How an Advanced Certification Can Improve Your Career as a Court Reporter
Court reporting is a difficult job and requires exceptional listening, transcription, and perception skills. An attorney does not want to put his case into the hands of a court reporter who can only capture the gist of a deposition. In order for a transcript to be useful, it must be 100% accurate and 100% complete—it can’t be sorta correct or kinda done. In order to ensure integrity, attorneys need to be able to rely on diligence and experience from their court reporters.
This is where certification comes into play.
The NCRA
The National Court Reporter’s Association (NCRA) is a national organization dedicated to the advancement of the court reporting profession. In addition to providing information and guidance to court reporters, it sets national certification standards for court reporting. Since 1937, the NCRA certification program has been nationally recognized and administered throughout the nation in order to ensure court reporters are qualified. In fact, 22 states (not including Virginia) use the NCRA program (NCRP) in lieu of state certification or licensing exams.
Certification Benefits
Virginia is a voluntary certification state when it comes to court reporting. In other words, court reporters in Virginia do not need to be certified in order to be hired. However, by choosing to participate in the NCRP, or a similar certification program, Virginian court reporters can strengthen their reputations and credibility. It’s not enough to just tell your clients and employer that you’ve got the skills—you need to be able to show them.
A proper certification can:
- Showcase your skills. A certification from the NCRA will verify that you not only learned, but mastered, the qualifying skills to complete the rigorous program. Without a certification, employers may not be able to verify your skills—and their inability to verify may come with an inability to trust your skills.
- Illustrate your determination. By volunteering to learn advanced techniques, you show a higher determination for excellence. Employers will know that you won’t just commit to doing the bare minimum—you’ll go above and beyond to make sure your skills (and their transcripts) are cutting edge.
- Build recognition. An advanced certification brings with it an air of importance. Much like an advanced degree, a certification sticks out to employers and tells them that you’re a go-getter, rather than just another cookie-cutter applicant.
- Enhance your career. Getting an employer to recognize your skills and determination is the stepping-stone you need to bypass other applicants and pave your way to a better career.
For information on court reporting certifications or to get in contact with a certified court reporter, call us at (703) 837-0076. We’re dedicated not only to providing superior information and service but also in making sure your court reporting experience is a success. Don’t hesitate; call now!
