A typist earns money by typing for others. People in this profession may find a wide range of jobs available to them, ranging from those requiring secretarial work to those involving transcription. A typist may also find employment opportunities in data entry. Some typists works in offices, stores, and other business organizations while others start their own businesses, working from home.
When an individual or company needs a professional-looking document produced, he may turn to a professional typist. This person typically types very quickly and with a high rate of accuracy, producing typed documents with little-to-no errors. In addition to typing skills, a typist often has skills and knowledge important in producing professional-looking documents. For example, he may have extensive knowledge of formatting requirements for different types of documents, such as business letters, legal forms, and college essays. In some cases, he may also have legal or medical terminology experience, which opens the door to transcription opportunities.
Sometimes typists work with college students, who write essays but don’t have the time or desire to type them. In some cases, students may type so slowly and with so many errors that paying a professional is a less frustrating alternative. When a student hires a typist, he may expect him to create footnotes and citations based on the requirements his professor has set.
A typist may type documents while listening to the in-person dictation of a business, legal, or medical professional. Sometimes, however, a typist may type a document while listening to a recording his client or employer provided. This is referred to as transcription. A typist may even attend meetings or legal proceedings and type what happens during the meetings. He may type certain parts of the proceeding or make a word-for-word record of it.
A person with good typing skills may also find work from companies that need data entry help. In these positions, a person types data into forms on a computer system or online. For example, a company that processes orders for goods and services may require data entry help. Likewise, companies that set appointments, make collection calls, or process complaints may need such help as well.
Before computers were commonplace in homes and businesses, typists may have been more in demand. Today, many people have access to computers and word processing programs that make producing typed documents easier. Still, typists can find work among those who consider typing their documents too time-consuming or simply want documents that are free of errors.
