to say “yes” to whatever job they assign you to, and you will be expected to meet transcript deadlines and get the details right.

Good luck with your job search, Graduate. And welcome to the profession. KRAPBLGS/SK-FPLT We're happy to have you!

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Dear Nancy:  After being away from court reporting for seven years to raise my family, I have decided to come back to work, but I am really nervous and scared.  I'm not sure how to navigate back into the freelance field again after so many years, and the poor economy doesn't give me any confidence.  I still hold the RPR, but I'm worried about new technology and can't just jump back in. What would you recommend?
Signed, Scared-o'-CAT.

Dear Scared-o'-CAT:  Clever play on words, scaredy-cat! Wow, I don't think I've ever met anyone who is more nervous about working than about raising children. Becoming a mom scared the heck out of me. CAT software came with a manual, my kids didn't. But I got lucky, as my husband says, my kids are great. Why is it he doesn't credit me with a fine parenting job, and says I just got lucky? Well, let's not go there.

The best way to jump back in is to sit back out. Pretend you're a 225 student and head to court or to a deposition. If it's writing you're worried about, it will come back, kinda like riding a bike. But that reminds me of the patient who asked the doc if he'd be able to play the piano after surgery. The doc assured him he would. The patient thought that was great, since he couldn't play before surgery. (bada-boom.) So, how was your writing seven years ago? If it wasn't clean, spend two hours in a one-on-one training session with yours truly and come clean! I mean in your writing. If you need to upgrade or purchase new software, call your software vendor and ask for a demo. They're always willing to help. And then invest the time in a training session with one of their trainers.

I know the economy is sluggish and agencies aren't hiring, but if you sit out with an agency and assure them you're striving to be a great writer, they will notice. Call often and let them know you're available for jobs. Sooner or later there will be that day you'll be there just when they need you, and they'll probably keep you around if you do a good job! Good luck jumping back in, and wishing you even more good luck as you approach the teen years. Yikes!

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Dear Nancy:  Do I need to carry a worker's compensation policy if I'm self-employed? Do the agencies I cover for have to carry it for me?
Signed, Trying Not to get Carried Away.

Dear Trying Not to Get Carried Away:  Don't we have enough to carry as court reporters? Our machines, our computers, our exhibits, our pillows, our PDAs, our perfect chairs, our purses, snacks for the clients, and our own lunch. You say you don't carry all of that to your jobs? Well, I guess I'm just a little too comfy conscious. I must be too old for this job. Now, what was your question? They say the memory is the second thing to go, and I can't remember what the first thing is.

I'm not a financial adviser nor an attorney, so I can't answer your question directly. I do know that when I renew my application for worker's compensation for my employees each year, the company asks me if I use independent contractors and if I have copies of their worker's comp policies. If not, I get charged a fee to "cover" those IC's who don't have worker's comp. Therefore, I ask all IC's for a copy of their policy. The rules vary from state to state. Check with your lawyer and/or accountant; your advisors will know what's required in your state.

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Dear Nancy:  I HATE doctor's depositions.  How do I overcome that fear? 
Signed, Debbie Doesn't Do Doctors

Dear Debbie Doesn't Do Doctors:  The first thing to remember is that a doctor is just like anyone else -- she puts her shirt on one arm at a time -- except sometimes she forgets to take off her stethoscope and it becomes more difficult. But that's her problem, not yours.

That said, being a true professional requires commitment to learning the terminology that will come up during a deposition.  Will you be able to understand retinoblastoma when the doctor mumbles it from across the room?  Do you know the difference between dysphagia and dysphasia?  If not, you may not be able to swallow the testimony whole - or even talk about it. 

Are you an RPR, RMR, or RDR?  All of those tests include a vocabulary section.  Having great credentials helps build confidence, and so much of writing great notes is all about your confidence.  So if you don't have three awesome letters after your name, get on it.  It will boost your confidence.

Doctors can be tough. But it's also true, the more you do 'em, the easier they are. It's like practicing. The more you do it, the faster (better) you get. I have found the most confident reporters try to specialize in an area, taking the same expert's testimony numerous times, and often getting requested by the doctor!  Those reporters work to build their dictionaries bigger and better than anyone else.  (They're the really cool ones who can write ferruginous bodies in one stroke.)

If you work with doctors sporadically, it may not be feasible to specialize.  But take a moment the night before, Google the doctor's name and find out what her specialty is.  Then search out terminology in that specialty, and spend some time creating briefs for some of the words and adding them to your dictionary.  If you do that, even if the doctor doesn't say those particular words, I guarantee you will go into the deposition more confident than you've ever been.  And if that doesn't work, take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

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