Decision Process.....

• Decision Process..... - Undecided
  • What percent of ESL is account? nm - Sharon
  • don't see the problem: if the 10 centers - linda

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>>>you end up fixing things like changing "were" to "are", "a" to "an", that kind of thing. 

Like I said, it's all in the training process, which includes ar-ti-cu-lating correctly. You have to feel the words form in your mouth. If you don't, you're going to have errors like these. Also, did you use add phrases to the vocabulary? You sometimes have to do that. What about the microphone? If you used one of those right out of the box, that could be the problem. And your sound card? Did the program analyze thousands of documents? --- You can't just install the program and off you go. Like many an expansion program, you have to put time and effort into it ... but the gains are worth it (at least, they were for me).

>>>Easier in my opinion to type from scratch,

It depends upon the individual. If you're a relatively fast typist (100+) who can remember ten of thousands of abbreviations, or you're a whiz bang with ST or IT (which still ultimately requires memorization) you're certainly not going to benefit from the program aside from alleviating any pains and discomfort you might have as the result of RSI. But to those of us who who aren't whiz kids or are experiencing physical discomfort from years of clicking the keyboard, VR is blessing.

>>>not to mention that you are usually making half what a normal line rate is to do VR.

I can dictate and proof an average of 350 lph. Multiply that by 7 hours in a day.

My apologies if posting on wrong forum, but I am beginning to get paranoid and am wondering if I'm not doing something correctly.  When I respond to an ad on MT Stars, I click on the "Apply now" button, fill out the boxes appropriately with MY email address, etc., and then click "Submit."  It tells me it has sent the message to the "Desired recipient" (employer).  Am I doing this correctly?  I have applied for so many positions, am an experienced radiology MT with 30 years' experience, and am having a hard time accepting the fact that absolutely no one is responding to my applications. I've tried Keystrokes (needed 15 MTs for rad) and others.  I check every hour to see what new ads are posted and respond within that time frame.  I know it can take a couple of weeks or longer to hear anything, but when I hear that others hear back the next day I have to wonder if I'm just not performing the application process correctly.  Any feedback would be appreciated.  I'm getting worried and cannot find work.  Thanks.

I've been taking tests because I'm looking for a new job, and man, these tests take a lot out of you. For lots of companies, you have to take a screening test, an objective test, and a transcription test. If you take a lot of these for several different companies, it can be so tiring.

I wish that companies would shorten their tests. Half the time you don't even hear back from these companies anyway.

I had to take an objective test and then transcribe 4 reports and QA 3 reports.  For the transcription and QA part, they were supposed to give me instructions on downloading the files from their FTP site except I never received an email.  So when I emailed back, they said "oh sorry, I thought I sent this to you already."  So I took the transcription/QA portion, and then within five minutes of me returning the completed reports they said the position had been filled!

They didn't even grade my test!  It's that kind of crap that puts me off.  I took the time to take their test and to follow up with them when they had fallen down on the job and then they don't even bother to grade my test?  Not to mention before I started transcribing the reports, they probably knew they were hiring someone else anyway!

All I have to say to these MTSOs is get a clue!  You want us to behave professionally, how about returning the favor?  Our time is just as valuable as yours.

Does anyone know how to use your foot pedal while testing for companies?  I am having to use my mouse to start and stop the dictation and it is taking me FOREVER......help.....

Thanks.

Will you be looking for another job any time soon?  Will you make more money as a CMT?  Will it make you feel good about yourself to have the certification?  Will you have time to study for the test?  Make a list of pros/cons and decide from there.

Personally, it's not worth it for me.  I don't want to support the AAMT because they're supposed to be for Americans, but they promote offshoring.  I have enough certifications and education papers kicking around that I don't need another one.  CMTs don't get paid any more at my employer.  I also don't want to drive 300 miles each way to take the test.  It's expensive, and you have to recertify every three years.

I prefer IC as well.  When you're an employee, they pay you less per line than as an IC.  You still pay taxes, federal, state, Medicare, Social Security as an employee.  However, the employer pays for Worker's Comp and matches the social security and Medicare only portion of your taxes, which I believe is only 7.65%.  That social security percentage is quite small when you consider the fact that self-employment taxes are only 15.6%.  I don't remember the exact percentages because it's been a while since I had to manually figure it all, but you can look it up on Google.

As an IC, I get to deduct every little thing I can think of.  I can deduct my home office, a portion of my utilities, a portion of my Internet and phone, any mileage, office supplies (and I love office supplies!), furniture, software, computers and other equipment, paper, reference materials, everything.

The issue is that when you are an employee, those taxes get taken right off the top so you don't even miss that money.  Most people don't set aside a percentage of their pay that should have gone to those taxes, so they grumble when they owe at tax time.  You actually get to see how much you're paying out in taxes.  However, they got to use their money all year instead of loaning it to the government interest free.  That's a perk.

I took 3 documents in Word and the program calculated the amount of characters with spaces and without spaces.  I divided the character counts by 65 to get a line count.  I then multiplied the line count with spaces by 8 cents per line and the one without spaces by 9 cents per line.  In all 3 cases, you are better off taking the job at the lower rate counting spaces. 

Example:  1 document 4339 characters without spaces, 5179 with spaces.  Divide each by 65 comes out to be 67 lines without spaces, 80 lines with spaces. 

65 lines x 9 cents = $6.03

80 lines x 8 cents = $6.40

The others came out with a discrepancy of 78 cents and $2.16. 

I did other size documents and none of them came out where you were getting a better deal by being paid the higher line rate with no spaces.

I hope this helps.

Hi,

It sounds like, despite all the problems, that you love him and want to remain a family, particularly for the sake of your son. 

Without disrespecting that, what I would suggest is that you tell your husband to either grow up already (and pull his weight around the house while he is at it) or please go ahead and divorce you and marry his mama. 

In the meantime, make sure that your name is not on his credit card bills, etc. and that you DO expect him to provide child support while he is absent from the family, the home, the marriage.  If he fails or refuses, take him to court--that should make him wake up and smell the coffee and grow up fast.  Otherwise, let mama figure out how to manage his payee check with that new expense. 

HTH.