Focus Forward: Gain Valuable Transcribing Skills

Transcription forms part of the language service industry that converts audio and video contents into written text format. Becoming a professional transcriptionist may give you the perfect opportunity to explore different concepts and acquire new knowledge from a particular topic. And you may gain that valuable transcribing skills when you work for a reputable transcription company like Focus Forward.

Is Focus Forward a Legitimate Online Transcription Provider?

Focus Forward is now the leading market research company in North America that offers a diverse range of researching services, such as qualitative recruitment, quantitative recruitment, market analysis, project management, and marketing surveys. This fast-growing marketing firm also provides a high-quality transcription, data encoding, and translation services for any industry.

As an industry leader for over 15 years, Focus Forward continuously delivers standard and customized transcription solutions for global clients and businesses alike. Its comprehensive transcription services include:

• Audio and video transcription
• Academic transcription
• Business transcription
• Market research
• Legal transcription
• Spanish translation
• Video captioning
• Video editing and coding
• Transcript proofreading and editing
• Medical transcription
• Podcast and new media transcription
• Content writing

Focus Forward is constantly seeking qualified transcriptionists from all over the world regardless of nationality, gender, marital status, religion, and physical condition. Career development for transcriptionists also seems rewarding as best-performing transcribers could even become quality control staff, project managers, and lead transcriptionists later on.

Focus Forward may also provide transcription and translation services in different languages, including but not limited to Spanish, German, French, Japanese, and Chinese, among other popular languages. This enables the company to accept multilingual projects and help transcribers with multilingual speaking skills earn higher. So, if you’re interested to work in a friendly work atmosphere, look for Focus Forward, where you can experience career growth coupled with decent compensation.

Focus Forward Application Process

Before sending an application, you should check out the list of vacant jobs first from [email protected] to verify if Focus Forward is hiring new transcribers. If there’s any available job, send your updated resume to the email contact listed on the website.

Once you receive an email response, download the document containing test instructions, job details, and style guides. Before you take the transcription test, install a transcription program suitable for your comfort needs.

Focus Forward will request you to fill up an online registration form with your personal details and career history before proceeding to take a test. You can also view a sample file to give you an idea of how transcription should be carried out.

Focus Forward is expecting all applicants to have the following job qualifications:

• Multilingual speaking abilities (suitable for translating and subtitling services), not required but preferred
• Excellent research and organizational skills
• Proficient in using Microsoft Office Suite
• Keen to project details
• Ability to meet tight deadlines
• Ability to transcribe various transcription projects and fields of specialization
• Great oral and written communication skills
• Fast typing speed (at least 60 WPM)
• Working laptop
• high-speed internet connection
• Stereo headset and foot pedals

Work Process

Focus Forward is very strict about the project deadline and required style guide to complete the job. Style guidelines, content descriptions, and sample transcript formats are provided upfront on every project, helping you decide whether to accept or decline the offer.

Before you access their full list of the job listing, Focus Forward will request you to submit your desired work schedule. They will likely assign the type of project that matches your expertise and length of audio source you can complete on time. It is advisable not to take the job if you can’t submit the transcript according to the date of the deadline.

Proofreading is highly encouraged to ensure quality and accuracy for every transcript. If there are technical terms or places you aren’t familiar with, you must use the internet for proper information, particularly correct spelling, verbatim, and punctuation use.

Now, if you’re able to maintain a high-performance rating over a specific period of time, you may get the opportunity to become a lead transcriptionist or a transcript proofreader, thus allowing you to earn more. However, continue to take regular transcription projects since editing jobs may not be enough to sustain a decent living. Focus Forward may also contact you to take on difficult projects, which often come with a higher rate per audio minute, though you are allowed to decline the offer if you wish.

Salary Rates

When you visit the site, Focus Forward does not disclose the salary rates or any other information about the amount you can receive. But according to a former employee who disclosed the pay rate on Glass Door, transcriptionists may earn as much as $4 per transcribed audio hour. Overall pay may significantly increase if transcribers are able to handle translation jobs, subtitling, or any multiple language conversion services.

Add-on services, like speaker identification, the inclusion of medical terms, and full verbatim request, may also affect your overall productivity and weekly salary. Aside from this, time stamp rates also influence the amount you can earn as well as a full edited transcript and summary transcription services which are performed on focus group discussions and recorded business meetings.

Pros and Cons

Focus Forward isn’t entirely different from other popular transcription service providers out there, but this company may still offer these benefits when you work for them:

• Flexible working schedule which seems suitable as a part-time job
• Top management is open to contract disputes and term negotiations.
• Collaborative management style which promotes teamwork and effective communication

Now, let’s take a look at the other side of the page. You may or may not experience the following disadvantages as one of their independent contractors:

• No work benefits or leave credits
• Not enough assignments to make this company as your steady source of income
• Email response about project queries and salary appears slow.
• Pay is per audio minute, not the amount of time you have spent to finish the task
• Not enough career resources or working tips

Focus Forward can help you establish a credible online career as a transcriptionist, but there are probably better companies to transcribe than this, which you can check at HOWPO work from home guide.