Temp Job # 1: Transcriptionist at a Law Firm

Picture It:

• Wednesday at 5:30p.m.: temp agency calls cell
• Wednesday 5:45pm: The Breakdown- law firm needs help with Word Perfect. Thursday and Friday. 11:00am to 6pm. $12.00/hour. Boca Raton, FL
• Thursday 11:00am: five minute break down of expansive file system and dictaphone machine
• Thursday 11:05-3:00: Transcription
• Thursday 3:01-6:00: Corrections (almost illegible handwriting, have to regularly ask near-by full-timers for assistance)
• Friday: Repeat of Thursday
• Friday: 6:00pm- asked to return indefinitely

The people are nice and the woman who works with me regularly, the assistant to the head partner, is both incredibly helpful and has a fantastic sense of humor (constantly flustered, but swearing - and laughing- under her breath and complaining about she might lose her pinky toe to her heels.) The firm deals with property law for community associations all over South Florida, so the letter's aren't as entertaining as they could be and, beyond the incomprehensible handwriting, the new-to-me legal jargon requires a tap dance on the dictaphone pedal when I'm transcribing. Right

(play) - lift (pause) - left (rewind) - right.....- lift- type- left- right...- left- right- lift- right- lift- right- life. Find the right file, save. Print. Find the right printer.

Sitting in front of a desk but still getting to socialize with the people who are losing their minds about getting the letters out on time is way more forgiving to my feet than 9 hours of organizing stock-room shelves or demoing the newest lotion. I'm not sure what kind of fake wood the floor is, but it's impossible to walk without sounding like an elephant who's shoes don't fit.... but there's a real, live water cooler :p The pay's good, the hours are perfect. However, temp is temp. They can say "Don't come tomorrow" at any point (though how can your resist this smile and my wonderfully speedy typing skills.)

Poser's Potential: High, if you're interested in law.

Bottom Line: I'm sure if it wasn't temp and you were anxious to enter into a life of law, it'd get boring very quickly. What I do for the office could definitely be done by an intern, but I'm getting paid pretty well all things considered.

3/5 Prop

This website breaks it down if you're interested in the field of law.