By Jacqueline Timmons
Because I train new reporters in the office where I work, I have a firsthand view of the transition from student to working reporter. To get even more insight, I asked several reporters I trained or am training to give me advice on how a student should start his or her career in reporting.
One piece of advice that resulted is: if you buy equipment right after graduation, make sure you know your machine before going to your first assignment. You don’t want the bad experience of walking into a room filled with attorneys and not knowing how to set up your machine. A natural tendency to panic may set in if all eyes are on you. Practice setting up the machine and writing on it before your first assignment. After all, you have enough to remember on that day—such as the oath for swearing in the witness.
Which leads us to another piece of advice for starting out: find out the notary requirements for your state if you didn’t learn them in school. You have to be a notary public in order to swear in the witnesses; and each state has different requirements as far as how long you must live in the county.
Also, make sure you know the appropriate oaths for swearing in witnesses and translators. Practice saying the oath before you go to your first deposition. Once you get used to reciting it, it will become second nature. In fact, you may have to make sure you don’t say it so fast that the witnesses misunderstand the words.
Probably the most difficult barrier to overcome is learning to interrupt. But remember, if you cannot hear the witness, mostly likely the lawyers are having the same problem. They invariably will ask you to read it back. If you are having difficulty hearing, ask the witness to repeat an answer or to speak louder or more clearly.
You also will find that not all witnesses speak in complete sentences, which makes it difficult to punctuate. If a witness pauses in his or her answer, it may not necessarily mean that a comma belongs at that space. The witness may just be thinking how to phrase the answer or may be ready to change thought altogether, in which case you need to place a dash.
Another early lesson you need to learn is that your working experience will not be like dictation in class—it will not be five minutes at a particular speed. It will vary all through the day, depending on who is speaking. The lawyer may be slow and the witness fast or vice versa.
You may also be writing for two-hour stints without a break, so you may get tired at first. Writing an all-day deposition certainly can wear you out, especially when you first start reporting. Don't get discouraged. Once you get used to sustained writing, it becomes much easier.
Also, because you don't know what the day holds, eat a full, wholesome breakfast. You never know if you will get a lunch break, and if you do, it may be a short one. Hopefully, you'll be asked if you would like to break, or you will have the opportunity to ask for a break, but it doesn't always happen. Sometimes the need for a faster deposition means starting at 9 a.m. and going straight through to 2 p.m. with no lunch break. I have had that happen, and I find in those cases, I was very happy I ate breakfast.
A Little Tip: If possible, when reading back on the job, read the question or answer to yourself first before you read it aloud. This may save you from stumbling over a new word or steno outline.
A Big Tip: Building up your reference books will be a tremendous help. If you are fortunate enough to work in an office that has these books available, you will save some money. But regardless of your situation, you need these books. I really feel that reference books are invaluable tools to our trade, be they scientific dictionaries, medical dictionaries, or books on abbreviations and acronyms. If you cannot afford to keep your own library at first, your local library may have what you need.
Also, you will see many reference books for sale at conventions. You should buy, even if you can afford only one book per year. I hope I have provided you some helpful tips to guide you in the transition from student to reporter. But here's just one more: Don't get discouraged if your first reporting assignment doesn't give leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling. I have been reporting for 13 years, and I still love it. That doesn't mean I haven't had some horrible assignments that have left me wanting to cry. But those unfavorable experiences didn't ruin it for the other assignments--those that have left me feeling I chose a very rewarding career.
Last Reviewed: April 14, 2009