Please Meet Tracy, Our Newest Blogger

We’re excited to welcome Tracy!

She is the newest member of our blogging team. As a professional transcriptionist, avid writer, and work-from-home freelancer, Tracy is in a unique position to create relevant, valuable, and insightful content for our wonderful community of transcription professionals. We asked Tracy to introduce herself and share a little about her background.

This is what she had to say…

 

A 9 to 5 job isn’t for me

The scenario replayed every Sunday night—Monday morning dread.

It’s that paralyzing sensation of anxiety and impending doom you feel at the thought of having to face another single minute of that job that doesn’t suit your personality and was never right for you in the first place.

Boy, was I ever there.

Finally, I realized it was time to do something before I lost whatever sanity I had left.

It’s not that the 9 to 5 I had was horrible or anything because it wasn’t. At least, not for anybody else that wasn’t me.

It’s just that compared to my previous life as a professional dancer, it didn’t inspire me much. And it’s just that answering to someone else’s rules, in someone else’s office, on someone else’s schedule was leaving me feeling…like someone else. Not me.

 

I started researching what my options were.

I knew I wanted work that offered schedule flexibility for better life balance. Something working with language, perhaps, because I love writing and everything related. I’m a geek like that.

And the ability to work from home without anyone breathing down my neck? That was just icing on my tasty cake.

Then I looked into transcribing. My research led me to transcription, which I’ve now been doing for 12 years. More than half of that time I worked as a medical transcriptionist until eventually, I moved into insurance transcription.

(And no, that transition wasn’t easy for me. It’s a bit like saying because you can ride a bicycle, you can ride a Harley-Davidson. Not so much. But it can be done.)

So here I am now, a transcriptionist for Allegis, who also happens to enjoy writing novels, short stories, and other fun things in my spare time. And I’m writing this blog to share the things I have to say because maybe they’re things you have to say too.

 

I love working from home

My commute is shorter than anyone I know, so no more wasted hours sitting on a road that looks like a parking lot. I save oodles of money on gas and car maintenance. The only speed bumps I encounter are cats who think my office chair is theirs (um, which it is, of course) and dogs who think it’s always time to play. I don’t believe in alarm clocks, nor do I have to. And if I need a nap in the middle of the day, well heck, I take one.

An added personal bonus is that my family tends to relocate. A lot. Being able to hit the ground running in new, unfamiliar territory and get right back to work once my internet is hooked up? Priceless!

 

Working from home does have its challenges

Whether I’m having work done on the house or dealing with nosy neighbors who lack appropriate social boundaries, I’m the one who has to handle any issues that arise.

When you’re an independent contractor, no work generally means no pay. That’s a harsh realization if you formerly had such benefits as sick pay or vacation days.

For many transcriptionists, working from home suits our personalities, so we just take the hard stuff in stride.

 

Feeling disconnected

But maybe the toughest thing is that while working from home is a huge perk, it can still feel isolating.

The thought of returning to an office environment makes me cringe, but that’s just me.

Maybe part of the isolation some of us feel as home-based transcriptionists stems from feeling out of sight, out of mind, and like we have no power because we’re behind the scenes.

I have personally seen this affect the morale of far too many transcriptionists who think they’re all alone and their thoughts and opinions don’t matter.

But they do matter. We matter.

 

Creating a sense of connection

So is there a way to remedy the disconnection many of us feel despite being happy with our work? What if the concerns we have were somehow addressed and given a voice?

Maybe we can talk about handling burnout, because yes, it does happen. Or we can educate others on the value of what we do. I’m personally quite interested in how technology might affect the work we do, whether positively or negatively. And nobody can deny that the “gig” or “sharing” economy is here to stay, but that trend too might affect us as new regulations arise in an ever-changing landscape.

Anyone game?

 

So, why blog for Allegis?

Because I think we, the workforce of home-based transcriptionists, need a voice. Maybe this blog can be a step in that direction. If there are topics you want to see addressed, please let me know!

 

——————————————-

Psst! We’re hiring. If you’re an awesome transcriptionist looking for something new, click below to see our open positions.

——————————————-